While many of the 17 quarterbacks invited to the NFL combine workouts this week are still waffling over whether they will throw, there is no such mental debate for former University of Florida standout Rex Grossman, who is anxious to air it out for scouts.

So when the quarterback session at the RCA Dome commences on Sunday morning, and some prospects like Carson Palmer of Southern California are little more than spectators, Grossman plans to be on the firing line.

And, perhaps, with first-round status on the line as well.

"You have to do something to separate yourself from the rest of the pack," said Grossman, the only top underclassman quarterback to cast his lot with the 2003 draft. "I can't get caught up in what the other guys are going to do. I've got to look out for myself. And my instincts tell me to throw. I want to take advantage of having all those sets of eyes see me."

It remains to be seen how many of the other quarterback prospects decide to participate in Sunday's passing drills.

The Heisman Trophy winner, and the man some feel will be the top overall choice in the draft, Palmer likely will sit out. Byron Leftwich of Marshall, who is recovering from a broken leg, won't do much more than a physical exam and isn't scheduled to work out for scouts until April 7. California's Kyle Boller has hinted he will do the running drills, but won't throw until his campus workout. The intentions of Chris Simms of Texas and Louisville's Dave Ragone aren't yet certain.

	“	You have to do something to separate yourself from the rest of the pack. I can't get caught up in what the other guys are going to do. I've got to look out for myself. And my instincts tell me to throw. I want to take advantage of having all those sets of eyes see me. ”
		— Rex Grossman, former Florida quarterback on throwing at the combine

But from virtually the day he decided to forego his senior year at Florida, and declare for the '03 draft, Grossman knew that he wanted his experience at the combine to be a legitimate audition for scouts. He probably won't do any of the running drills but believes those are academic if he throws the ball the way he feels he can.

It is a gamble that Grossman, the Heisman runner-up just two years ago, is more than anxious to take. In a similar circumstance last year, Patrick Ramsey of Tulane earned himself a spot in the first round by throwing in the workout and impressing scouts.

With more than two months remaining before the lottery, but with teams starting to shape their draft boards, Palmer and Leftwich are rated as the consensus top two prospects.

After that, as is typically the case at the position, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It appears, depending upon the personnel director to whom you're speaking, that Grossman, Boller and Simms all have a shot to be the third quarterback chosen. To some extent, even Leftwich remains a bit of a wild card, because of his physical problems.

By throwing at the combine, instead of waiting for his campus workouts, scouts agree that Grossman can only help himself.

"Yeah, he's a guy a lot of teams are curious about," said one NFC offensive coordinator. "He makes you want to see more. There's no doubt about his competitiveness. I'm anxious, though, to see his arm strength. You get a lot better feel in person than you do watching on tape."

Grossman, 22, figures to check in at about 6-feet-0 ½, not the ideal height for a pocket passer. But he has always thrown well on the move, and there are enough NFL offenses now that get the quarterback out of the pocket to where he should find a good fit.

Quarterbacks with similar physical dimensions, like San Francisco starter Jeff Garcia, have demonstrated a player can be successful with less than prototypical stature.

"The (size) is something he doesn't worry about," said agent Eugene Parker, "because he's succeeded in a big-time program."

In three college seasons, Grossman completed 677 of 1,110 passes for 9,164 yards, with 77 touchdown passes and 36 interceptions. The Bloomington, Ind., native posted a 23-9 record as a starter.

This season, Grossman completed 287 of 503 passes for 3,402 yards, with 22 touchdown passes and 17 interceptions.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.