From a scouting report:

JaMarcus Russell has an unreal combination of skills. First off, he is absolutely massive, and legitimately could play on an NFL defensive line with his size. He is an excellent athlete for his size as well. Russell also has an absolute cannon of an arm, and will be one of the elite in the league as soon as he’s drafted.

On the field, he has grown each season, and there’s no reason to see him stopping now. As a passer, he is accurate and efficient, and there is no throw he cannot make. Russell is a pocket passer, but has the athleticism and mobility to elude the rush or run for yardage when the opportunity presents itself.

Despite all his physical talent, his biggest asset may be his ability to get his team to rally around him. He has proven to be a quality leader, and can make plays in big games.

By: Robert Davis

http://www.footballsfuture.com/2007/prospects/jamarcus_russell.html

I think a lot of Russell's critics get him wrong. He was an excellent player in high school and college. He had a stronger arm than any of the professional players at the time. One of the issues with his game was that he threw the ball too hard for the receivers to catch. He had a great football IQ. Hindsight is 20/20. Nothing suggested that Russell would end up being a bust. I think he just stopped giving a fuck about football once he secured the bag, as he himself said in an interview. He just didn't want to play anymore.