Christian Ponder, QB

Ponder is smart enough to know what sets him apart from the other top quarterbacks in this draft class.

"What separates me from everyone else is my intelligence," Ponder said in one of at least three references he made to his intelligence at the scouting combine.

And Ponder isn't someone you want to debate with. He earned his degree in two-and-a-half years, earned his Master's in finance and is working on his graduate degree in sports management. Clearly, an NFL team throwing millions of dollars at Ponder doesn't have to worry about his study habits.

"Being able to comprehend everything that's going on, and the way I prepare," Ponder said of his strengths. "I watch a lot of film and I'm going to be the hardest worker on my team."

He has one other significant advantage. An excellent athlete in his own right, Ponder also comes to the NFL following three years starting in Jimbo Fisher's pro-style system for the Seminoles - rare experience among the top quarterbacks in this draft.

It all plays into an uber-confident demeanor bordering on cockiness that will resonate well with teams desperate for a leader in the huddle.

"I really think I'm the whole package at quarterback," said Ponder. "I have great accuracy and can make all the throws. Intelligence is a huge advantage for me, being able to comprehend offenses and defenses. We ran a complex offense at Florida State and I think it will carry over well to the NFL. I'm athletic enough to move in the pocket and make plays with my feet."

All true. So, too, is a laundry list of injuries that dogged his final two years with the Seminoles.

Ponder suffered a Grade-3 separation of his throwing shoulder against Clemson and missed the final three games of 2009. A senior season that started out with plenty of Heisman hype was derailed by a concussion and a sore right elbow that affected his velocity in several games. It started with a hit against Miami that separated tissue between his skin and his muscle. Ponder only missed two games, but had his elbow drained weekly and ultimately underwent surgery to remove scar tissue.

His draft stock plummeted as a result, but perhaps no one has enjoyed a stronger pre-draft circuit than Ponder. He was the Senior Bowl MVP, had arguably the best throwing session at the combine and again proved his arm strength was back to full strength at Florida State's pro day.

"I obviously dealt with a lot of issues with my forearm and everything, so I'm healthy and taking advantage of the opportunities," he said. "Getting back healthy and having a great week and a great game at the Senior Bowl spring boarded me into the combine."

He has been working out with Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert since the end of the season. Their friendly rivalry has extended off the field, and Ponder's competitive nature comes out when asked who's the better fisherman.

"I am. I caught twice as many fish as he did, so obviously it's me," he said with a wry smile.

Gabbert is expected to be selected in the top five, but Ponder knows there are plenty of opportunities to prove himself wherever he's ultimately selected.

"This draft presents a great opportunity," he said. "Me and my agent (Jimmy Sexton) were going through a list of all the teams that need a quarterback and it's an extensive list. I know I'll be given an opportunity and at the same time I'm going to take full advantage of it."

Accuracy: Zips the underneath routes with good accuracy; consistently hitting receivers in stride to best take advantage of teammates' athleticism in FSU's use of quick slants and screens. Keeps his deep-outs low and outside, away from the defender and where only his intended target can make the play. Occasionally forces the receiver to adjust on deeper passes, as his lack of dominant arm strength can cause the ball to float.

Arm Strength: Doesn't own a Matthew Stafford-type howitzer, but has plenty of arm strength to make every NFL throw. Good zip on underneath routes; showcasing enough drive to push the ball through tight windows for the quick slant. Good timing and accuracy make up for a lack of a dominant arm for the deep-out. Effective deep-ball thrower; able to launch the ball 50-plus yards with velocity and trajectory.

Setup/Release: Quick setup and a compact, over-the-top delivery. Good footwork. Willing to take a hit to set his feet and step into his throw. Experienced under center and operating out of the shotgun. Passes have a tight spiral, making his throws easy for his wideouts to track and catch easily.

Reading Defenses: Some legitimate concerns in this area. Has to do a better job of looking off the defender, as he has a tendency to stare-down his primary target. Doesn't always feel the pressure coming when he makes his progressions, especially if his primary target is unexpectedly covered up. Made some critical mistakes late in games throughout his career, including several times in 2010.

On the Move: Mobile quarterback with the vision, agility and straight-line speed to escape the pocket and scramble for positive yardage. Can be too aggressive and leave himself vulnerable to absorbing big hits by electing not to slide. Has a good sense in the pocket. Willing to step up into the pocket or scramble wide, allowing defenders to rush by as he keeps his eyes downfield. Good body control to throw on the move, making him an effective dual threat out of the bootleg. Squares his shoulder and has plenty of arm-strength to drive the ball into mid-range openings in the defense. Can freeze the defender with an effective pump-fake. Knows where the first down marker is and fights hard for the required yardage, showing determination and better than expected leg-drive. Not afraid to get his jersey dirty as a runner or even as a blocker/tackler.

Intangibles: Carries himself like an NFL quarterback. Highly respected team captain who takes his role as a leader seriously. Comfortable leading vocally or by setting the example on and off the field. Earned his Master's Degree in finance and is working on his doctorate. Durability concern. Missed the final three games of the 2009 season with a grade-3 separation of his throwing shoulder and suffered more injuries to this throwing arm (including undergoing two surgeries on his elbow) in 2010. Father, David, played linebacker at Florida State from 1980-83.

Compares to: Tony Romo, Cowboys -- Like Romo (undrafted), Ponder's lack of ideal size and struggles with durability are enough to push him down the board. But his arm strength, accuracy, mobility and intelligence could make him a very effective pro quarterback if he can improve in critical situations.

--Rob Rang

Ponder missed two games in 2010, including the Seminoles' loss to Virginia Tech in the ACC championship game. Ponder has thrown for 185.3 yards per game, down from 301.9 his junior season, and has a 137.5 passing efficiency rating, 10 points lower than 2009.

Third-year starter and one of the most successful quarterbacks in school history on and off the field … fifth-year senior entered campaign as the lone active FBS player in the country to have earned an MBA degree (spring 2010) before playing his final season … has collected a myriad of awards along the way, including: NFF Scholar-Athlete; James Tatum Award (ACC's top football student-athlete), Allstate AFCA Goodworks Award and first team CoSIDA Academic All-District honors … remains a finalist for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award … was also a finalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and the Wuerffel Trophy … became the first FSU quarterback since Chris Weinke in 1999 to defeat both Miami and Florida in the same season, delivering the 'Noles their unofficial state championship by a combined 52-point margin; the largest ever recorded … is the first Seminole quarterback since Gary Huff in 1971 and 1972 to score two career wins at Miami.

Ranks among the top five at FSU for career passing yards (4th, 6,866), career completions (3rd, 595), career total offense (3rd, 7,696), career TD passes (tied 5th, 49) and career completion percentage (2nd, 62.0) … his 21 career victories as a starter is tied for sixth in school history … despite a season-long battle with an arm injury, Ponder has tossed a single-season, career-high 20 touchdown passes with only eight interceptions in 11 starts … his 49 career TD passes is tied for 19th in ACC history … has completed 183 of 294 attempts for 2,038 yards … has rushed for 177 yards and equaled his single-season, career-high with four TD runs … has six multi-touchdown pass games, including a season-high four against Samford and three against both North Carolina and Florida … Ponder has been especially efficient on third down and in the red zone.

Of his 45 third down pass completions, 41 have resulted in first downs or touchdowns … FSU leads the ACC in third down conversions … in the red zone, Ponder is 29 of 47 for 234 yards and 16 touchdowns with just one interception … he has led the Seminoles to an 8-3 record as the starting quarterback this season … enters his final game ranked 24th in ACC history for passing yards (6,866) and total offense (7,696).

Started the first nine games of the season before being sidelined with a shoulder injury that required surgery … returns to action on a limited basis this spring … despite missing the final three games of the regular season, still ranks first in the ACC and third in the NCAA in total offense (321.78), first in the ACC and sixth in the NCAA in passing yards per game (301.89) … tied FSU and ACC record with a 98 yard TD pass to Rod Owens in the win at UNC and had a career-high 395 yards passing … threw five TD passes against Georgia Tech, which ranks 3rd in FSU's single-game records … recorded at least 250 yards passing in eight of nine games, including four 300+ yard games … ranks ninth at FSU in career passing yards (4,828)and third in career completion percentage (61.9).

In his first season as a starting quarterback, led FSU to a nine-win season for the first time since 2004.Started all 13 games … named offensive MVP and Seminole Warrior at the football awards dinner … also the junior class academic award winner for the offense … ranked fifth in the ACC in total offense and sixth in pass efficiency … eighth in the conference in passing per game … a major weapon with his feet, Ponder is the first FSU quarterback to run for 400 yards in a season since Charlie Ward ran for 504 in 1992 … just the fifth QB in school history to run for 400 or more yards … was second to only Antone Smith for rushing touchdowns in 2008 with four.

Ponder became just the fourth Seminole ever to rush for a touchdown in four consecutive games … his 144 rushing yards versus Miami were the second-most in FSU history behind Ken MacLean who ran for 146 in 1948 … his 45-yard run versus Miami was the fourth-longest in school history by a QB … completed passes to six receivers or more in 11 of 13 games this season … found eight different receivers in a season-opening win over Western Carolina and nine different receivers in FSU's win over Wisconsin in the Champs Sports Bowl … became the first FSU QB since Charlie Ward to throw six TD passes in his first two starts.

Played in one game - the first game of his career - as he was forced into action against Virginia Tech when starting quarterback Drew Weatherford was injured in the second quarter of the game on the road … Ponder, who had worked with the first team offense during the week in practice, stepped into the game in the face of a nationally ranked Hokie defense and a hostile Lane Stadium crowd … the first pass of his career was a beautifully thrown 23-yard out pattern to Greg Carr … he completed one of three passes for 23 yards with one rush for nine yards in his first quarter of action … became more comfortable as the game went on as he guide the Seminoles to 15 second half points … on his first scoring drive (a 50-yard field goal by Gary Cismesia) he was 1-for-1 for 24 yards on a six-play, 27-yard drive … his second scoring drive was a seven-play, 54-yard touchdown scoring drive … he was 3-for-4 for 32 yards passing and rushed one time for six yards on the drive … his first career touchdown pass was an eight-yard strike to De'Cody Fagg that gave Florida State a 21-20 lead with 3:41 left in the third quarter … he finished the game 8-for-18 for 105 yards and one touchdown.

A redshirt season.

2010: Appeared in 12 games, but suffered through a concussion and a sore right elbow that affected his velocity in multiple games. Underwent two elbow surgeries.

2009: Suffered a Grade-3 separation of his throwing (right) shoulder in the closing moments of a loss to Clemson, missing the final three games.

Combine: 4.63 40-yard dash; 34-inch vertical; 9'8" broad jump; 4.09 short shuttle; 6.85-cone drill.

Graduated from Colleyville Heritage High School in 2006 … three-star player by Rivals.com … ranked 14th in the nation among pro-style passers by Rivals.com and the No. 50 overall prospect in the website's postseason Texas Top 100 list … listed as 20th overall quarterback in the nation by Scout.com … rated as the No. 19 quarterback in the country on the postseason PrepStar200 … threw for 2,214 yards and 20 touchdowns during his senior season at Heritage, while also rushing for 911 yards and 12 scores … named first team all-district 5-5A by the Dallas Morning News … threw for 318 yards and three TDs in a loss to eventual state champion Southlake Carroll … gained 438 yards of total offense (252 passing, 186 rushing) and accounted for six TDs (5 pass, 1 rush) in a game against Richland … chose Florida State over Oklahoma State and Georgia Tech.

Born Feb. 25, 1988 … a real estate/finance major … father, David, played linebacker at Florida State from 1980-83 … posted a 3.89 GPA winning the academic award for the freshman class … will open the fall with 84 credit hours despite being in school for just one year.