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Everyone by now in the NFL world knows who Boston College Quarterback Matt Ryan is. But does everyone know the person behind all this hype? In this article we will profile Ryan and then everyone can judge for themselves if he is worthy of being the number 1 draft pick in the 2008 NFL draft.

Matthew Thomas  Ryan (born May 17, 1985 in Exton, Pennsylvania) is heading into the 2008 NFL draft with the hype that he will be the first quarterback taken and possibly, the first overall choice.  Since the 2005 season, Ryan has been the starting quarterback for the Boston College Eagles, leading them to three bowl victories and a 25-7 record in 32 starts. He has thrown for 200 or more yards 15 times and is fifth all-time in school history in passing yards and in pass completions. He also earned MVP honors at the 2005 MPC Computers Bowl. In 2007, Ryan led his team to an ACC Atlantic Division championship and was named ACC Player of the Year

Ryan was one of the leading candidates to win the Heisman trophy award. However, Matt Ryan’s chances to win the Heisman fell sharply after he threw three interceptions in a 17-27 loss to Florida State, an unranked team that had six wins and three losses. However with a strong performance against Clemson his chances were raised substantially. Ryan ultimately lost his bid for the Heisman to Florida Gators underclassman Tim Tebow who passed for 3,132 yards and 29 Touchdowns.

This past November against ACC rival Miami, Ryan surpassed Doug Flutie for the most passing touchdowns in a single season by an Eagle QB with 28 Touchdowns. Matt Ryan was also awarded the 2007 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, given annually in the United States to the Nation’s most outstanding college football senior quarterback. He also won the 2007 Manning Award.

Ryan concluded his college career throwing for 4,507 yards, 31 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. Some scouts are worried about his questionable arm strength and the fact that he ended his 2007 season throwing 19 interceptions which is almost twice as much that he did in the 2006 season. A lot of scouts are also worried about his durability issues and the fact that he is not as mobile in the pocket as teams would like him to be.

Despite the negatives, Ryan has a great big frame and is incredible in reading the defensive signals. There will be a lot of defensives that will be surprised at how strong he is the second they step foot on the field with him. Any team that drafts Ryan will get an immediate leader who has great experience running a pro style offense at Boston College.