Carson Wentz QB North Dakota St
STRENGTHS
Carson has excellent accuracy to go along with a strong arm. He can make all the throws with terrific velocity, accuracy, and touch. For a tall player, he has a good and quick release. Carson has the athletic talent to throw on the move and slide in the pocket to extend plays. Overall, Carson has the arm talent you look for in a starting quarterback in the NFL. He has good athleticism, size, and arm strength, as well as the ability to throw with accuracy under duress. Carson reminds me of the Falcons' Matt Ryan and, with the correct development and coaching, could become a winning and starting quarterback for the team that selects him.
CONCERNS
Carson is the whole offense for his college team and physically he is up to that challenge, but mentally he lacks the true leadership skills that he will need at the next level to be successful. What is it that Carson lacks you ask? He lacks the ability to demand more from his teammates on the field. Carson might be too nice of a person. He also does what all quarterbacks coming out of college do: stares down receivers, doesn’t consistently look off defensive backs, and struggles to slide in the pocket, reset and make a throw without being on the run. He can learn to overcome all the physical concerns, but as far as being too nice and not demanding of others, as long as he is winning this is not a problem. However, his team starts to lose a lot and in bunches, it becomes a big issue.
TALENT BOARD: ROUND 2
Carson is a developmental quarterback whose talent suggests that drafting him in the 1st round might be a very smart move in spite of the fact I give him a 2nd round talent grade. Selecting a quarterback with Carson’s potential in the 1st round is no longer a costly process and allows a team to have a 5th year option that would not apply if he is selected in a later round. Carson may always try to do too much instead of getting in the face of his teammates and demanding more from them, but that doesn’t mean he can’t change and become more demanding, it just means that’s the big question mark for him to overcome to become successful. Like I said, he needs to learn more about how to play his position at the NFL level because of the level of competition, but make no mistake about it, this kid has the physical and mental talent and work ethic to be successful. He must become a coach on the field who demands better play from his teammates and not settle for just trying to make his play the best. I have this saying that most people think is horrible and makes me a horrible person. It is that “I want everyone to like me, but when it comes to doing my job, I really don’t give a damn.” I think Carson needs to have that type of attitude to be a successful starting quarterback in the NFL. Given time he could develop a nastier attitude, but most of the time, a person is what they are and expecting more than what they are might be expecting too much. He might not be a franchise quarterback, but he should be a very good quarterback with the potential to be a franchise quarterback if he can learn to be more of a coach on the field.
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Rand Getlin @Rand_Getlin
