FAYETTEVILLE - Former Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett is off the board.
Mallett was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the NFL Draft Friday, ending a two-day wait to hear his name called. Mallett was the 74th pick overall and the seventh quarterback taken in the draft, which began Thursday.
Mallett, once thought to be a lock to be selected in the first round, didn’t attend the event, instead opting to watch with family and friends at a duck lodge outside of Stuttgart. His fall down the draft board was the focus of much national attention throughout the first two days of the draft, much like it was in the months leading up to the annual event.
On the field, Mallett holds every major passing record at Arkansas, passing for 7,493 yards and 62 touchdowns in two seasons as the Razorbacks’ starting quarterback. As a redshirt junior, Mallett helped Arkansas win 10 games and earn its first Bowl Championship Series bid in school history.
Mallett is one of just four players in SEC history to pass for at least 3,000 yards and 30 touchdowns in back-to-back seasons. He impressed scouts with his passing accuracy at both the NFL Draft Combine in Indianapolis and his pro day in Fayetteville.
Off the field, though, allegations of drug use and questions about Mallett’s character made national headlines throughout the lead-up to the draft. Despite the negative press, Arkansas coaches and players repeatedly defended Mallett in recent months.
After playing his freshman season at Michigan, Mallett transferred to Arkansas in the spring of 2008 and was a two-year captain for the Razorbacks.
Mallett will step into a less pressured situation in New England, where three-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Tom Brady is the starter and still in the prime of his career as the reigning Most Valuable Player in the NFL.
Tight end D.J. Williams and offensive linemen DeMarcus Love and Ray Dominguez are former Arkansas players also expected to be drafted during the final of the three-day event Saturday.
You can follow Matt Jones on Twitter @NWAMatt.
Noooo maybe he will get traded after a few years behind Brady
Guess I’m a Patriots fan now! Go Ryan!
FINALLY !!!!
If he can handle learning behind Brady for awhile, he could be in a good situation. The Patriots are a good team, but I was hoping to see Mallett play more early in his career than he will behind Brady (unless Brady gets hurt again). That being said, this is how Brady started his career, and it’s worked out nicely for him, so maybe Mallett can achieve the same level of success down the road.
Alright. This is Not the ideal selection spot. But I think we’re looking at another Aaron Rogers situation. Good for Ryan. He’s going to learn from the best.
Finally, finally, Congrats Ryan we shall root for you and pray your become an NFL legend.
Good to go Ryan … prove to ‘em all what a good guy, QB, Hog you are!
In watching the draft coverage it was clear that there was more to the character issue than a 3 yr old public intox charge and malicious rumors. There was definitely something in the background that 99% of Hog fans were unaware of.
Well it cost him millions initially , but it might end up working out in his favor in the long run. He couldn’t have fallen into a better coaching situation.
Jerry Jones had a couple of chances to get him, but then again, you don’t expect that group of nepotistic morons to do anything intelligent. One playoff victory in the last 15 yrs. If you tried to be a bigger failure you couldn’t do it.
I agree with you, News Carver, about the character issue thing. The thing that bothered me in the coverage is that they never gave their proof of those things. If you’re going to claim there are off-field issues that are holding someone back, at least tell the public what those issues are and how you know about them. And they even seemed to denigrate him for transferring, even though the incoming coach’s offense was completely ill-suited for Mallett’s abilities. Only an idiot would’ve stayed in that situation.
Did you hear that New England Patriots had Mallett rated as their top qb propect in the draft. They knew that the idiots at ESPN had so posionesd the NFL community on Ryan that he could get Mallett basically “free in the 3rd round”. “Thanks alot Mel and Todd at ESPN’–message fro NE Patriots.
Flash…good point
Wishing Ryan only the very best, but this whole process is yet another reason I detest the NFL. I’d rather hunt Easter eggs on Sunday [and Monday night] than watch that crap.
I thought they would take him at the start of round 2, but they held out and he dropped in their laps in the middle of the 3rd round. He must have smoked a little more doob then we as fans know about. Still he’s in a great position learning under Brady. And he will get to showcase his skills in the preseason. He just lost out on a WHOLE lot of cash….
I’m not convinced this is the best situation for Mallett. He’s not the type of guy, personality wise, that Belichek usually prefers. Likely he is going to trade him in a couple of years. I hope Ryan is doomed to be a journeyman before he begins his career. He needs to be somewhere he is needed right away. He has a LOT to offer.
Let’s see, Steve Young sat on the bench waiting behind perhaps the best QB of all time. I seem to remember Mr. Young ended up being a decent QB (if you call decent Hall of Fame induction). I’m guessing his first contract with San Francisco was quite different than his last.
Anyone see a potential parallel here?
Here’s to hoping Mr. Mallett follows in the footsteps of Mr. Young at San Francisco (and not LA or Tampa).
Go Hogs! Go Pats!
Ok…. Am I the only one who is getting pissed off with everyone calling Mallett a Wolverine? ‘Mallett gets to go to New England and be with Brady a fellow Wolverine, two Wolverines working together’…. NO ESPN HE IS A RAZORBACK!!! NOT A WOLVERINE
New Carver….While I understand that you would have liked to see the Cowboys (your favorite pro team) draft Mallett (from your favorite college team), Dallas has lots of needs and wholes to fill and just game $50M to Romo. You don’t use a pick in the 3rd round on a back-up QB in that situation….it’s not Jerry Jones…nobody would have done that. Get over it.
Oh, News Carver is doing it here as well? I missed it.
We are talkin’ HOGS here! Take your c’boys to the next site!
Young started in the USFL for two years and for the Buccaneers for two years before he sat behind Montana for 3 years. he is not a good example.
Lets face it..who lost out here was the Titans. They had a golden opportunity to add another “rocket-laser, arm” to the AFC South. If Mallett progresses like Gruden predicts, how cool would it have been to see Mallett vs. Manning for the right to be the supreme passer in the AFC. Locker may not have studied botany or chemistry to learn the specific gravity of a Bud Light but at least Mallett can hit the broad side of the barn intoxicated or not!!
Ryan better start taking ice cold showers, and practicing throwing the ball in a meat locker. He lucked out and got with a team that is coached well for protecting the pocket and its QB’s. I live in upstate NY, and it gets brutally cold about the 2nd or 3rd week of Oct..By 1st week of Nov. its as cold as it was in the Liberty bowl, and thats the high for the day much of the time. We all know he didnt play well in the cold, but like anything it will take practicing in it and getting use to it. Hell ive been here about 14 yrs and go outside in the low 40′s in gym shorts and a t-shirt and think its a balmy day, so you do get used to it. Good luck Ryan, I get a lot of Patriot games because they play the Bills and the Jets twice a year being in the same confrence.
I guess alleged drug use is more of a character issue than getting arrested for stealing laptops and being forced to go to a Jr. College team. Cam and Auburn cheated their way to a national title and the #1 QB in the draft – give me a break. ESPN is a joke. This is a great spot for Mallet. It worked out for Brady and Matt Cassell.
Auburn will be caught and Cam The Scam MAY last three years…maybe. We must all remember that all the players in the NFL are all Cam’s size. They hit like a runaway semi truck.
I am glad that Mallett didnt get drafted by Carolina
I still have a hard time with the character issues being factual simply because in a day of viral internet videos and camera phones I find it hard to believe that nobody thought that they could make $$$ if they caught Mallett on camera. I think his immobility and 2 minute ability had more to do with his dropping than anything else. The good news is that these are things that CAN BE FIXED and NE is the RIGHT PLACE to learn how to run a two-minute offense and get maximum protection to minimize the need for mobility out of the pocket.
Carloina needed a QB and given the holes in their offensive line they needed to (& did) take the best scrambling/running QB in the draft. Had Mallett gone to a team with similar issues he would have taken a beating every week.
Mallett will do fine in NE…but rmmr,I do see what you’re saying. I noticed Ryan really didn’t do well in cold weather games (in general).
Once he gets used to it, I think he can do great in that situation
How many cold weather games did you see Ryan play?
I am happy to see that Mallett was the top rated qb by NE. Do you know what that means? He reslly wasn’t a 3rd round pick type palyer but that’s where NE knew they could get him.
If Brady had been 38 years old and announced his retirement after last season – this is the guy coch B at NE would have drafted and much earlier.
WHAT STRENGTH HE HAS IN HIS THROWING ARM, IS DIRECTLY PROPORTINAL IN WEAKNESS IN THE CRANIAL AREA. HE’S LIKE THE 500 YARD GOLF DRIVING GORILLA WHO ALSO PUTTS 500 YARDS.
KA Just mainly the Liberty Bowl in Memphis was his coldest game and not much of an offensive game at all for either of the teams who played in that cold game. which in the northeast is usally about your high temp for the months of Nov. and Dec.. But hey by time hes a starter he will be use to it, he’ll be fine coming along with a winning program at a slower pace than having to come in and be a savior at somewhere like Carolina.
Unless the new coach changes everything offensively, Tennessee was not for Mallett. Minnesota & Miami was. He would only be drafted by a team where QB mobility ws not a fator in the offensive scheme. I knew a good team would get him, but was hoping it would be the Colts. The patriots are a smart rival and they got a damm good QB. Mallett is in a GREAT situation. He will get paid to learn the system the right way. The goof ball teams that did not pick him will be wanting to give NE 2 or 3 first rounds picks to get him. The rich just keep keep getting richer. Oh well, I guess the Colts will just have to settle on Tyler Wilson
Mallett is officially my enemy now that he is a Patriot. I will be sending him greetings thru Freeney & Brock next year. May the Sacks be with him.
I’ve seen Mallett play in person–unbelievable arm.
He’s an easy going, laid back country boy–which many in ohter parts of US aren’t used to. Doesn’t mean he’s stupid or a gorilla.
Terry Brashaw who was drafted by Pittsburg and won 4 Super Bowls was much the same. Gee——Dennis—- Terry worked out Ok–don’t you think?
I think this is an ideal situation for Ryan. New Englad has the best owner, coaching staff and quarterback in the NFL. These folk knew what they are getting. I forecast Ryan will ultimatly show the “doubters” and the idiots at ESPN how stupid they were. Why is it these northern (DamnYankees) never show any respect to anyone from Arkansas. This has been going on for years. I wish you the best Ryan, hope you end up in Canton one of these days.
I hear you Ran2133, I think it will only take the ESPN analysts about the last week of Sept. this year to start giving Arkansas some props, instead of after the last game of the year against LSU before we head to the SEC championship.Once your Floridas, texas’s and USC’s dont make a couple BCS bowls in a row and Arkansas does, than these so called experts will figure its time to change horses. It would be nice to see an expert at least bring us up as a potential future power in college football. It would make a difference in recruiting as well as our players in the NFL draft.
i wanted Ryan to go to a NFL Team that had a very good offensive line,MISSION ACOMPLISHED.
If Mallett can stay on his feet and healthy, he should find some success in the NFL.. The thing he needs to do most is develop his body.. He has the football smarts and vision to be a good QB, but let’s be real. He’s a string bean..
We have great receivers here, but they didn’t do a real good job of making Mallett look good.. Alot of times a receiver can make an average QB look great.. Our guys seemed to drop alot of catchable balls at crucial times during a game.. Way too many drops.. You actually don’t have to look any further than our spring game this year. Very disappointing.. I’m sure the Patriots took notice.
BigHogFan,
You have made very good points. Without half of the drops and with the really big one on the first play of the game, Mallet would be in Carolina now. But I think he may have did more damage to himself with the Alabama, Auburn & OSU interceptions.
Nothing wrong with 3rd round and New England. Miami may rue the day they did not pick him.
Unless Brady gets hurt, Ryan will never start a game for NE. They will develop and trade him for something better than a 3rd round pick in a couple of years. The Patriots have made a living on this over the past decade.
I also think if he hadn’t made that last INT against OSU, some team would have taken a chance on him, regardless of the “character issues”. That one pass may have cost him $5-10M. Maybe not, but who knows?
TD,
It was about 5 plays in that game that could have been the game for us. Sad thing, was that all of them were mental errors on our part. Man it hurts to think about it.
Reminds me of years ago we had a chance to pull off the upset of #1 Miami Huricanes and Steve Atwater dropped a sure INT right between the numbers. The next play Miami scored and that was it.
That pick agaisn Alabama the scouts had to see too. That was really bad because we had the lead, momentum and field position. All he had to do was throw it out of bounds but he tried to throw it out of bounds and in bounds at the same time and it turned the game.
Even so, he is better than the other prospects and pro scouts should know better.
looks like in the Alabama Game,and against Ohio St,late in the Fourth Qt of both games his concentration just broke down.
hogjim-he had a crappy alabama game but the ohio state game was on the receeivers and the six drops.
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