We are four months away from the NFL draft, but that doesn't mean we can't start imagining where Jimmy Clausen is going to end up quarterbacking next season.  It seems like most draft analysts really love Jimmy, except for Todd McShay, who values him as much as he values not looking like a smarmy douchebag every time he appears on television.  There will be so much movement between now and the first pick that I'm sure most of this post will be laughable in retrospect, but now that we have the top of the draft order set in stone, let's take a look.

There are three things that really aid Clausen in his quest to be not only a high pick, but the number one quarterback taken.  In no particular order:

1)      The success of Drew Brees.  Jimmy's height isn't as imposing as NFL scouts like, but with Brees lighting the world afire for the last few years, it's much easier to point to New Orleans and say "That guy not being 6' 5" isn't affecting his ability to quarterback."

2)      The success of Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco and the Sanchize.  Although I have the sneaky suspicion that Flacco has played most of this season drunk, the latest batch of rookie quarterbacks taking their teams to the playoffs have inspired hope in a copycat league that "If we just get the right guy under center, even if he's a rookie, we're going to the promised land!"

3)      The fact neither Clausen or Bradford is playing in a bowl game.  The last time Notre Dame had a quarterback slated to go this high, JaMarcus Russell got to light up a horrible Irish secondary while poor Brady Quinn got pounded by a bunch of first round picks in the same Sugar Bowl.  Clausen's last game was a shredding of Stanford.  Bradford's last full game will be sixteen months removed from draft night 2010.  Advantage: Jimmy.

Let's take a look at the top of the first round and their potential interest in Clausen.

1) St. Louis

Do they need a quarterback?  Unless they're pleased with the few pieces of Marc Bulger that still work, Kyle Boller's ability to throw it through the goal posts ON HIS KNEES or someone named "Keith Null," then yes, yes they do.

Will they draft Jimmy? Possibly, but here's where you have to weigh the overall greatness of Ndamukong Suh versus having a franchise quarterback  Obviously Suh is amazing, a wrecking crew any team would love to have, but how much of a difference will he make in regards for competing for a championship if your offense is being operated by Keith Null?  The ideal situation for the Rams would be to hope that the Redskins let Jason Campbell go, sign him, and then take Suh with this pick.  It's really Campbell, Kyle Orton (who I assume the Broncos will throw some money at) and Kellen Clemens in terms of free agent quarterbacks, unless the prospects of Chad Pennington or Tavaris Jackson excite you.  I don't think anyone would begrudge the Rams taking either Suh or Clausen here, as each would provide a centerpiece for that side of the ball.

2) Detroit

Do they need a quarterback? Considering they spent the number one overall pick and a gazillion dollars on Matt Stafford last spring, they will not be drafting a quarterback.  Whether Stafford was worth that pick or that money is certainly still up for debate, but they won't be taking one.

3) Tampa Bay

Do they need a quarterback? After trading up last year to get Josh Freeman, no.  The giant from Kansas State showed some flashes this year, and considering Jon Gruden is gone, the Bucs won't need a full quarterback carousel to rotate through. 

4) Washington

Do they need a quarterback? Probably.  There's a chance they resign Jason Campbell, but the new coach (looking more and more like Mike Shanahan at this point, unless Wade Phillips falls on his face in the first round, so I guess it's not looking that much like Shanahan yet...) will likely look for a fresh start and someone with a little less baggage in DC than Campbell.

Will they draft Jimmy? I like the chances here.  The other main threat is Mr. Sam Bradford, who would serve the dual role as both quarterback and ambassador, because as one of the most prominent Native American athletes in the country, he could help smooth over any future conflicts over the Redskins name.  If it's Shanahan, I think he would enjoy having someone as polished as Clausen in the lineup, but the Redskins organization is a mess.  The battle between Clausen and Bradford for top quarterback billing is going to be very interesting, with Bradford's winning, the Heisman and the injuries going against Clausen's amazingly strong season and Weis pedigree. 

5) Kansas City

Do they need a quarterback? No sir, they do not.  The Matt Cassel trade wasn't a roaring success this year , but it also wasn't anywhere near a failure.  With the emergence of Jamaal Charles and Dwayne Bowe hopefully getting the whole "Taking banned substances" thing out of his system, Todd Haley and company will probably go offensive line here.

6) Seattle

Do they need a quarterback? Considering Matt Hasselbeck more closely resembled a corpse than a NFL quarterback down the stretch and missed most of last season with injury, I think going quarterback here is a very viable option.

Will they draft Jimmy?  I think Clausen would be fantastic in Jim Mora, Jr.'s West Coast offense, although Seahawks fans aren't thrilled with the idea of Mora being there long-term.  Maybe the powers that be in Seattle think they can get another year out of Hasselbeck, or gamble that a quarterback is available in the mid-teens (the Seahawks have Denver's first round pick this year).  Plus, Seneca Wallace!

7) Cleveland

Do they need a quarterback? Eh, maybe?  It's a shame Brady Quinn missed the last two games with injury, as before his implosion against Kansas City, Number Ten had played well.  It's pretty obvious Derek Anderson isn't the answer (7 for 11 for 86 yards and a pick in the Browns' regular season finale victory over Jacksonville), and the Browns have so many other needs I think it's silly to think they'd spend a draft pick here when it's very possible Quinn is the long-term answer. 

Do they need a quarterback? Yes, but trying to predict what Al Davis will do in a draft is pointless.  Drafting a quarterback here is admitting that the Russell pick was a giant mistake and it's time to move on, but is there anyone left in the Raiders organization who isn't ready to move on from the overweight lazy guy who loves to turn the ball over like that's his objective on every play?  Maybe they're happy going forward with Bruce Gradkowski and Charlie Frye, both of whom breathed some life into the silver and black offense.

(I feel like Notre Dame fans should apologize to Raider fans for that 2007 Sugar Bowl, which really propelled Russell after the draftboards after a not outstanding regular season.  Sorry, guys.)

Will they draft Jimmy?  We can hope and pray not, but I don't think Jimmy's measurables would excite Davis, who tends to value 40 times and size over actual football ability.

9) Buffalo

Do they need a quarterback? Along with a coaching staff and offensive line, yes.  I doubt the new regime is going to want to build around Trent Edwards or Ryan Fitzpatrick, although to be fair, the latter was not awful when playing the Colts' second string in a snowstorm, an exact scenario that he will never face again in his NFL life.

Will they draft Jimmy?  Certainly seems like a possibility.  Jimmy's got the arm to carve through the winds coming off Lake Erie, and he would also look very comfortable playing in the SkyDome when the Bills inevitably move to Canada.  (I'm not calling it the Rogers Centre, it's the SkyDome.)  There are a few top-notch offensive tackles in this draft (Okung, Davis, Campbell), and if one of them are available, maybe the Bills start to repair their front line.

~

I don't really see Jimmy falling past the Bills, but then again, no one saw Brady falling past the Dolphins either.

If the Bills pass on Jimmy, there's a chance the Seahawks take him with Denver's pick at fourteen, but after that, the floor opens up like it did for Quinn and Aaron Rodgers.  Unless all of his workouts are disasters, I don't think Clausen is going to have that problem.