Going into the 2018 NFL Draft, there are about five or six quarterbacks who have caught the attention of pro scouts. Each quarterback provides a different skill set, from having a power arm, to great footwork, pinpoint accuracy and even the so-called “intangibles”.
However, the quarterback class has been stated to be “a bit overrated; a little bit overhyped” by former NFL general manager and current director of the Reese’s Senior Bowl Phil Savage.
He would continue to say: “To me, this is a little bit more quantity over quality, but, at the same time, this is the pool that the league is trying to choose from.”
Of the top six quarterbacks, Sam Darnold (USC), Josh Rosen (UCLA), Josh Allen (Wyoming), Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma), Lamar Jackson (Louisville) and Mason Rudolph (Oklahoma State) have been analyzed heavily throughout the 2018 NFL Draft process. Each player has had their knocks against them, but have also have some strengths that are important to being a quarterback in today’s NFL.
So let’s rank these quarterbacks from number six to number one, discussing their strengths and weaknesses:
6. Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State
Rudolph is a very intriguing prospect to me. He has a rifle arm, he’s built like an NFL quarterback (listed at 6’3 and 235 lbs.) and he has gotten consistently better as a passing prospect. Despite that, he’s extremely raw and has had trouble securing the ball at times.
In recent weeks, Rudolph has been talked about as a possible first-round prospect. I disagree with that notion because a first-rounder is supposed to be someone that you can plug-and-play. In his case, he needs to work on protecting the ball and making more crisp throws in the pocket. Other than that, I think that he could be a serviceable starting quarterback in the NFL.
Projected Round: Second
5. Josh Allen, Wyoming
Allen is another player that scouts have marveled over. He is 6’5, 237 lbs., which is very similar build to Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz. He has a huge arm, probably the biggest arm in the draft and he’s mobile, but that’s where the similarities end. Unlike Wentz, he’s extremely inaccurate.
In three years at Wyoming, Allen had a career completion percentage of 56.2%. If he’s struggling to complete passes against Air Force and other teams in the Mountain West, it’ll only get harder for him in the NFL. If he can correct his inaccuracy, he has the arm talent to be the best quarterback in the draft.
Projected Round: Mid-Late First
4. Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma
I love Mayfield as a prospect. Make no bones about it. His off the field problems a few years ago shouldn’t cloud the type of leader that he is on the field. At Oklahoma, Mayfield finished with a 68.5% completion rate, 14,607 passing yards and a 131-30 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
Initially, scouts thought that he would be too small to man an NFL offense. Considering that he’s 6’2, which is the same height as Aaron Rodgers, as well as former NFL quarterbacks Brett Favre and Donovan McNabb, and he’s taller than Russell Wilson (5’11) and Drew Brees (6’0), height shouldn’t be an issue.
The only question will be how can Mayfield adjust to taking snaps under center in an NFL offense and making pre-snap reads? If he can adjust to that, he’ll have a successful career in the league and prove people wrong.
Projected Round: Top-10 selection
3. Lamar Jackson, Louisville
Jackson has been compared to Michael Vick by Vick himself.
“I could not believe what I had seen. I could not believe the things he was able to do — It was a spitting image of me,” Vick said of Jackson.
That’s high praise coming from the most athletically gifted quarterback in NFL history. The difference with Jackson is that he is a pass-first quarterback. Though he could take off with his legs (4,132 rushing yards and 50 rushing touchdowns in his career at Louisville), Jackson has made a concerted effort to become a better passer.
In each season, Jackson’s completion percentage went up, going from 54.7% in 2015 and finishing at 59.1%. Though his accuracy has been a knock against him, he still has the big play ability to make defensive coordinators to cower in fear. At Louisville, Jackson finished with 9,043 passing yards with 69 touchdowns and 27 interceptions.
Projected Round: Top-10 selection
2. Josh Rosen, UCLA
Rosen has been scrutinized heavily for wearing a hat that said “F-k Trump” back in 2016. There have been questions about his durability, due to his concussions and a shoulder injury and he has been questioned about his love of the game, but the talent doesn’t lie.
Despite missing a big chunk of games, Rosen averaged 8.0 yards per attempt on his passes and would still finish with 59 touchdowns and 26 interceptions in his career. He’s 6’4, 226 lbs., which is the perfect height and size for an NFL quarterback, a la Tom Brady. His footwork is crisp and he’s going to make many of the right reads.
Projected Round: Top-5 selection
1.Sam Darnold, USC
Darnold is a scary sight for opposing defenses. Though he had trouble with his accuracy in his redshirt sophomore year (throwing 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions), his full game is unmatched by other quarterbacks in the draft. He’s the most well-rounded quarterback prospect in this year’s draft, drawing comparisons to Colts quarterback Andrew Luck.
The Cleveland Browns have Tyrod Taylor at quarterback, but he’s just a stopgap for their future quarterback. Chances are that Darnold is the future of the Browns, but he’ll get a chance to sit behind a solid starter for maybe a year. When Darnold is unleashed, the NFL will be put on notice.
Projected Round: Top-3 selection
Follow Kyle on Twitter @KyleAndrews1994
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