The quarterback is the most important position on the field and the position that is the most directly correlated with success. If a team has a great quarterback, they have a chance to win every single game they are in.

Depending on the scheme, quarterbacks can change plays at the line of scrimmage, make checks and even contribute the overall game plan on Sunday. They are usually the face of their franchise and they receive the lion’s share of credit and blame for how their team does.

This year’s quarterback class is very top heavy as Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston are the consensus top two quarterbacks. However, there are a few quarterbacks behind them that could develop into quality starters in the NFL.

Therefore, there are plenty of players with the necessary specific traits to build the perfect quarterback.

Size: Sean Mannion, Oregon State

Sean Mannion leaves a lot to be desired as a quarterback, but when he gets off the bus, he looks like an All-Pro. At 6-foot-6 and 229 pounds, Mannion can stand tall in the pocket and hit any throwing window. He doesn’t need to maneuver or manufacture throwing lanes because he can see over the top of his offensive lineman.

Mannion’s size is a good indicator that would be able to withstand the numerous hits that any quarterback takes in the pocket and elsewhere. If defenders forget to wrap up, they will just bounce off Mannion’s body. Also, Mannion’s size doesn’t hinder him from being able to move or scramble. Mannion has the perfect combination of height and weight that you want in today’s quarterback.

Athleticism: Brett Hundley, UCLA

Brett Hundley is an extremely underrated prospect who garners way too much criticism for the schematic disadvantages that his coaches at UCLA put him in. Nevertheless, everyone agrees that Hundley is a freak athlete who can take over a game with his feet.

At the NFL Scouting Combine, Hundley looked like a running back going through the drills as he put up some ridiculous times by any standard. A 4.63-second 40-yard dash, 36-inch vertical, 10-foot broad jump, 6.93-second three-cone and 3.98-second short shuttle are fantastic results for any position. Hundley is a dynamic ball carrier and he can make a defense look silly in the open field. When for athleticism in a quarterback, you dream of a player like Hundley.

Arm Strength: Nick Marshall, Auburn

Nick Marshall is currently in limbo between playing cornerback or quarterback at the next level. He has played both in college and it appears as though teams differ on where he should play. When he is the signal-caller of an offense, Marshall has exceptional arm talent, which allow him to make every throw on the field.

Marshall is missing a lot of the traits you look for in a quarterback, but you can’t deny the cannon he has for an arm. Marshall can throw a 55-yard bomb with pinpoint accuracy, which is unheard of from the rest of this class. Marshall may end up playing cornerback in the NFL, but he has the best arm strength out of the quarterbacks in this class.

Accuracy: Marcus Mariota, Oregon

Marcus Mariota is an excellent quarterback prospect in this draft. The system he played in at Oregon has led many to question how he will transition into the NFL as he appears to be a very task-orientated quarterback who lacks the ability to improvise.

Nevertheless, no other quarterback consistently throws with fantastic ball placement like Mariota does. Like most quarterbacks, Mariota is much more accurate when he is in rhythm, but has shown some ability to make accurate throws under duress. Mariota can fit a ball in between two defenders and he can hit a wide receiver in stride down the seam. He is not without his faults, but it is hard to not like how accurate Mariota is when he throws the ball.

Decision Making: Hutson Mason, Georgia

Many of you may be surprised to not see Mariota’s name here because of his astonishingly low interception rate. However, when you look at Mariota with a critical eye, you see a player who doesn’t work well outside of the structure of the offense as he routinely makes poor decisions in that area. His scheme often makes decisions easy for him and he thrives in that role.

Nevertheless, Georgia’s Huston Mason is the best decision maker in this draft class. Mason is a fringe-draftable talent as a quarterback, but he consistently makes great decisions on the football field. He knows how to make pre-snap adjustments, he understands how to look off defenders and he consistently throws to the best receiver for that situation. Mason is often let down because of his poor arm talent and footwork, but from a pure decision making point of view, Mason is the best in this class.

Pocket Presence: Jameis Winston, Florida State

Despite his poor decision making against underneath zone coverage and tendency to press too much during games, Jameis Winston is the premier quarterback prospect in this draft class. What really separates Winston from the rest of the draft class is pocket presence.

Winston routinely showcases exceptional comfort playing from the pocket and he showcases the ability to thrive from a muddy pocket. It’s one thing to be able to drop back in rhythm, step forward and make a throw in open space. It is entirely different to do the same with bodies all around you and this is where Winston excels. He isn’t afraid of pressure and he understands how to manipulate the pocket to buy time, so that he can find an open receiver.