Dynasty Draftnik

Chiefs, Round 5.

Postseason Events: Senior Bowl and NFL Combine.

Positives: Was a redshirt senior with several starts in college running a prostyle offense, so he is probably as ready to be in the NFL as he will ever be. Good height and adequate bulk for the position. Great hand size. Generally adequate accuracy on short and intermediate patterns and on the move. Adequate arm strength and consistently throws with very nice touch on intermediate passes. Shows nice anticipation on timing patterns, throwing to receivers before they make their breaks. Adequate track speed and quickness off the line for the position. Adequate vertical leap and lower-body explosiveness in Combine drills. Good ability to change directions with burst in Combine drills. Above-average speed, and is willing to run and is willing to slide at the end of runs. Patient as a runner with pretty good vision and will extend and dive for extra yards. Adequate speed for his size and position. Can step up in pocket under outside pressure. Picks his way through traffic pretty well on runs. Shows some toughness, playing through a sprained ankle that happened in September 2015.

Negatives: Below-average accuracy on intermediate passes to the sideline. He has lapses in accuracy, and will overthrow receivers on screen passes. Below-average accuracy on deep passes, and will miss all over the map on those passes. Inconsistent accuracy down the seam, and will overthrow or underthrow them often. Though his arm strength is adequate, his velocity is below average. Hesitant, and will hold the ball too long. Eyeballs receivers consistently. Throws with a long delivery and a three-quarter release. Sometimes lacks patience as a passer – not letting progressions happen. Gets a little bit of happy feet when given too much time in the pocket and will just take off for no reason. Doesn’t see the middle of the field very well on intermediate passes. Throws into coverage deep. Passes sail on him with his feet are not set. Runs too upright in short yardage situations. Takes chances with his body and the ball on the run, and looks vulnerable to fumbling on the run. Though he is willing to slide as a runner, he doesn’t look comfortable doing it.

Pre-Draft Projection: Round 2. I would give him more of a Round 3 grade, but he has shown enough during his college years that some team will draft him earlier than expected. He can be at least a very good backup in the pros, and will probably be a starter at some point. His combination of athleticism and passing ability give him a good chance to contribute heavily in the pros.

Raiders, Round 4.

Postseason Events: NFL Combine. Was invited to the Senior Bowl, but declined to participate.

Positives: Ran a pro-style offense in college, so he should be fairly ready to learn an NFL-level offense. Great height and adequate bulk for the position. Above-average hand size. He throws with above-average arm strength and velocity. Above-average accuracy on crossing and slant routes, and shows good anticipation – throwing receivers open. Okay deep accuracy. Above-average accuracy on the run. Steps into his throws pretty well inside the pocket under no pressure. Is able to move around the pocket and reset his feet to deliver a pass. Knows when to throw the ball away. Seems to have strong hands and can hold onto the ball when defenders are swiping at it. Adequate track speed for the position. Adequate vertical leap and overall lower-body explosiveness in Combine drills. Fair play fakes.

Negatives: Needs to vary his velocity at times instead of throwing bullets on slant patterns. Eyeballs receivers consistently, and will tend to throw it directly at defenders he doesn’t see or to heavily defended receivers – especially in the red zone. Doesn’t sense the rush well from the outside and will sometimes roll into the pressure. Consistently poor decisions under pressure, and will throw it up for grabs. Below-average decisions on the run, and will throw it across his body into heavy coverage. Not effective at blitz recognition. Doesn’t recover well after mistake and becomes much more hesitant. Will consistently throw it into coverage. Seems to have trouble connecting on pitch plays. Inconsistent throwing mechanics in the pocket and on the run – doesn’t set his feet well for consistently and will throw it off his back foot under no pressure. Will try to throw with all arm, without stepping into his throws. His feet sometimes get crossed up even in a clean pocket and his accuracy gets thrown way off. Though he can move around the pocket adequately at times, he will miss opportunities to step up in the pocket. There have been several reports of bad attitude and teammates disliking him. Below-average ability to change directions with burst in Combine drills. Injured right shoulder in November 2015 but was back by the bowl game.

Pre-Draft Projection: Round 2. To me, he looks more like a Round 4 type of prospect with a long future as a backup if the reports of his poor attitude are incorrect. But a lot of people were talking him into the first round. I don’t really see – especially with his decision-making deficiencies. But he should at least be a solid backup with short-term starting potential.

Cowboys, Round 4.

Postseason Events: Senior Bowl and NFL Combine.

Positives: Adequate height and good bulk for the position. Huge hands. Generally above-average accuracy on short and medium and timing passes. Throws with adequate velocity and has nice touch on deep passes down the sideline. Seems to go through his progressions fairly well, though slowly. Seems to consistently find a single-covered receiver. Stands in and delivers passes under pressure. Keeps his eyes downfield on the run even when he has room to run. He seems like a team player, and is a willing and effective blocker downfield who is determined and maintains blocks. Though he often throws across his body outside the pocket, he seems to be able to get away with it because of his high accuracy on the move. He runs with adequate speed and changes directions well. Runs tough with good power, and churns well through contact. Is willing to dive forward for extra yards. He looks like he has learned to slide over the years. Good vision as a runner, and changes directions well. Pretty good ball security technique on goal line runs and holds the ball high and tight. Adequate track speed for the position. Above-average vertical leap and overall lower-body explosiveness in Combine drills. Adequate ability to change directions with burst in Combine drills. Is also the holder on field goals.

Negatives: He mostly ran a read-option offense in college, so he may not be ready for an NFL offense right away. Has flashes of inconsistency on short and medium passes. Below-average deep accuracy. Needs more touch at times, especially on short passes. Slow to go through his progressions. Late recognition and anticipation and hesitates often – especially in the red zone. Misses better reads in the red zone. Seems to have a low release point. Throws across his body consistently. Needs to set his feet when he has time outside of the pocket. His footwork has always been pretty consistently off and he will just stand inside the pocket flat-footed. Long windup when he wants to drive the ball. Doesn’t see better deep options down the middle of the field. Sometimes throws directly at defenders. Suspect ball security when he’s fighting for yards, and fumbled the ball twice that way in 2015 bowl game. Arrested for speeding and DUI in March 2016, but breathalyzer tests were inconclusive. 2013 nerve injury put him out of two games. Minor injuries in attack at concert in March 2015.

Pre-Draft Projection: Round 4. He has some solid athleticism and enough skills and quarterback to grow into a solid backup and potential starter in some systems. He needs some work on his decision-making, mechanics, and accuracy, but some team will make room for him on their roster.

Browns, Round 3.

Postseason Events: Senior Bowl and NFL Combine.

Positives: Was a redshirt senior, so he has a lot of experience at the position. He ran a prostyle offense in college, so he should be more ready for an NFL style offense. Above-average bulk for the position – built like a fullback. Huge hands. Pro-style offense. Above-average accuracy when he is on the move to either side to side or when stepping up into the pocket – even when throwing across his body on the move. Good accuracy on short and medium passes, and on timing routes. Has adequate accuracy rolling to his right. Throws with enough arm strength and has nice touch on his deep passes. Goes through his progressions patiently and is willing to check down. Steps up in the pocket under pressure well and delivers accurately. Willing to throw the ball away. He runs with adequate speed and quickness, and is willing to run. Able to step up in the pocket under outside pressure. Keeps his eyes downfield on the run. He is even willing to throw blocks on running plays.

Negatives: Slightly below-average height for the position. Below-average track speed and vertical leap for the position. Poor overall lower-body explosiveness in Combine drills, with poor ability to stop, change directions and accelerate out of cuts. While he could get the ball downfield, he throws with below-average velocity and his passes tend to wobble. While he throws with nice deep touch, his deep accuracy is merely below average. His throwing mechanics are inconsistent, and he sometimes tightens up throwing the deep pass. Long windup when he wants to throw with velocity. His back foot gets too deep at times on passes, limiting his torque. When he is on the run, he sometimes doesn’t seem to see obviously open receivers. Will sometimes throw it into heavy traffic in the middle of the field. Will also eyeball his receivers too much at times. Is a little late on anticipation at times and will wait for his receivers to be fully open before he throws the ball. In the red zone, loses track of linebackers and will throw directly at them. Will consistently throw the ball up for grabs and into coverage under pressure. Doesn’t seem to be very elusive in the pocket.

Pre-Draft Projection: Round 4. He has enough solid quarterbacking qualities to contribute at least as a backup in the NFL and probably wouldn’t be the worst starter for short stretches.

49ers, Round 6. Transferred from Florida to Louisiana Tech for 2015 season as a graduate student.

Postseason Events: Senior Bowl and NFL Combine.

Positives: Was a redshirt senior who played in a lot of games over his college career. Great height and bulk for the position, with above-average hand size. He worked under a lot of offensive coordinators over his college career, so he should be familiar with several different styles. Adequate accuracy on intermediate passes. Above-average accuracy rolling to the right or left. Above-average arm strength and above-average velocity. Hit his receivers in stride on to allow him to get yards after the catch. Nice touch on crossing patterns. Stands tall under pressure. Knows when to throw away and will get out of the pocket under inside pressure. Shows some escapability in the pocket. Is a versatile athlete who was also drafted by Red Sox. Above-average game speed, with adequate quickness. Very good track speed for the position. Adequate vertical leap for the position. Very good lower-body explosiveness in Combine drills.

Negatives: He ran a spread offense in college at both of his schools, so he may not be ready for an NFL offense right away. Inconsistent accuracy on short passes. Below-average accuracy on timing patterns. Needs to know when to vary his velocity and throw with more touch on fade routes in the red zone. Below-average ability to change directions with burst in Combine drills. Seems to eyeball his receivers and miss better opportunities. Throws into double coverage often. Somewhat of a long delivery and has a lot of passes batted at the line. Needs to step up in the pocket under outside pressure. He was benched at Florida in October 2014 due to a ball security issue. Had appendectomy in Summer 2013. Sprained left knee and right ankle in September 2013 – with the ankle finishing his season. Reportedly in altercation with a teammate in October 2014.

Pre-Draft Projection: Round 4. Is actually a pretty solid quarterback with some nice athleticism to go along with it. Needs a little time to develop, and needs some polish despite his heavy experience in college. I can see him being a good backup after some time, and potential starter.

Jaguars, Round 6.

Postseason Events: Senior Bowl and NFL Combine.

Positives: Was a redshirt senior, so he has a lot of experience running a prostyle offense in college and should be more prepared to handle an NFL offense. Adequate bulk for the position. Shows consistently good anticipation and will make throws before the receiver makes his break. Consistently throws with nice touch. Adequate arm strength and above-average velocity, and can hit the deep out route with solid anticipation. Able to go through his progressions if given enough time. Willing to improvise under pressure in the pocket. Knows when to throw the ball away. Steps up in the pocket under outside pressure. Gets rid of the ball under pressure. Consistently good play fakes. Is willing to take a hit to deliver the pass. Above-average speed and burst as a runner. Adequate track speed for the position. Adequate ability to change directions with burst in Combine drills.

Negatives: Slightly below-average height for the position. Below-average hand size. Below-average accuracy on the move and tends to overthrow in the direction he’s rolling. Below-average accuracy on intermediate passes over the middle. Generally below-average accuracy when his feet are not set. Erratic footwork and will consistently throw off of an unbalanced base and off of his back foot. Needs to step into his throws. Eyeballs wide receivers consistently and has a long release that really gives defensive backs a jump on the ball – a tendency that also showed up at Combine drills. Consistently doesn’t see the field very well and won’t see open receivers down the field – a trend that continued to senior bowl practices in 7-on-7 drill. Consistently throws it into double coverage. Needs better touch in the red zone over intermediate linebackers. Would rather run than check down. Poor vertical leap for the position. Below-average lower-body explosiveness in Combine drills. Separated his right shoulder in September 2013 and missed two games. Injured hip in November 2014 and was very limited for a few weeks.

Pre-Draft Projection: Round 6. He needs a lot of work on his decision-making and mechanics, but he has the accuracy, athleticism, and arm talent to eventually make a solid NFL backup and short term starter.

Former transfer from FCS-level Eastern Washington to Oregon for 2015 season.

Postseason Events: Shrine Game and NFL Combine.

Positives: Was a redshirt senior. Adequate hand size. Though his college offense doesn’t translate well to a pro offense, he did take snaps from under center at both of his schools. Fair accuracy down the middle of the field. Generally good accuracy rolling to his right. Above-average deep accuracy. Good accuracy on the run, which may be because he is better able to see the field outside of pocket. Can throw passes with touch but also with velocity. Adequate arm strength and above-average velocity. Very elusive in the pocket and will keep plays alive with his feet a long time. He is able to keep his head under pressure and still get the ball away. He keeps his eyes downfield on the run, looking to pass rather than immediately run. He sets his feet on the run when passing to increase his accuracy. He runs with adequate track speed for the position, and is quick off the line. Adequate lower body explosiveness in Combine drills. Very good ability to change directions with burst in Combine drills. Above-average quickness and is a solid runner. As a runner, usually avoids the big hit. Seems to take care the ball pretty well, and will run out of bounds rather than force a pass. He was also a holder on field goals.

Negatives: He ran a high-tempo spread offense at both Eastern Washington and Oregon, so he may not be as ready to run an NFL offense. Short for the position, with below-average bulk. Below-average accuracy in the pocket at all levels. Though he is able to get the ball down the field, he has a hard time throwing deep passes with touch, and a lot of passes that he drives tend to wobble. Needs to vary his velocity. Eyeballs his receivers consistently. Late to pull the trigger and late anticipation of when receivers will be open. Below-average decision-making in the red zone. Consistently throws up the ball for grabs. Generally poor throwing mechanics. Three-quarter release. Sometimes gets a little impatient and won’t set his feet before delivering a pass. Lacks footwork on his dropback since most of his college plays just called for him to catch and release. Inside the pocket, he throws off his back foot often, and – even when he is given enough time – he tends not to set his feet, greatly decreasing his accuracy. Below-average vertical leap for the position. Needs to be more aware of the time. Sometimes seems to get lost behind the line of scrimmage. Broke right foot in October 2014 and missed unknown amount of time. Broke right index finger in September 2015 and missed two games.

Projection: Round 4. He gets a lot of comparisons to Russell Wilson because of his size and escapability, but Wilson was a much more accurate, consistent thrower in college. Still, I expect someone to draft him earlier rather than later, and he could see a long career as an athletic backup and Jack of all trades on offense in the pros. Adams has enough positive qualities to overcome his solid negatives some time, but not consistently, so I don’t see an NFL starter position for him.

Cardinals, UDFA.

Transferred from Florida State to Alabama in January 2014.

Postseason Events: Senior Bowl.

Positives: Was a redshirt senior with 20 games running a prostyle offense in the tough SEC. Great height and bulk for the position, with above-average hand size. Above-average accuracy rolling out to the right or left and also has pretty nice accuracy and touch on deep passes. Shows patience and sees the field well when he has a clean pocket. Above-average arm strength. Willing to throw a block on outside running plays. Can buy some time in the pocket, but isn’t exactly elusive.

Negatives: Below-average intermediate accuracy and will throw behind receivers on crossing routes. Makes below-average decisions under pressure in the pocket, and will just consistently throw the ball up for grabs. Has to windup a lot to get the ball deep. Eyeballs receivers consistently, but especially in the red zone. Doesn’t step up in the pocket under outside pressure, and just continues to fade back. Also holds ball way too long when checkdown receivers are open. Needs to be more willing to check down in the red zone. Below-average anticipation, and needs to get rid of the ball. Had knee surgery in November 2013 and missed rest of season. Minor foot injury in August 2015. Had two screws put into his foot that were due to be removed in March 2016 – so he did not work out at his pro day.

Projection: Round 6. He wasn’t terrible in college even though he played in the toughest division in the NCAA. He should probably be at least a solid backup in the NFL.

Lions, Round 6. Transferred from Iowa to Michigan for 2015 season.

Postseason Events: Shrine Game.

Positives: Was a redshirt senior and ran a pro-style offense at both of his schools – so he has a lot of experience in college at the type of offense the NFL likes. Above-average height for the position. Above-average hand size. Okay arm strength and velocity. Very good touch and accuracy on short passes, and his accuracy on intermediate routes, deep routes, and crossing routes seemed to have improved by the end of 2015. Throws very catchable short and medium passes. Above-average ability to change directions with burst in pro day measurements. Is able to step up in the pocket under outside pressure. Stands in under pressure to deliver a pass. Moves around fairly well in the pocket and shows above-average escapability. Will go through his progressions when he is given a lot of time in the pocket. Overhand release. Keeps eyes downfield outside the pocket. Adequate speed and is a willing runner who will lower his shoulder for extra yards at the goal line. Willing to throw the ball away. Keeps a solid base and his throwing motion. Willing to throw a block on running plays.

Negatives: He has a slim build for the position, with below-average bulk for his height. Generally showed below-average accuracy on intermediate, deep, and crossing routes in college – and underthrew receivers consistently – though he looked much improved by 2015. Below-average velocity and his deeper passes flutter. Below-average decisions under pressure, and will throw it directly to a defender. Eyeballs receivers pretty consistently. Holds the ball too long and needs to learn to throw the ball away under pressure. Sometimes needs to throw with less velocity on short passes. Though he can go through his progressions, he needs too much time for it. Below-average track speed, vertical leap and broad jump for the position. Poor lateral quickness in pro day measurements. Sprained his left AC joint in his shoulder in November 2015.

Pre-Draft Projection: Round 6. Has showing enough throughout his college career – and enough recent improvement – to be considered the potential backup at the next level. His decision-making and quick thinking need some work, so I see him as a developmental third quarterback.

Jets, Round 2. He was a junior who declared early for the 2016 NFL Draft.

Postseason Events: NFL Combine.

Positives: Though he was only a junior, he had nearly 40 games worth of experience running a prostyle offense in college, so he should be more ready to handle an NFL offense. He has great height and good bulk for the position – definitely looks the part. He throws with above-average accuracy when he is on the move. He throws with enough arm strength and has nice touch on deep throws. Stands in under pressure. He is able to go through his progressions if given enough time. Adequate track speed and quickness off the line for the position, but above-average for his size. Adequate vertical leap and lower-body explosiveness in Combine drills. Above-average ability to change directions with burst in Combine drills. Willing to run and slide.

Negatives: Below-average hand size. Inconsistent deep accuracy. Generally poor accuracy at all levels – on short and medium passes, timing routes, rolling to the right, and on fade routes. Even at the Combine, he was making his wide receivers work. Below-average velocity. Below-average accuracy in clutch situations. Consistently misses connecting on receivers’ out patterns. Seems to lock onto receivers and miss other opportunities. Consistently throws off of his back foot under minor pressure. Despite his athleticism, he doesn’t move around very well in the pocket under pressure. Will throw it into double coverage. Passes tend to be low when he steps into throws and tries to add velocity. Generally eyeballs his receivers. Consistently throws screen passes too hard. Late to pull the trigger on third downs and misses opportunities with open receivers. Needs to keep his eyes downfield on the move. Reportedly had a few disappointing interviews after the season.

Pre-Draft Projection: Round 4. I would view him as more of a 6^th-round quarterback. He has had flashes of talent at the college level, but has been very inconsistent. His size, athleticism, and arm talent will get him on a roster come September, but he has a lot of work to do on accuracy, decision-making and mechanics before he can handle the NFL.