Friday, 4 March 2016

NFL Draft - Top 5 Quarterbacks

Article by Ian Hughes


Carson Wentz, North Dakota State –

Redshirt Senior

Ht: 6’5” Wt: 233 lbs

An NFL Ready QB. Has the type of Frame NFL guys look for in a QB. Extremely Athletic and willing ball carrier. Shows Good Pocket Presence and a Strong Arm capable of making all the throws. Very Accurate and shows some good ball locations.

However, Lower Body Mechanics cause issues. Has a tendency to throw off the back foot/not finish throws with his feet. Struggles at times with throwing footwork on Boots/Roll outs both right and left (particularly left). These issues can cause him to under throw deep balls. Also had a tendency to throw Fades too 'flat' giving WR less chance to adjust and/or catch the ball. Is caught starting down targets from time to time, at a higher playing level would have been Intercepted more often. Baseball background shows at times (Footwork and Arm angles).

Plenty of good to great tape on this guy. FCS school scares me a little but there is obvious talent there and a team will be very happy with him as their QB, even if he needs to start Week 1.

 

Jared Goff, Cal –

Junior

Ht: 6’4” Wt: 210 lbs

Has a live arm that throws a nice Fastball. Accurate and very catchable, with great location on screens and short routes. Shows great touch, knowing when to take a bit off. Fast release, gets the ball quickly. Works through the few reads asked of him. Capable of looking players off. Nice Footwork when kept clean, and Good in the play action game. Looks more than comfortable throwing on the run.

Has a problem reading coverages outside the numbers (Cover 2, Cover 4, 2-Read etc.) when Coverage players have a licence to read patterns. Not going to make many guys miss in the pocket, or in space for that matter. Was sacked plenty of times and had a tendency to put the ball on the floor. Has some real rough patched throwing the ball with a tendency to sail the ball during these patches. Falls away on throws when under pressure, still reasonably accurate but has led to misses and close calls.

Working out of the Gun/Pistol for all his career will not help Goff when moving into the NFL, but he has all the arm talent needed to make the jump. Everything you want from an NFL QB, saying that I would like him to gain a few pounds. Reminds me of Derek Carr a little in the way he operated in the collage style spread offence. Soo much Potential.

 

Connor Cook, Michigan State –

Redshirt Senior

Ht: 6’4” Wt: 220 lbs

The most NFL ready of any QB in this draft, Cook is the prototypical Dropback Passer. Coming out of a Pro-Style system at Michigan State, he is comfortable working from Under-center and the Shotgun. Navigates the pocket with ease. Effortless thrower of the Football, looks like he’s playing catch with a young child at times. Looks after the football, has a nice high carriage in the pocket. Makes quality decisions, when clean and under pressure.

Not what you’d call a ‘Mobile QB’. Has a turn of speed, but is definitely not a natural runner of the Football. Not great throwing on the move either, really struggles when going to his left. Looks hideous at times. Can have problems with Accuracy at times, which is frustrating after watching him be pin point accurate for most of the game, for him to flat out miss on a few key passes. Needs his Feet to throw the football, you aren’t going to see him complete many passes off balance or at strange angles.

The tape is not the whole answer for Cook. Questions about his leadership abilities and personality have come up, but there is no denying the Kid is a Quality QB that can control a game with ease. I expect to see him leave the Draft Board Mid-Late 1st round, but his value will vary from team to team.

 

Dak Prescott, Mississippi State –

Redshirt Senior

Ht: 6’2” Wt: 226 lbs

Very Accurate on shorter routes. Competent thrower on the run. A threat with his leg when the play breaks down, but still looks to pass first before taking off. Looks comfortable running the option and designed QB runs. Looked after the football much better this year, making good decisions in the pocket. Very durable.

Had real issues with deeper passes. Gets through reads, but not fast enough. Was under constant pressure last season, taking a lot of contact. This could have caused his extreme sensitivity to incoming pressure. Footwork is a real issue, will need plenty of work.

Was touted as the best QB in the SEC coming into the season, but lack of support has caused his all sorts of problems. He doesn’t really have 1 key attribute to hand his hat on, that could see him forgotten when thinking about stand-out QB. Had a good showing at the Senior Bowl.

 

Paxton Lynch, Memphis –

Redshirt Junior

Ht: 6’7” Wt: 245 Lbs

Has got a Cannon of an arm, particularly when working over the middle of the field. Shows some touch when throwing outside the number. Aggressive ball carrier coming out of the backfield. Looks to keep Passing plays alive more than tucking and running. Very athletic for his size, useful as an Option QB. Capable of making plays on the move, though it’s not his strongest suit.

Needs to take a bit off some throws. Doesn’t throw a very catchable football, has a bit of a dirty spiral. Footwork will let him down from time to time as well the way he moves his body weight, shows up most on perimeter throws. Will take on windows that are closing fast. Is a bit slow getting through reads, letting pressure develop. Too tentative in the play action game, need to let it loose and take his shots.

Very Raw QB. Worked almost exclusively out of the Gun at Memphis. This will put plenty of team off but has the size and the arm talent to have a great career. An athletic QB that is always looking to throw is rare in the draft, and will help his stock. Will get comparisons to Joe Flacco, but I would say he’s a better prospect.

 

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