Also I want to add, minus the hyperbole:
1. Dak IS a pocket passer, even if he’s not other worldly. He CAN throw from the pocket, but what he is NOT is a good progression pocket passer. He simply is way too slow processing the field. I think that’s what creates a lot of his accuracy issues.
2. His mechanics are inconsistent and he’s robotic at times. This starts happening when he starts feeling pocket pressure, even when it’s not there. This leads to many of his accuracy issues. When you look at a guy like Lamar Jackson, even with his limitation on certain throws, he CAN throw from the pocket or on the run, while his release is incredibly quick. This makes Lamar incredibly unique, plus unlike Dak, he’s nimble on the field and doesn’t simply “out muscle” defenders, the doesn’t bode well in the long run. Dak is choppy and robotic.
3. What has hidden Dak’s warts is how good the OL and RG have been, besides all the weapons he’s had and an offense that has been tailored to his skill-set for 7 years running to hide his warts. Guys like Herbert on the other hand, OCs put the games in their hands and design offenses on the assumption that the QB isn’t limited. In cases like Herbert, it’s normally the OC and the personnel that suck, which is why they don’t win for years.
4. When Dak has time to set his feet and make a certain sub-set of throws, he can be accurate which is often displayed on his deep throws. But if you put him in the situation a majority of QBs in the league face, then it’s a different story. But you also see the accuracy issues when he’s throwing to WRs that are open by the measure of NFL WRs and Dak leaves yards in the field, because the WRs have to adjust it are catching it behind them.
5. Like I said, he takes the checkdown often, meaning he plays it safe, for whatever the reason. If it’s because he’s slow at processing the field, expecting even further development is fool’s gold IMO. These are the things you really can’t change and when the personnel that surrounds him becomes less and less talents the warts get exposed more. You won’t see a Dak throwing like Winston in those situations, you’ll just see a very passive QB who will be very boring to watch and holding on to the ball too long.
He’s over-rated. He’s not a great QB. He’s basically a decent QB that made it to the NFL, of which plenty exist, who happened to fall in the best of circumstances to stay relevant and carve out a career for himself, of which there are few that ever had this fortune. And this has been at expense of fielding a SB competitive football team.
