The 2011 NFL Mock Draft experts over at (appropriately and clearly titled) Mocking the Draft run, among other things, something called the BUST-O-METER, and this week none other than Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert was run through the most terrifying machine in mock-draft-website history. The result: A 7 out of 10.
As Jon Dove, the BUST-O-METER's Eli Whitney, notes, this series' definition of bust isn't a player who fails entirely but a player who "doesn't live up to their draft position." Given the increased likelihood that the Carolina Panthers will choose him or Cam Newton No. 1 overall, that puts Gabbert in a tougher position than most potential busts.
That said, I'm a little more sanguine about Gabbert's prospects than Dove—certainly any quarterback is a risk, but I think we're past the point in NFL history where it makes sense to ding a QB for growing up in a spread offense, given the NFL's increasing dependence on passing. There's plenty to ding Gabbert about, but if we're starting there I'm reluctant to worry about the rest of it.