Tebow better but can’t escape criticism on Day 3

NFL Network draft expert Mike Mayock: “To me, he is arguably the greatest college football player that ever played the game. I think he deserves the right to get an opportunity to try to play quarterback at the next level. […] I keep trying to tell people it’s a process. Just understand there will be ups and downs. The kid is what he is. He’s going to work on mechanics.”

New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan, from The Gainesville Sun:. “I know all I need to know about the kid. He’s a winner. Obviously, he’s a great competitor. He doesn’t have to prove anything here. The fact he’s out here is great. He’s a winner. That’s what you want as the No. 1 thing as a quarterback, so I think he’s going to have a great future.” “Yeah, absolutely [he can be a quarterback in the NFL]. […] Hell, you look at his track record, the way he competes, and his win-loss record speaks volumes about him. He’s probably the top competitor that I’ve really seen around in a long time. He doesn’t have to be perfect. All he has to do is play quarterback. He’ll be just fine.”

Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Gene Smith, from The Gainesville Sun: “You talk about Peyton Manning and Drew Brees, coming out of college they were so passionate about competing at the very highest level. No one worked harder than those two. It’s not like they had just God-given ability and just stepped out on the field and performed. The honed their skills. That’s one thing Tim has. He has the mindset of Peyton Manning and Drew Brees from a preparation standpoint. He’ll put in the time. How good he becomes, I don’t know. I don’t have a crystal ball. I do know he’s a tremendous competitor who has played quarterback in a great program and he’s won national championships. He’s certainly showed the ability to lead, and that’s the No. 1 thing you have to have in a quarterback. I think Tim will tell you he’s certainly got some things he can improve on. He’s got some things like most quarterbacks have that he can improve upon. I read where he’s got a long release. I’ve seen him shorten it. If you’re cognizant of things you need to improve on, great players work to improve in those areas. Tim gets that.”

Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio, from The Gainesville Sun: “This is just the beginning. From here, you’ll have the workouts and the combine and all those things, the interview process. Like a lot of young men, we’re trying to get a good feel for how they’re going to fit in on our level. It’s way too early in the process to get into those kind of discussions (about how Tebow’s mechanics might influence the Jags’ draft). I like to get a feel for players. I’ll work at it and have an opinion. I’ll have one on Tim at some point, but I won’t give it to you any time soon.”

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Todd Haley, from The Gainesville Sun: “He’s a good football player, and it’s important to find good football players. I just haven’t seen enough of him.”

High-ranking college scout for an NFC team, from the Boston Globe: “I actually don’t think he’s that hard to evaluate at all. To me, he’s just not a very good quarterback prospect. Now, if you want to rework his mechanics, his release, try to improve his accuracy, then you see a guy with this big frame that can throw. He’s a big-time project, no doubt.’’

AFC college scouting director, from the Boston Globe: “With a guy like him, you can’t say he can’t do it. He’s got a strong arm, he can throw a spiral. But he’s going to take time. With his mechanics, with his long delivery, he’ll have to shorten things up. He may never be a top quarterback, but you don’t know. With his type of character and the way he approaches things, you can’t put it out of the question. But it will take some time. If you put him at another position, he wouldn’t be an elite athlete. As a quarterback, he’s a really good athlete and strong and physical. But if you say, ‘OK, how’s he compared to the running backs out there?’ He’s not more athletic than any of the running backs out there and he’s certainly not more athletic than a lot of great tight ends.’’

San Diego Chargers scout, from The Gainesville Sun: “I know Tim is a great football player and he’ll be a heck of a player in the NFL,” said a scout with the San Diego Chargers who asked to remain anonymous. “I just don’t know what position that will be at.”

Pittsburgh Steelers scout, from The Gainesville Sun: “He’s a tremendous athlete, a great competitor and a winner. There’s no doubt he’ll have a career in the NFL. He’s a football player. But I think you’ll see him playing another position and getting a few plays a game as a Wildcat quarterback. He’ll be more of a situational quarterback. You watch him throw the ball and he’s got that long throwing motion. He doesn’t get the ball out quick enough. As a former (NFL) defensive back, I loved going against quarterbacks like that because you could really zero in on their passes. Tebow’s a great player, but I question whether he can be an every-down quarterback at the next level.”

Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Dan Mullen, from the Mobile Press-Register: “You know, he wins. Everybody keeps challenging him and challenging him of what he can’t do, and he seems to continually prove everybody wrong. I think he’s out here to show and prove everyone wrong again. […] I would have been shocked if he wasn’t (playing in the Senior Bowl). If there is a game to be played, he wants to be playing in it. I bet if you put on another one next week, he’d come back and play again.”

Former Alabama Crimson Tide tight end and South teammate Colin Peek, from the Mobile Press-Register: “I think he’s doing a phenomenal job, especially thrown into a situation where he has a million eyes on him. It’s kind of a sad situation because so many people are trying to judge him as a player off of this week when he’s produced such great numbers in the past four years.”