Taken from CBSSports.
Important points (IMO) are bolded.
Hope you find this useful.
Link:
http://mweb.cbssports.com/nfl/draft...-dakota-state-qb-carson-wentz-scouting-report
Background: A no-star quarterback recruit, Wentz was vastly overlooked throughout the recruitment process because he played wide receiver and linebacker as a junior in high school (due to baseball injuries) before starting at quarterback as a senior in 2010. He received offers from a handful of FCS-level teams and
Central Michigan, the only FBS program to recruit him, but Wentz stuck to his commitment to nearby North Dakota State, where his brother played baseball. After redshirting in 2011, he saw limited playing time as Brock Jensen’s back-up as a redshirt freshman and sophomore. Wentz became the starter in 2014 and led the Bison to the FCS National Title with 63.7 percent completions, 3,111 passing yards, 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, earning All-America honors. He started the first six games as a senior before a throwing wrist injury sidelined him for the second half of the 2015 season, returning for the FCS National Championship Game. Wentz finished the season with 62.5% completions, 1,651 passing yards, 17 touchdowns and four interceptions. He accepted his invitation to the 2016 Senior Bowl.
Strengths: Looks the part with a tall, workable frame … above average arm strength to deliver downfield with required velocity --
can make all the necessary NFL throws … tight release, especially for a player with his long arms … shifts his weight well in the pocket to work through the noise and keep his hand on the trigger, maneuvering under duress with improved footwork…functional athleticism in the pocket and as a scrambler, avoiding rushers and extending plays -- throws well moving to his left and his right …
has a pre-snap plan and moves efficiently from target-to-target, making sound decisions … shows the ability to recognize defensive coverages and blitzes, changing the play at the line -- reliable field vision pre and post snap … very smart on and off the field with excellent retention and execution skills -- four-time All-Conference honor roll recipient (4.0 GPA) and unprecedented three-time recipient of the NCAA Elite 90 Award … physically and mentally tough with professional poise and work habits ... great teammate and was an extra coach on the sideline while injured … set school single season records for completions (228) and passing yards (3,111) as a junior … consistent winner with a 20-3 career record as a starter and five-time FCS National Champion (twice as a starter).
Weaknesses: Locks onto reads and needs to develop his eye use, staring down targets and leading defenders … improved passing anticipation, but
still improving his feel for timing routes -- tick late and needs to speed up his reads … downfield and deep accuracy is inconsistent, leading or underthrowing …
bad habit of pre-determining throws and forcing the ball into tight coverage … needs to understand when the play is over and throw the ball away -- 10 fumbles the last two years … on the move too much, even with a clean pocket, and will attempt throws without setting his base or coming to balance … over-sets in his base at times due to his longer legs…lacks ideal starting experience for the position with questions about level of competition -- 22 of 23 career starts came against FCS competition (one FBS opponent was at
IowaState: 18-for-28 for 204 yards, no touchdowns) … missed second half of 2015 season due to a broken right wrist, requiring surgery (Oct. 2015), but did return for the 2015 FCS Championship Game, leading his team to victory.
Summary: A two-year starter, Wentz thrived in North Dakota State’s wide-open offense,
taking snaps from under center and shotgun with several pro-style reads, including left-to-right and high-to-low progressions. He didn’t consistently face top competition at the FCS level, but performed well in high pressure situations, including the 2014 and 2015 FCS National Championship Games (NDSU won both). He was only a 5-foot-8, 125 pound freshman in high school and didn’t start at quarterback until his senior year, causing him to go under-recruited (similar path as Ben Roethlisberger).
Although his internal clock and eye use need maturing, Wentz performs well within structure with his strong arm and touch, but can also improvise when the play breaks down, stretching out his legs to pick up chunk yardage if it’s there (1,028 career rushing yards). He possesses a NFL-style skill-set with his size, athleticism and arm talent, including the field vision to work through reads and make sound decisions. Comparing favorably to a "souped up" version of
Alex Smith, Wentz is the top senior passer in the 2016 draft class and worthy of the first round, although
ideally needs a redshirt year as a rookie.
