As we approach the NFL Draft on Saturday, I'm starting to read and hear rumors that Matt Ryan is starting to fall like a Russian Soyuz space capsule. It's always risky to take a quarterback with a high draft pick, but without risk comes little reward.

Matt Ryan may not be the next Peyton Manning, but is Eli Manning the next Peyton? You don't have to be Peyton Manning to lead your team to a Super Bowl title, but you have to possess brains, balls and heart. Watching Matt Ryan at Boston College, I know he's got some brains, some of his throws took Brett Favre balls and playing on one foot his junior year showed Steve McNair heart.

A couple of other things I know about Matt Ryan:

1. He did more with less at Boston College. Ryan wasn't surrounded by a fleet corps of receivers. Frankly, a lot of balls that should have been caught were dropped by his receivers. In the NFL, he'll have receivers who can make those plays.

Boston College has always had talent on the offensive line, but B.C. struggles at the skill positions. If Matt Ryan had Cal's receivers, it would have been lights out.

2. Coach Jagodzinski gave the keys to the car to Matt Ryan. Jags and offensive coordinator Steve Logan made a commitment to the pass and to Ryan. In my opinion, this was sometimes to the detriment of the running game, but in Ryan, Boston College Trusted.

Jags and Logan were going to ride Ryan to the Promised Land or bust. You have to look no further than B.C.'s  last minute improbable upset of Virginia Tech to showcase Ryan's leadership and will to win. Without Matt Ryan, B.C. loses to Va Tech. Do you think Frank Beamer is glad to see Matt Ryan head to the NFL?

3. Ryan was great at hitting Andre Callender coming out of the backfield. Ryan would be a perfect fit in the West Coast offense and he has the arm to stretch the field. Ryan showed he can check down and make the smart play. That's a valuable skill to have when you have a 300 lb. monster looking to make you into mulch.

4. Will Ryan be able to pick up a new offensive system or read NFL defenses? Replacing Tom O'Brien, Jagodzinski and Logan installed a new offense at The Heights. Ryan flourished under the new offense. His offensive linemen initially struggled with the zone blocking scheme Jags brought to Chestnut Hill, but Ryan found a way to win. The kid lives to compete.

5. Ryan is the best quarterback I've seen at Boston College. I'm not including Doug Flutie on this list, because he pre-dates my time at Boston College:

Sheridan's Ranking of Boston College Quarterbacks:

1. Matt Ryan

2. Glenn Foley

3. Matt Hasselbeck

4. Brian St. Pierre

5. Paul Peterson

6. Tim Hasselbeck

7. Mark Hartsell

8. Willie Hicks

9. Scott Mutryn

10. Mark Kamphaus

There are some pretty good names on that list. I firmly believe Matt Ryan was the best signal caller Eagles fans have witnessed since the days of Cowboy Jack Bicknell coaching Doug Flutie. Does Ryan topping my list translate into success at the next level? No, but now being a member of the ACC, Boston College is competing against stiffer competition. Ryan's body of work was accomplished against a level of competition that previous Boston College quarterbacks did not encounter in the Big East. Under two different coaching staffs, Ryan was able to consistently win in the ACC with a team that was far from loaded with talent. Ultimately, isn't the success of a quarterback determined by his ability to win football games? Ryan wins.  

Inherently every draft pick is a risk, but I'd take a shot with Matt Ryan. I would like to see Ryan end up with the Baltimore Ravens. Ryan is from the Philly area, he can relate to the passion of Ravens fans and I can see Baltimore embracing this kid. How about Matt Ryan being Baltimore's next Bert Jones?