Dynasty Draftnik

Was a redshirt senior.

All-Star Games: Shrine Game.

Positives: He generally shows above-average accuracy and touch on intermediate passes over linebackers and on the run. He throws with good arm strength. He shows pretty good athleticism overall, and runs with good speed. He is also willing to be physical as a runner – diving for extra yards when needed. He also keeps his head pretty well when he’s on the run, keeping his eyes downfield on the run while keeping his running options open. He has a nice spiral even when he’s on the run – possibly due to his above-average hand size.

Negatives: He comes out of a spread offense, which may limit his immediate contributions to an NFL offense. He doesn’t look to be built for an NFL career, and has slightly below-average height and below-average bulk for the position. He doesn’t seem to see the field very well, and is late to recognize open receivers – eyeballing receivers often. He often misses better reads and will throw to receivers who have no chance of getting a 1st down. He hesitates too often and is late to pull the trigger. His accuracy on deep passes and fade routes is consistently below average. His footwork is erratic and his foot will come too far back before winding up to throw. He also often overthrows receivers when he’s stepping forward on the move. His vision seems to narrow a bit in the red zone on the run. He needs to learn to vary his velocity – taking something off on short passes and driving it through tight windows when necessary. He demonstrates suspect ball security when he’s on the move. Doesn’t seem to sense the blind side rush well. On the injury front, he injured his right foot in September 2014 and missed three games.

Projection: UDFA. He has shown enough athleticism and arm talent to get into a camp, but I don’t expect him to be consistently successful at the NFL level until he improves his footwork, gets used to pro-style demands, and works on his decision making.

Was a redshirt senior.

All-Star Games: Shrine Game.

Positives: Has adequate height and hand size for the position. At Georgia, he ran a pro-style offense, so he may be more ready to run a typical NFL offense. He’s pretty accurate at all levels of the field – on short passes, on short timing patterns, down the seam, and on deep sideline patterns. He has adequate arm strength and throws with nice touch on intermediate and fade passes. He has an overhand release, and is also able to vary his throwing slot when necessary. Goes through progressions at times, though inconsistently. He is able to keep his head under pressure in the pocket, sidestep the rush, step up, and deliver the pass. Executes play fakes well. Has enough athleticism to get by and runs with above-average speed. Is willing to run when the pocket collapses and also knows when to slide as a runner.

Negatives: Though he has a nice overhand delivery, it is a little long, and he often seems to push the ball rather than following through. Despite his adequate arm strength, his velocity is below average, and he also has to put a lot of air under deep passes. Though generally accurate, his least accurate area of the field seems to be on intermediate passes over the middle of the field. Overall, his decision making and pocket presence are lacking. He consistently holds the ball too long and hesitates to pull the trigger. He eyeballs his receivers too often. He tends to drift backwards on passes and not step into his throws, and his passes on the run wobble. He also doesn’t show much escapability in the pocket and doesn’t sense the blind-side rush. Below-average ball security and fumbled the ball in one game without even being hit. He also looks like he needs to bulk up a bit to handle NFL demands.

Projection: Round 7. I think he should go by Round 5, but he seems like he’s going under the radar a bit. To me, he looks like a solid career backup and spot starter with enough moxie to stay in the league for several years.

Was a redshirt senior.

All-Star Games: College Gridiron Showcase.

Positives: Is used to running a high tempo offense. Throws with above-average arm strength and adequate velocity using fair throwing mechanics. He is generally adequate at all levels of the field as well as on the run. He usually shows good accuracy and touch on short, intermediate, and deep passes, with nice touch to get the ball over linebackers and hit receivers on timing routes. On the run, he keeps his shoulders squared to the target and will hit receivers in stride with good accuracy and mechanics. Under pressure outside of the pocket, he seems to keep his head well to be able to find receivers downfield and keeps his eyes downfield on the run. He slides around pretty well in the pocket and has fair escapability. He is able to go through his progressions when he is given time. He shows a willingness to run, and has above-average speed, quickness, and cutback ability, and is also willing to slide as a runner. Is also willing to throw the ball away outside the pocket when he has to. Adequate ball security technique and will cover up with both hands when contact is coming. Is also an adequate punter if need be.

Negatives: He really seems to be too short and slight for the position – and has very small hands. He comes out of a spread offense and may not be ready right away for an NFL offense. Though his throwing mechanics are generally sound, he has some inconsistencies, and will throw off of his back foot at times under no pressure at all, losing velocity. Though he is athletic and moves around pretty well in the pocket, he often doesn’t seem to know where the pressure is coming from, showing suspect pocket presence. Despite showing fair anticipation at times, he is also sometimes late to pull the trigger. When he is trapped in the pocket, he will sometimes just throw it up under pressure. He will sometimes make bad decisions on the run, and will throw across his body. Sometimes, he looks a little bit contact shy, and will slide very early on runs. Though he scrambles well in general, he needs to do so with an eye toward buying himself more time to throw. He tends to lock onto receivers in the red zone.

Projection: Round 6. Some people may look at his athleticism, anticipation, and lack of size, and think of him as the next Russell Wilson. I don’t think his ceiling is anywhere near that high, but he could develop into a pretty fair backup in the NFL if given time. But his best bet may be to go to the CFL.

Was a redshirt senior.

All-Star Games: Shrine Game.

Positives: Though he has below-average height for the position, he has great bulk, and is nearly fullback size. Adequate hand size. He throws with above-average arm strength and has enough velocity to fit the ball into tight windows. At times, he shows good anticipation and will hit receivers coming out of their breaks. When he is given time, he seems to be comfortable enough to go through his progressions. On short passes and screen passes, he throws with nice touch. On deep passes, he is able to throw with above-average accuracy and touch – with very nice touch on deep sideline passes, usually hitting receivers in stride. A very athletic quarterback, he started his career at Duke as the wildcat quarterback, and runs with above-average speed and determination. Under pressure, he is able to evade outside rushers and step up in the pocket. He knows when to throw the ball away and generally doesn’t force passes. On the run, he keeps his eyes downfield pretty well, and knows when to slide as a runner.

Negatives: Below-average height for the position. He comes out of a spread offense. In general, his performance can be pretty streaky – he can look great one week and bad the other. As a runner, he will sometimes take too many chances with ball security – even on the goal line. In short yardage situations, his cutback vision is suspect. Under pressure, he will sometimes hold the ball too long expecting he will be able to get away from defenders. His delivery is erratic, though it generally comes out overhand. Sometimes – but especially on the run – he will only read one side of the field and miss open reads. His accuracy on short routes and timing routes over the middle is below average. Though his hand size is adequate, his hand strength is questionable – the ball slipped out of his hands on a throw in the 2014 bowl game. He broke collarbone in September 2013 and missed a month.

Projection: UDFA. He has enough good tape and athleticism to at least get him into an NFL camp. If he improves his consistency, I think he can develop into an adequate backup and potential starter in some systems. But I wouldn’t expect him to be a big producer anytime soon.