In the case of Pryor, of course, Gruden won't be watching him on the field since the senior quarterback is still recovering from a foot injury suffered in the late stages of the Sugar Bowl win over Arkansas, But Gruden can still talk with him. And as he said today, the 6-foot-6, 240-pound Pryor certainly fits the physical profile of contemporary quarterback prospects.
"The quarterbacks I'm seeing coming through here in the last few years are getting bigger, stronger, and they're getting abnormally large," Gruden said. "When you look at the size of (Tim) Tebow, the size of Cam Newton, now you're talking about Terrelle Pryor, Blaine Gabbert, Ryan Mallett.
"If you get with the right coach who can cater an offense to Terrelle Pryor's ability ‑‑ I stood on the field right before the Rose Bowl (OSU's win over Oregon in which Pryor was named the game MVP). I thought Terrelle Pryor was Julius Peppers (the Chicago Bears defensive end). That is the kind of size he has."
Whether Pryor has what it takes to play quarterback in the NFL remains to be seen, Gruden said,
"But everybody's looking for big, explosive athletes," Gruden said. "The way they're protecting quarterbacks, that is the one reason I really like Cam Newton. You can't tackle these guys below the legs. They're hard to bring down.
"If you watch (Ben) Roethlisberger and Josh Freeman create plays, it's a huge advantage for guys of this size. You can't bring them down. So I think there is a chance for Pryor. I just will know more after I see him personally."