In college football, the fourth season, the senior year, is when they say a player is ready for the challenge. Whilst that might not be all true in the NFL, it is mostly true at the quarterback position that if someone does not show even a glimmer of “getting it” in the NFL by season four, then there really is no hope for that guy.

With that in mind, it should be time to see how this year’s “seniors” - the 2004 draft’s QB class - is doing: The listing is sorted according to draft selections, with each round being depicted.

1st round

'So far, it has been a magic carpet ride for Texans fans'


Eli Manning – New York Giants
Yes, we all know the joke by now: the only place where Eli precedes Peyton is in the alphabetical order of players. But is it really fair to judge little brother’s performance by comparing him to the best QB in the game? None of the other QBs get this same measuring. By my standards Eli has fared rather well so far. All that has happened since he became the full-time starter for the team is that the Giants have made the play-offs twice. Whilst many would love to have these achievements credited solely to Tiki Barber’s genius, fact is, Tiki and his offensive line were around before, and they still could not do it.

Eli could get scrutinised for not being the top QB of this class, and I would agree with that, but to call him a bust is just insane. To this day he is worthy of a first round selection, and his performances whenever he gets to truly run the show with audibles have been superb.

For Eli this truly is like a college senior year. Your star back is gone and the team’s fate is put on your shoulders. When the coaches just pat you in the back and say kid, this is your show, your team, and it is now your time to shine.

Philip Rivers – San Diego Chargers
Rivers is a very good QB. Is he better than Eli Manning? The jury is still out on that one. Statswise Rivers is bettering Eli in most categories, but it is not exactly a level playing field here. Rivers is in a situation where he is regarded as the last missing piece. With a strong line, a good receiving outfit, and a superstar running back Rivers has to be smart rather than great. He needs to pick his spots and he always needs to make the safe choice.

At least that was the ideal situation from last year. This year so far, teams have wised up; they have realized that they’re better off having Rivers take the big risk moves whilst they completely cover LaDanian Tomlinson. This tactic has resulted in a 1-2 start for the Chargers and for the first time, experts are questioning Rivers’ passing skills.

Ben Roethlisberger – Pittsburgh Steelers
Big Ben is really more like the Big Bang. So far he is the tops of this list, as he has proven to be hands down the best QB of this class. He actually could retire today with us thinking he had a full career.

He already has a Super Bowl ring; he has had a near perfect regular season in his rookie year; he suffered a near-fatal motorbike accident, and he has already shown a full comeback. Not bad for a guy that is starting only his fourth season in the league. What could possibly come next?

JP Losman – Buffalo Bills
JP is a nice guy, one who leads with example and is humble enough not to let the big money game change him. Whilst all of it is true, JP is probably the one whose first round status is questionable.

He simply has not adjusted well to the NFL. His game is way too inconsistent and his decision making is iffy at best. I’m really sorry to say this, but Losman’s recent injury could be the push the Bills needed to start finding a new starting QB.

Round 3

Matt Schaub – Houston Texans
David Carr couldn’t; he could. This is the short summation of Schaub’s 2007 season thus far. He took over David Carr’s starting spot, and he immediately made an impact. The Texans went 2 for 2 before barely being beaten by the defending champions.

Schaub has been Michael Vick’s backup ever since he got into the league. This summer he finally got a starting gig, and he sure is showing that he is worthy. Of course defenses will start zeroing in on him, and they will become more prepared as the season rolls on, and then Matt will really be tested. So far, it has been a magic carpet ride for Texans fans.

Round 4

Luke McCown – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
McCown missed his biggest shot at establishing himself as more than a career backup when he went down with an injury last season. With the turmoil within the team at the QB position McCown would have certainly gotten some valuable snaps during the regular season. Alas, a leg injury held him back. He is a nice back-up though, which is not all that bad from a fourth round pick.

Round 5

Craig Krenzel -
Krenzel actually won his first three starts in the NFL as the QB of the Chicago Bears. He was considered a solid prospect in 2004. Alas, he lost his last two games before suffering an ankle injury. He was then traded to Cincinnati where he was strictly third string material behind Jon Kitna and Carson Palmer. Craig has since quit his playing job and is currently a radio commentator for the OSU Buckeyes.

Round 6

Andy Hall –
Hall never was able to get meaningful minutes. He is playing in the Arena Football League currently.

Josh Harris –
Josh was, and probably still is, the best quarterback nobody has heard of according to NFL expert Kirk Herbstriet. Quite frankly I have tried to come up with an answer of what he is doing currently, but his bio has been erased from the nfl site and even his very own website, joshharrisqb.com has no info on his current status. You do have to chek out the site though, it really has been done well.

Jim Sorgi – Indianapolis Colts
Sorgi has been able to learn from the very best. He might just become the lifetime back-up guy for Peyton Manning, who knows. Anyway, in the limited action he has seen he has been solid, has shown good decision making, and he has five touchdown passes against only one interception, which again, is a sign of good decision making. I would not be surprised if somebody were to give him a shot at getting starters minutes just to see whether anything has rubbed off on him from Manning’s brilliance.

Jeff Smoker –
Smoker never made an impact in the NFL, but he has been a heck of a rookie QB for Arena Football’s Nashville Kats. Since becoming their starter, he has salvaged their last season by reaching a 7-9 record and he almost led them to a play-off berth.

Round 7

John Navarre –
Navarre is still chasing his NFL dream. He is currently listed as a free agent in the NFL after being cut by the Colts in August.

Cody Pickett –
Cody is currently on the roster of the Canadian Football League’s Toronto Argonauts.

Casey Bramlet – Atlanta Falcons
Bramlet is still living the dream (not bad for a seventh round pick) as he is a member of the Falcons. More good news could come his way if the season continues to be as shaky as it has been thus far. Once management sees this one as a hopeless season, they might just give the inexperienced QB a few snaps to see whether he has a brighter future ahead of him or not. As the MVP of the World Ball (NFL Europa’s final) he definitely has a case.

Matt Mauck –
Mauck is currently an NFL free agent. He actually has an NFL start under his belt, and has been seen as a great practice squad player.

BJ Symons –
Symons is with Arena Football’s Tampa Bay Storm. The big record holder (5,833 yards in one season in college) never really caught on in the NFL. He is the most recent acquisition of the Storm.

Brandlee Van Pelt –
On his first official snap in the NFL, Van Pelt took a shot gun snap from inside the ten yard line and ran into the end zone against the Kansas City Chiefs. Alas, that’s really where the story ends as he is since out of the NFL and currently a GM at a Wendy’s in Colorado.

Who will be the best QB of the 2004 class? Post your comments below or submit an article to Sportingo.