Dilfer said "The ceiling is so astronomically high for this player, Cam Newton, that the scouts, the GMs, the coaches are really going to be slobbering about the prospects of having him on their team."
Mayock ranks Newton third in this year's quarterback class behind Missouri's Blaine Gabbert and Washington's Jake Locker.
"For me, it's not about [Newton] throwing in shorts," Mayock said. "It's about a lot of other things. He's going to throw the ball beautifully in those controlled environments.
"To me, there are two issues with this kid. Issue No. 1 is he came out of a shotgun, and if you watch the tape it's basically a very simple offense. One read and either the ball was out or he was out. So can he adapt to, can he process and assimilate to a very structured and complex pro offense against a complex pro defense?
"Secondly, and most importantly, when you get to a certain skill level in the NFL, which this kid certainly has, at the quarterback position, what kind of kid is he? Is he going to be the first guy in the building? Is he a gym rat? Is he football smart? Is he a leader of men?
"All those things to me are way more important than any workout in shorts."
Dilfer, meanwhile, was blown away and said Newton's stock should skyrocket. It's fascinating how two men who played in the NFL and have been around the game for decades would place such dissenting opinions over the value of Thursday's workout.
Dilfer played quarterback in the NFL for 14 years. He played for five organizations, went to a Pro Bowl and won a Super Bowl.
If anything, the divergent viewpoints of Dilfer and Mayock indicate how 32 teams can judge a player differently and why arguments sometimes break out among a team's scouting department over a given player before a pick is made. It also helps explain how the New York Jets could take Vernon Gholston sixth overall.
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