Bobhaze
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We all know the hardest position to draft in the NFL is QB. It’s the most important position for team success yet the last two decades are littered with first round busts for multiple teams at QB.
And we also know what scouts typically look for: Arm strength, accuracy, athleticism, and pocket presence. And those are all important skills. But I’ve believed for years that there are several key parts of a QB’s game that are often vastly undervalued by teams in their scouting. Some of them are:
And we also know what scouts typically look for: Arm strength, accuracy, athleticism, and pocket presence. And those are all important skills. But I’ve believed for years that there are several key parts of a QB’s game that are often vastly undervalued by teams in their scouting. Some of them are:
- Leadership (ability to make everyone else play better)
- Some examples of guys who have great leadership or intangible abilities to make everyone better- Roger Staubach, Johnny Unitas, Joe Montana, Tom Brady- none were drafted early. They all had the ability to make great comebacks and inspire teammates. That’s not always easy to measure.
- Accuracy under pressure (can they hit receivers while under duress)
- Guys like Tua, Mac Jones and Trevor Lawrence rarely got pressured in college like they will in the NFL. Last year as a rookie, Justin Herbert was off the charts accurate while under pressure. He showed that in college too. So did Mahomes and Russell Wilson. It’s easy to look great when no one is in your grill.
- Playing experience in college (how many games they started in college) One thing that really helps college QBs get ready for the pros is simply getting a lot of experience as a starter in college.
- Look at Dwayne Haskins. Dude started like 15 games in college before being drafted in first round. Same for Mitch Tribisky. He had less than 20 starts. Contrast that with guys like Peyton Manning, Pat Mahomes, Justin Herbert, Baker Mayfield and Russell Wilson all started between 35 and 45 games in college. That makes a huge difference in being prepared to play in the NFL.
- Team context where they played (what kind of team they were surrounded by)All college QBs play in the context of the team they played for and how their play impacted that team.
- For example, too many college QBs drafted early have been overvalued because of the team they play for. I always thought Tua was good, but he was constantly surrounded by tons of NFL talent on those Alabama teams making him look a little better than he really is. Contrast that with Mahomes- because I’m a Texas Tech fan- I saw him play every game in college- he was great while being surrounded by almost zero NFL talent on below average Tech teams. Performance context matters.
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