Matt Ryan != Peyton Manning

The NFL Network's Mike Mayock is my favorite draft analyst/college scout by a wide margin. He sees things that a lot of other guys overlook and doesn't get caught up in the ebb and flow of hype over players that may or may not deserve it. But, Jesus, he really pulled one out of his ass here when discussing Matt Ryan (quarterback, Boston College):

"I don't throw out this name lightly, but he reminds me of Peyton Manning in terms of emotional toughness," said Mayock, who also believes Ryan's arm is strong enough to cut through the nasty winds of the Meadowlands.

Ok, first of all... "emotional toughness"? Does that mean he doesn't cry when he throws an interception? Because Manning has been known to pout. Usually, analysts just shove all those nebulous, difficult-to-define characteristics into a category called "intangibles". Leadership, poise, resiliency, motor... all those things are intangibles, and Ryan has a lot of them. But Mayock, as a former Boston College guy himself, knows that his mention of Manning's name alongside Ryan's will have people linking the two together in other ways besides his aforementioned emotional toughness. And there's just no comparison. Everyone knew Manning was a quarterback to build a team around and a rare prospect who hadn't begun to realize his potential. Ryan, in any other draft, would not even be mentioned as a top pick because of his accuracy troubles and his streaky deep ball. And it appears to me that he has just about peaked. But 2009 looks like a dismal year for drafting quarterbacks already, so the best guys this year move up a little. But in terms of pro potential, I don't know that there is any difference between Ryan and Chad Henne or Brian Brohm or Joe Flacco.

I'm sure Mayock believes everything he says and that he really does think Ryan is the top rated player in this draft, regardless of his alma mater. But that Manning comment was really the first one I had seen that made me think he's been sneaking some BC Kool-Aid.