Didn't have a chance to expand on my post with draft comments from NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock yesterday because I was pulling double duty at the Michigan State basketball game. But I want to be clear that Mayock does not sound down on either Matt Stafford or Mark Sanchez as a future NFL quarterback, he simply questions whether either would provide the immediate impact teams are looking for with top-10 picks.

“I look again at (Matt) Ryan and I look again at (Joe) Flacco, and what I keep trying to tell people is that they're amazing talents physically but they also had an emotional maturity about them,” Mayock said. “And I think for Sanchez and for Stafford they're a little bit of a project because they need more time.”

Ryan, the No. 3 overall pick by the Falcons last year, was a fifth-year senior who started 2 1/2 seasons at Boston College. Flacco, taken 18th by the Ravens, started two years at Delaware after transferring his sophomore season at Pittsburgh. By comparison, Sanchez made only 16 college starts. Stafford is more experienced having started eight games as a true freshman and 34 for his career (two more than Ryan), but he left with one year of eligibility remaining.

“If you're going to draft a quarterback high, that's going to be your guy, they all want him to play immediately, and so I don't think Stafford or Sanchez is ready to step in immediately,” Mayock said. “That's the first question I ask if I'm a GM.

“On the other hand, if I had an opportunity to develop a quarterback, I'm not sure I'm going to want to take him in the top 10 if he's going to sit for a year or two. So to me, it's still early in the process, I got a lot more tape to watch of these kids, a lot more evaluation to do. But right now I think they're both wonderful talents, but I don't think they're top-10 picks because I don't think either is ready to come in and play Day 1.”

Depending which veteran quarterback the Lions bring back – Daunte Culpepper, Jon Kitna or Dan Orlovsky – they may be in position to develop a quarterback a la Carson Palmer in Cincinnati. Palmer did not play his rookie season but started the first 13 games ahead of Kitna his second year.

Could Sanchez, a Trojan like Palmer, follow the same path?

“He can make every throw,” Mayock said. “I've stood on USC's practice field probably three or four times this year and watched him throw the football. Totally impressed with his arm strength, his athletic ability, his toughness. So do I think there's an NFL quarterback there that's a starting NFL quarterback? Absolutely.

“My problem with both he and Stafford is I don't think they're ready in the immediate future. And with Mark, I think 13 or 14 more starts at the collegiate level would have really helped him become a better quarterback. His pocket awareness and presence, I would question both he and Stafford as to whether or not they're ready to stand in an NFL pocket, keep their eyes downfield, make NFL throws and get rid of the football on time.”