RS12
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Deshaun Watson, Clemson
You knew it wouldn’t take long for people to declare Deshaun Watson the early candidate for the No. 1 overall selection in 2017, but the tape doesn’t show a passer who is ready for that kind of acclaim – yet. What it does show is a gutsy quarterback with a strong enough arm and the ability to throw with touch at a high level. Watson will stand in and take a shot, while also flashing the ability to extend broken plays with his legs and athleticism. His arm isn’t elite, but he can spin the ball with solid zip on any throw when his feet are set in the pocket.
Still, there are concerns. Watson can be wildly inaccurate to the intermediate and deep portions of the field, largely because his base isn’t always properly aligned beneath him. His release is a little long, which will only truly concern me if he shows the inability to consistently get proper torque on the ball in 2016. Watson’s frame may also be worrisome to teams, as the slightly built, 6-2, 210-pound passer takes way too many shots as a runner to stay healthy unless he alters his style.
There will be tons of debate moving forward surrounding if Watson’s inconsistencies and rawness as a pure passer will keep him from being a highly sought-after draft pick by the end of his junior year. We’ll see what kind of progress he makes this season, but Watson is often heralded for his intelligence and work ethic, so I’m not counting out a major leap as a quarterback in 2016.
Brad Kaaya, Miami
Kaaya is similar to Jared Goff in many ways, flashing the NFL-ready mental prowess to move through progressions and throw with some anticipation. Both quarterbacks are mobile and active in the pocket, showing a good sense of when to step up while always keeping their eyes downfield.
Where Goff is superior to Kaaya is in the arm strength category, as the Miami quarterback often under-throws his targets on vertical patterns. Kaaya doesn’t have a ton of zip on the ball either, often due to the fact that his feet don’t always settle beneath him before he finishes his release. Kaaya can clean up some of the issues with his base, but I’m not sure his physical tools will ever be attractive enough to warrant the same consideration Goff received in this year’s draft. Right now Kaaya looks more like an efficient, game-manager type, whose best fit is probably a West Coast offense that relies more on timing and system throws than creating offense with transcendent physical attributes.
Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma
An undersized, highly-competitive, wild card of a quarterback, Baker Mayfield is the mystery of the 2016 college football season, not so much for how he’ll perform, but what NFL teams will think of him. He’s gutsy, athletic and flashes the type of arm talent teams will be interested in, but often plays out of structure and can be reminiscent of Johnny Manziel in his style.
Mayfield is athletic enough to perform Houdini-like miracles in the pocket, but can be outdone by his own inaccuracy at times. He misses too many gimme throws, often failing to follow simple fundamentals for his position. He looks rushed and overly anxious at times, a disposition which may need to calm some if he will ever grow in consistency at the quarterback position.
http://draftwire.usatoday.com/2016/05/05/2017-nfl-draft-watch-list-quarterbacks/
You knew it wouldn’t take long for people to declare Deshaun Watson the early candidate for the No. 1 overall selection in 2017, but the tape doesn’t show a passer who is ready for that kind of acclaim – yet. What it does show is a gutsy quarterback with a strong enough arm and the ability to throw with touch at a high level. Watson will stand in and take a shot, while also flashing the ability to extend broken plays with his legs and athleticism. His arm isn’t elite, but he can spin the ball with solid zip on any throw when his feet are set in the pocket.
There will be tons of debate moving forward surrounding if Watson’s inconsistencies and rawness as a pure passer will keep him from being a highly sought-after draft pick by the end of his junior year. We’ll see what kind of progress he makes this season, but Watson is often heralded for his intelligence and work ethic, so I’m not counting out a major leap as a quarterback in 2016.
Brad Kaaya, Miami
Kaaya is similar to Jared Goff in many ways, flashing the NFL-ready mental prowess to move through progressions and throw with some anticipation. Both quarterbacks are mobile and active in the pocket, showing a good sense of when to step up while always keeping their eyes downfield.
Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma
An undersized, highly-competitive, wild card of a quarterback, Baker Mayfield is the mystery of the 2016 college football season, not so much for how he’ll perform, but what NFL teams will think of him. He’s gutsy, athletic and flashes the type of arm talent teams will be interested in, but often plays out of structure and can be reminiscent of Johnny Manziel in his style.
http://draftwire.usatoday.com/2016/05/05/2017-nfl-draft-watch-list-quarterbacks/
