6’4” – 226 lbs. – 4.92
Profile:
- First UCLA quarterback to start the first game of his career. Enjoyed a highly productive freshman campaign, but sophomore season ended after six games due to a throwing-shoulder injury. Missed two games as a junior due to separate concussions, but put together his most productive season overall. Decided to forego his senior season to declare for the draft.
Positives:
- Tall, confident quarterback with three years of starting experience for a major program. Very good mechanics. Has experience working from under center, and exhibits pretty clean footwork when dropping back, and shows the ability to transfer weight and drive into throws. Was asked to go through progressions in college, which should smooth his transition to the NFL; shows the ability to look off safeties in order to enable downfield shots. Has a quick delivery and the ball really jumps out of his hands. Possesses very good arm strength and gets plenty of zip on the ball. Is very confident in his arm, making a lot of impressive throws into tight windows. Pretty accurate ball placement from within the pocket. Demonstrates the ability to climb the pocket and buy time for his receivers, keeping his eyes downfield. Throws a lot of screen passes and gets the ball out quickly in order to facilitate yards after the catch.
Negatives:
- Decision making and mechanics evaporate under pressure too frequently. Has a tendency to bird-dog his receivers, leading to turnovers. Favors throws over the middle of the field, even when doing so calls for him to try and squeeze balls into dangerously tight coverage. Tends to miss high rather than low, with intermittent ball placement issues cropping up. Hangs some of his receivers out to dry over the middle of the field. Not very accurate once he’s fled the pocket, and doesn’t have much athleticism to challenge defenses with his legs. Character will require further investigation, as it’s been rumored that he is not very popular with teammates, and there are some questions about how much he loves football. Throwing-shoulder injury sustained as a sophomore and two concussions sustained last season raise medical flags.
Summary:
- Among the quarterback prospects in this year’s draft, is possibly the most pro-ready option by virtue of having played for three years under former pro head coach Jim Mora. He has all of the tools teams look for, experience in a pro-style offense, and sound throwing mechanics. A first-round lock who may fall behind some of the other passers because of questions about his character and durability.
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