HEIGHT: 6-5
WEIGHT: 221
COLLEGE: Duke
CLASS: Redshirt Junior
2018 STATS: 237/392, 60.5%, 2,674 yards, 6.8 YPA, 22 TD, 9 INT, 131.7 RATE (11 games)
CAREER STATS: 764/1,275, 59.9%, 8,201 yards, 6.4 YPA, 52 TD, 29 INT, 122.9 RATE (36 games)
GAMES WATCHED (10): Army, Northwestern, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Virginia, Pittsburgh, Miami (FL), North Carolina, Clemson, Temple
40 | BENCH | VERT | BROAD | 3 CONE | 20S | 60S |
4.81 | 33.5″ | 120″ | 7.0 | 4.41 |
SIZE/PHYSICAL TRAITS (5/5)
- Prototypical quarterback dimensions at 6-5, 221 lbs.
- Easily clears 9″ hand size threshold (9 3/4″ hands)
ACCURACY/BALL PLACEMENT (18.75/25)
- Pretty good short accuracy/ball placement — especially between the numbers
- Below average intermediate accuracy
- Decent deep ball accuracy
- Accuracy/ball placement is below average on outside the numbers throws
- Benefited heavily from wide open throwing windows created by RPO fakes and struggled to hit tight-window throws with any consistency
- Solid accuracy on the move
- Decent accuracy under duress
ARM STRENGTH (11.25/15)
- Good velocity on short passes
- Adequate velocity on intermediate passes
- Lacks ideal velocity for deeper passes (40+ yards) and far hash throws — passes tend to float, giving defenders time to catch up and make plays on the ball
- Lacks ideal velocity when his feet aren’t set
- Can make most of the required NFL throws
MENTAL PROCESSING (14/20)
- Makes good pre-snap reads most of the time — identifies vulnerabilities in the coverage and makes own sight adjustments
- Processes short passing concepts quickly, but tends to hesitate/hold the ball too long on deeper passing concepts
- Gets the ball out late a fair number of times — doesn’t always trust what he sees?
- Quick to check down — doesn’t often allow downfield routes to develop even when he’s not under pressure
- Finds hot route quickly when he faces immediate pressure
- Good eye discipline/manipulation — rarely stares down receivers and shows an ability to hold/move second and third level defenders with his eyes to create throwing windows
- Will predetermine throws at times without confirming that his pre-snap read was correct
- Decision-making worsens the further downfield he attempts to throw — misreads leverage of safeties and deep dropping linebackers
- Will force the ball into tight coverage rather than throw the ball away
- Holds the ball too long and takes a lot of unnecessary sacks
- Forces too many off-balance throws under pressure
- Bad habit of patting the ball before he throws it — telegraphs throws to defenders in this way and it likely contributed to his 12 batted passes in 2018 (highest mark of 2019 draft-eligible QBs)
POCKET PRESENCE (7.5/15)
- Generally does a good job of keeping his eyes downfield when he’s under pressure
- Poor pocket awareness — doesn’t feel edge pressure very well
- Won’t climb the pocket often and takes a lot of sacks as a result — very susceptible to strip-sacks due to poor awareness of edge pressure
- Doesn’t have a natural feel for how to navigate the pocket — often drifts or backpedals into pressure
- Doesn’t show great escapability or off-script playmaking ability
MECHANICS (4/5)
- Solid release time — slight drop of the ball in delivery, but gets it out over his shoulder
- Smooth drop footwork
- Steps into throws and transfers weight nicely on the follow through
MOBILITY (4/5)
- Fairly mobile — effective runner on scramble plays; can be utilized on designed runs
- Pretty good at extending plays with his legs when he breaks the pocket, but lacks great escapability
INTANGIBLES (6/10)
- Fairly experienced (36 games under his belt)
- Coached by noted quarterback connoisseur David Cutcliffe (he coached the Manning brothers in college)
- Lauded by Cutcliffe for his work ethic
- Mediocre 3-year production
- Struggled to elevate his team in big games
- Questionable poise under duress
RED FLAGS
- Broke collarbone in 2018
OVERALL GRADE: 70.50/100.00 –LATE 3RD ROUND/EARLY 4TH ROUND
SCHEME FIT: West Coast offense
NFL COMPARISON: Poor man’s Ryan Tannehill
DRAFT PROJECTION: 1st round