by Clark Judge, FOXSports.com

"This guy is like Midas," said one AFC assistant who attended the workout. "Everything he touches turns to gold."

What is touching now is the upper reaches of this year's draft. In little more than six weeks he's gone from a projected second-round draft choice to a certain first-rounder pushing for the top 10.

Yeah, I know, he's not the top quarterback in this year's draft. USC's is. He may not be the second-best, either. Marshall's is the frontrunner there, though NFL player personnel directors and scouts will reserve judgment until his workout Monday.

But is the hottest quarterback in this year's draft, leapfrogging Florida's , Texas' and 's the past two months by doing what comes naturally — and I'm not talking about throwing a ball 60 yards from his knees.

I'm talking about a glittering performance at the Senior Bowl. And a terrific workout at the annual NFL scouting combine. And a lights-out performance at his Pro Day. Scouts always knew Boller had a strong arm. Heck, the guy says he once threw a ball 81 yards, and he launched it 70 yards off the run at last month's workout. But it's the accuracy, the athletic ability, his attitude and his knowledge of the game that has scouts drooling.

"My philosophy is this: Each day I go out and work out 110 percent," said Boller. "I try to get better each day. I throw. I run. I lift. I do everything. I just want a team to fall in love with me. I want them to want , and the only way that can happen is if I bust my butt day in and day out and be the best quarterback I can be."

Credit Boller and agent for carefully and thoughtfully tip-toeing through a postseason that has been marvelous for the Cal senior. Boller didn't throw at the combine because he already showcased his talents at the Senior Bowl. Instead, he concentrated on his athleticism, turning in a 4.61 in the 40 and the second-best shuttle among quarterbacks, before putting on a passing clinic at his March 13 workout.

The strategy worked perfectly. With each step, Boller became more attractive — so much so that some observers now believe he won't slip past Baltimore with the 10th pick ... if he makes it that far.

"The guy's scary," said a coach who attended Boller's workout. "He can make all the throws. He can move. He's fast. He's smart. He can change protections. He can anticipate pressure. And when you talk to him you'd like to spend six months with the guy."

People talk about Boller as if he were a one-year wonder, but it's not as if he came from nowhere. Yeah, I know he didn't complete 50 percent of his passes his first three years at Cal, but let's put this in perspective.

He started one year of high school — his senior season — and threw 59 touchdown passes, 3 interceptions and set a state-record with 4,838 yards. His team was 13-1, and Boller — considered the San Fernando Valley's best prospect since John Elway in the 1970s — was named 's Player of the Year.

Sure, he floundered at Cal, but, until last season, who didn't? Name me one star running back or wide receiver from 1999-2001. You can't. You couldn't name a star quarterback, either, until Jeff Tedford showed up as the head coach last season.

It was the former University of Oregon offensive coordinator who straightened out Boller's mechanics, working the entire off-season to correct a flaw in the quarterback's throwing motion. Convinced a flapping left arm was affecting Boller's accuracy, Tedford had the quarterback tie his left wrist to his bicep to keep the arm from moving.

Result: Boller threw for 29 touchdowns, including five in each of two games, and only 10 interceptions. More important, Cal finished with a winning record (7-5) for the first time since 1993.

"The biggest difference in my season would definitely be that I had a great, great coach in Coach Tedford," said Boller. "He really emphasized mechanics and fundamentals. He also helped me understand protections and defenses. It was great timing.

"The first couple of years I sometimes used to walk around campus with a hood on. Being a quarterback at a Pac-10 university and having a 1-10 record like I had my junior year was not something to be proud of. But it made me a stronger person. I feel like I learned a lot from it, and I think I'm where I need to be now."

At the annual scouting combine in February, Boller was asked how he'd feel if the Green Bay drafted him. Naturally, he said he would be pleased. But that was then, and this is now, and now there is no way lasts until the 29th pick of the draft.

"This guy's a testament to really good coaching," said an AFC scout. "He always had the skills; it just took the right coaching to get the most out of him. Now, the question is: Is he a one-year player? I guess we're about to find out."

can be reached at his e-mail address, cjudge@foxsports.com.