Jay Cutler QB 6’3 223 Vanderbilt
By: Robert Davis

Jay Cutler has made tremendous strides since his freshman season. He had the greatest freshman season of any quarterback in Vandy history. In 2002, he threw for 1,433 yards and 10 touchdowns, but also had 9 INT’s and only completed 48.6% of his passes. He also ran for 393 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. Shaking off the sophomore slump, Cutler had an awesome sophomore campaign. For the year he completed 57% of his passes for 2,847 yards, with a 18/13 TD/INT ratio. As a junior, he threw for 1,844 yards while completing over 61% of his passes, with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions. On the ground, he added 349 yards and six touchdowns. Cutler went out with a bang this season, throwing for a career high 3,073 yards while completing 59.1% of his passes to go along with 21 TD's to just nine picks.

Cutler has all the talent and the mindset to be an NFL caliber QB. He’s big and strong, has a very good arm, but also brings surprising athleticism to the field. He has the ability to make every throw, and can make plays with his feet when things break down. Cutler also possesses excellent toughness. He has taken a beating playing for Vandy, but gets up every time and continues to battle.

There has not been much help on offense during his four years at Vandy. That has caused Cutler to try and do too much to help his team win. He will try and force balls into coverage to make the big throw. He needs to show better decision making on the field. For all his experience, Cutler still needs work. His line play has never been very good, so Cutler has never truly gotten the ability to consistently sit in the pocket and set up a play.

If he had not played at Vandy, Cutler would get a lot more publicity. He also probably would be a little more developed. He’s had to run for his life his entire career, and hasn’t had much help around him. He’s still a legitimate NFL quarterback talent though. His performance during Senior Bowl week has cemented him as the #3 QB in this draft. He still only grades out as a late first rounder, but some teams may look to reach for him because of the position he plays.