Bort Report: Official Scouting Report on This Years Quarterback Class

After spending way, way too many hours watching and rewatching game film on this year's top quarterback prospects, I have compiled my official scouting report on this year's quarterback class. This report is based entirely on my own opinion and observations with absolutely zero imput from any analysts or grades or anything other than my own eyeballs. (Also please note that the draft projections are based on where I think the players deserve to be picked based on their value as prospects, not necessarily where I think they will be picked. NFL front offices can be unpredictable and collectively irrational.)

This will be a seven-part series with each quarterback getting their own post in order of my opinion of their ranking.

So let's get started. The first quarterback is:

1. Patrick Mahomes, Texas Tech

Games watched:
2015: LSU, Oklahoma State, TCU, West Virginia, Texas, Kansas State, Baylor, Arkansas
2016: Louisiana Tech, West Virginia, Arizona State, Oklahoma, Baylor, Kansas, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Kansas State

Patrick Mahomes as the top quarterback prospect in this class? Is this some sort of April Fools joke? No. No, it isn't.

Mahomes is a human highlight reel who is enormously fun to watch. He also has by far the highest upside of any quarterback in this class. In fact, I think he arguably has as much upside of any quarterback prospect in the past decade. His upside is basically Brett Favre with fewer turnovers.

First and foremost, his arm talent is off the charts. A lot of people were talking about the 78 yard throw he made at one of his pro day workouts, but after watching hours of film on him, I'm actually surprised he couldn't throw it further than that. He'll routinely casually whip the ball 40+ yards down the field with a sidearm flick of his wrist with defensive linemen draped all over him. He's also extremely accurate. I didn't watch him at the combine, but in actual game situations, I think he's basically tied with Trubisky for third place in accuracy in this class after Kaaya and Peterman. He also throws with good touch for a guy with a rocket arm. A lot of times, you'll see guys with rocket arms want to make every throw a fastball, but Mahomes is willing and able to throw touch passes when needed. That combination of freakish strength, great accuracy, and good touch makes Mahomes rare, elite arm talent (like Brett Favre or John Elway level).

Mahomes is also athletic, strong, and durable. He's only a shade over 6'2, but he's thick and muscular and built more like a running back than a quarterback. He runs with agility, balance, lateral quickness, and power. This also contributes to his Houdini-like ability to avoid pressure. Even when defenders are able to get a hold of him, he's often able to either break the tackle or simply complete the pass anyway with a defender draped over him.

Much like Trubisky, he throws from a lot of different arm angles, and isn't bothered by being forced to throw under duress. This is a quality that really translates to the NFL, and one I think scouts don't look at enough. When he's forced to throw sidearm, off his back foot, running in either direction, etc, he doesn't lose the zip and accuracy on his throws. People will criticize his mechanics, but I actually view it as a positive that he has such freakish arm strength that he doesn't actually need good mechanics (this is one of the reasons I think the Favre comparison is apt because Favre was another guy who didn't really need to bother stepping into his throws since he could fire off a 40 yard bullet while packpedaling).

He also has a sneaky good awareness of down and distance. He does play a lot of backyard-style football, but he makes good decisions as to when to play backyard-style, when to stay in the pocket, and when to throw the ball away. One of the things I was most impressed with was his willingness to throw the ball away on first and second down to preserve down and distance and save the Houdini acts and backyard plays for third and long situations. He also has a great calmness to him and makes good split-second decisions. When there's a broken play, he doesn't just panic and throw the ball away immediately or take a sack. He'll quickly scan his options, and correctly assess whether to throw the ball away or try to make a play with legs (incidentally, one of the things I really like is that on a busted screen, he will often immediately pump fake to the guy the screen was supposed to be set up for, which freezes the defense for a moment, and turn and see if he has any ability to escape on his feet in the opposite direction). He also has a great pump fake, which is just an added bonus.

He also does a pretty good job of being a boring pocket passer and going through his progressions and making good reads. He's not at the level of Peterman or Trubisky, but he's reasonably patient and not bad at scanning the defense and finding the open man. He also has pretty good pocket awareness and will step up to avoid pressure. He also does a good job of keeping his eyes downfield. He won't just run to scramble for yards. He'll also run behind the line of scrimmage to buy time and keep his eyes downfield and find an open receiver. He also has a good ability to find passing windows despite being only 6'2. He rarely ever has passes batted down at the line of scrimage. He also rarely makes bad decisions. When he does throw interceptions, they're usually what I would call "good" interceptions (deep down the field on third and long, late in the game when trailing by multiple scores and just trying to make a play, etc). There were only a couple times in all of the games I watched where he threw a really boneheaded interception.

Draft Projection: Top 5 overall pick

Bonus gif for fun:

So it's not a report on this QB class but a report on Mahomes. Is there more to come??

I love Mahomes but no one has any idea of he can read or play withing a scheme. Lot's of guys that can throw really well that were fails at NFL QB. I roll the dice on him but not until the bottom 1/2 of one or after Trubs that did prefer to stay put and read more.

Bort, as a guy that watches a lot of Big 12 football, I agree. I was on Watson with Mahomes as my 2. I've changed my opinion. His upside is NFL star.

dabears70 said:

So it's not a report on this QB class but a report on Mahomes. Is there more to come??

Click to expand...

Read the post before posting bozo.

Bort said:

After spending way, way too many hours watching and rewatching game film on this year's top quarterback prospects, I have compiled my official scouting report on this year's quarterback class. This report is based entirely on my own opinion and observations with absolutely zero imput from any analysts or grades or anything other than my own eyeballs. (Also please note that the draft projections are based on where I think the players deserve to be picked based on their value as prospects, not necessarily where I think they will be picked. NFL front offices can be unpredictable and collectively irrational.)

This will be a seven-part series with each quarterback getting their own post in order of my opinion of their ranking.

So let's get started. The first quarterback is:

1. Patrick Mahomes, Texas Tech

Games watched:
2015: LSU, Oklahoma State, TCU, West Virginia, Texas, Kansas State, Baylor, Arkansas
2016: Louisiana Tech, West Virginia, Arizona State, Oklahoma, Baylor, Kansas, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Kansas State

Patrick Mahomes as the top quarterback prospect in this class? Is this some sort of April Fools joke? No. No, it isn't.

Mahomes is a human highlight reel who is enormously fun to watch. He also has by far the highest upside of any quarterback in this class. In fact, I think he arguably has as much upside of any quarterback prospect in the past decade. His upside is basically Brett Favre with fewer turnovers.

First and foremost, his arm talent is off the charts. A lot of people were talking about the 78 yard throw he made at one of his pro day workouts, but after watching hours of film on him, I'm actually surprised he couldn't throw it further than that. He'll routinely casually whip the ball 40+ yards down the field with a sidearm flick of his wrist with defensive linemen draped all over him. He's also extremely accurate. I didn't watch him at the combine, but in actual game situations, I think he's basically tied with Trubisky for third place in accuracy in this class after Kaaya and Peterman. He also throws with good touch for a guy with a rocket arm. A lot of times, you'll see guys with rocket arms want to make every throw a fastball, but Mahomes is willing and able to throw touch passes when needed. That combination of freakish strength, great accuracy, and good touch makes Mahomes rare, elite arm talent (like Brett Favre or John Elway level).

Mahomes is also athletic, strong, and durable. He's only a shade over 6'2, but he's thick and muscular and built more like a running back than a quarterback. He runs with agility, balance, lateral quickness, and power. This also contributes to his Houdini-like ability to avoid pressure. Even when defenders are able to get a hold of him, he's often able to either break the tackle or simply complete the pass anyway with a defender draped over him.

Much like Trubisky, he throws from a lot of different arm angles, and isn't bothered by being forced to throw under duress. This is a quality that really translates to the NFL, and one I think scouts don't look at enough. When he's forced to throw sidearm, off his back foot, running in either direction, etc, he doesn't lose the zip and accuracy on his throws. People will criticize his mechanics, but I actually view it as a positive that he has such freakish arm strength that he doesn't actually need good mechanics (this is one of the reasons I think the Favre comparison is apt because Favre was another guy who didn't really need to bother stepping into his throws since he could fire off a 40 yard bullet while packpedaling).

He also has a sneaky good awareness of down and distance. He does play a lot of backyard-style football, but he makes good decisions as to when to play backyard-style, when to stay in the pocket, and when to throw the ball away. One of the things I was most impressed with was his willingness to throw the ball away on first and second down to preserve down and distance and save the Houdini acts and backyard plays for third and long situations. He also has a great calmness to him and makes good split-second decisions. When there's a broken play, he doesn't just panic and throw the ball away immediately or take a sack. He'll quickly scan his options, and correctly assess whether to throw the ball away or try to make a play with legs (incidentally, one of the things I really like is that on a busted screen, he will often immediately pump fake to the guy the screen was supposed to be set up for, which freezes the defense for a moment, and turn and see if he has any ability to escape on his feet in the opposite direction). He also has a great pump fake, which is just an added bonus.

He also does a pretty good job of being a boring pocket passer and going through his progressions and making good reads. He's not at the level of Peterman or Trubisky, but he's reasonably patient and not bad at scanning the defense and finding the open man. He also has pretty good pocket awareness and will step up to avoid pressure. He also does a good job of keeping his eyes downfield. He won't just run to scramble for yards. He'll also run behind the line of scrimmage to buy time and keep his eyes downfield and find an open receiver. He also has a good ability to find passing windows despite being only 6'2. He rarely ever has passes batted down at the line of scrimage. He also rarely makes bad decisions. When he does throw interceptions, they're usually what I would call "good" interceptions (deep down the field on third and long, late in the game when trailing by multiple scores and just trying to make a play, etc). There were only a couple times in all of the games I watched where he threw a really boneheaded interception.

Draft Projection: Top 5 overall pick

Bonus gif for fun:

Click to expand...

2. Mitch Trubisky, North Carolina

Games watched:
2015: None
2016: Pittsburgh, Florida State, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Miami, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Duke, NC State, Stanford

There isn't that much film on Trubisky since he only started for 1 year. Thus, it may see like a counterintuitive opinion, but I think he's the safest quarterback pick in this year's class. I think he's someone you can safely pencil in as an NFL starter for the next decade or so. The main reason is that he doesn't have a discernible weakness. He's at least pretty good in every single category and trait one could reasonably evaluate in a quarterback. Perhaps, if he played another year in college, some brilliant defensive coordinator would notice a weakness in his game and exploit it, and other teams would catch on, and he'd tumble down draft charts. But I doubt it. To the contrary, as I will discuss further, the fact he is so polished despite only 1 year of starting is something that I view as a strength.

First, his arm talent is very good. He's not Mahomes or Kizer, but he does get good velocity on his fastball and good distance on his deep throws. He's also extremely accurate. Like I mentioned in my Mahomes post, I think Trubisky is tied for third place in accuracy in this class after Kaaya and Peterman. He also throws with excellent touch. The thing I like most about his arm, though, is that, like Mahomes, Trubisky throws effectively from multiple arm angles, and is not at all bothered by being forced to throw sidearm, off his back foot, running in either direction, etc, which I think is a great trait that projects well into the NFL.

I suppose if you insisted on me identifying a weakness, it would be that he's a bit short for an NFL quarterback at just over 6'2. He plays taller than that, though, due to his ability to throw from multiple arm angles and adjust his release point. He's also an athletic, muscular 6'2, much like Mahomes and Watson, and I don't see his height holding him back in the NFL. He's also a great runner as a quarterback. He's fast, agile, and quick. He doesn't break tackles like Mahomes, Watson, and Kizer, but he avoids tackles entirely with his quickness and agility.

He has phenomenal awareness, arguably the best overall awareness of any quarterback in this class (Peterman is the one rguably better). I would rotate players so I wasn't watching the same guy for hours straight, and every time I watched Trubisky after watching Kizer or Webb, it was such a jarring contrast. If there is a blitzer coming, Trubisky will be aware of it. If there is a receiver in a soft spot in a zone, Trubisky will be aware of it. If there is an open receiver anywhere on the field, Trubisky will generally be aware of it and throw the ball to him. He goes through his progressions better and faster than any other quarterback in this class. What makes it even more impressive to me is that he has such great awareness despite only being a one year starter in college. I don't know whether this is attributable to "vision" or "reading defenses" or "spending time in the film room" or whatever the fuck people attribute these things to, but Trubisky has that quality.

He also generally makes very good decisions (I think this can be attributed in large part to seeming to always know where the open receiver is). He also played well in close games and really carried his team at times. He definitely plays well under pressure and responds well to adversity. Also, I can only recall one single time he made a completely boneheaded interception* (a pick 6 in the 2nd quarter against Virginia Tech). Almost all of his interceptions would fall into the "good" interception category (deep down the field on third and long, late in a game when trailing, etc).

Overall, I think he's a safer pick than Mahomes, but he doesn't have the same upside, so I'd put him just slightly behind Mahomes. Nonetheless, Trubisky and Mahomes are, in my opinion, the two elite quarterback prospects in this draft, and both are head and shoulders above the rest of the prospects.

Draft Projection: Top 5 overall pick

Bonus gif for fun:



*EDIT: As remydat correctly noted, Trubisky also threw a boneheaded interception in the 4th quarter of the Stanford game, so that makes 2.

DezBears said:

Read the post before posting bozo.

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I'm working moron so i only had time to skim through it.....MORON.

I'm starting to really like Mahomes but dont think there is any chance he'll be there in round 2.

Would love to trade down to 6 with the jets, grab a defensive player there (Adams hooker Thomas lattimore) and then use some of that ammo to jump back into r1 and grab mahomes.

Problem is I have a feeling that arians and az will grab him in r1 after clev takes a qb at 12.

3. Deshaun Watson, Clemson

Games watched:
2015: Alabama, Syracuse, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma, Georgia Tech, Miami, Florida State, Louisville, Notre Dame, Wake Forest, South Carolina
2016: Alabama, Auburn, Georgia Tech, Louisville, South Carolina, Pittsburgh, Ohio State, Florida State

This was the most difficult evaluation for me. There is so much to like about Watson. On the other hand, his weakness is throwing, which is, you know, kind of an important thing for an NFL quarterback to be able to do. How much does athleticism and toughness and leadership and being a "winner" compensate for mediocre arm talent? I'm not entirely sure, which is why this was the toughest evaluation for me.

First, his arm is pretty mediocre overall. His fastball isn't very fast. Interestingly, his arm looks stronger when he's throwing deep rainbows than it does when he's throwing 15 yard fastballs. The flip side of that is his accuracy on the deep rainbow throws is flat-out bad whereas he actually has pretty good accuracy on the 15 yard fastballs. The result is that he doesn't make any specific type of throw particularly well. His fastballs are accurate, but not fast enough to fit into tight windows. His deep rainbows get good distance, but he can't land them accurately with any consistency. He also doesn't throw with very good touch. His accuracy is pretty good left-right and up-down, but he often overthrows or underthrows touch passes. I suppose the one thing he can do consistently well with his arm is throw an accurate pass less than 20 yards that doesn't require any touch and doesn't need to arrive to its target in a hurry. For this reason, I think he'll really struggle against zones in the NFL.

He has a very similar body type to the other two guys I've posted about so far at 6'2 with a thick, muscular frame. I don't think the height will be an issue in the NFL since he's not going to be standing in the pocket throwing over people. That just isn't his game. His game is going to be relying on his athleticism, and he does have great athleticism for a quarterback. He's built like a running back, and he runs like a running back. He has explosive quickness, the ability to break tackles, and good top end speed.

He also has very good awareness. His pocket presence is excellent, and when combined with his strength and athleticism, allow him to create a lot of extra time to throw. He also does a very good job going through his progressions and finding the open receiver. If he does end up having success in the NFL as a pocket passer, it will likely be due to the fact that his awareness and ability to read who is going to come open before they do will make up for the lack of velocity on his passes and other arm issues.

Moreover, he is not at all bothered by pressure, and in fact, plays at his best in the biggest games and when under the most pressure. He played in 2 national championship games. I actually thought his best game was in the loss to Alabama in the national championship his sophomore year. His junior year, against Alabama again, he led his team to an exciting comeback win after taking an absolute beating from a great, physical Alabama defense. He's extremely physically and mentally tough. He's one of those guys who will just keep coming at you.

One other thing to note about Watson is that he throws on the run pretty well, which is odd for a guy with a weaker arm. It makes me think that he can potentially improve the velocity on his fastball. If he could manage to improve the velocity on his fastball and the accuracy on his deep ball, he could develop into a really good NFL quarterback. If not, then I think you're looking at a read-option type guy who needs to make plays with his legs to be successful.

Overall, it's basically a question as to whether his intangibles and athleticism make up for his mediocre arm. There's also a chance his arm improves, but that doesn't happen very often. He also might end up being a guy who has a couple successful seasons as a read-option quarterback and then fizzles. If I didn't place so much value on intelligence and awareness, I'd probably have him significantly lower, but I do place a lot of value on intelligence and awareness, so here he is...

Draft Projection: Late 1st/Early 2nd Round

Bonus gif for fun:

Pickles said:

I love Mahomes but no one has any idea of he can read or play withing a scheme. Lot's of guys that can throw really well that were fails at NFL QB. I roll the dice on him but not until the bottom 1/2 of one or after Trubs that did prefer to stay put and read more.

Click to expand...

It's not like he was freewheeling on purpose, his line was bad. I also think the scheme stuff is overblown. They ran plays straight out of the Patriots, and Steelers playbooks and they asked him to scan his progressions. For all intents and purposes his scheme was more advanced than Watson and Trubisky's. He was in charge at the line as well. Kingsbury knows what he's doing with their QB's.

I generally agree with you though. It takes a lot more than a crazy arm. I think he has the intangibles to put it together where a Jay or J'marcus might not have though.

Cade McNown could also throw the ball about 80 yards if I recall.

i like mahomes in that the kid can play, but at the same time i worry if his game can translate to the nfl. plus his mechanics, or lack thereof, scare the hell out of me. favre was a gunslinger, but he still understood the nfl game and he he was capable of playing with sound mechanics. mahomes is a big risk imo.

4. Nathan Peterman, Pitt

Games watched:
2015: Georgia Tech
2016: North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Miami, Penn State

Much like Trubisky, Peterman very quickly went from a college backup to a top NFL prospect. Peterman's overall game is also very similar to Trubisky's, although not as good. He's like Trubisky-lite. If you miss Trubisky in the first round, why not grab Trubisky-lite in the second? (This is only sort of true, there are actually some things I think Peterman does better than Trubisky.)

His arm strength is mediocre to average. He does a good job of getting the most out of it, though, with excellent mechanics. He is also extremely accurate, probably second only to Kaaya in this class. He's not one of those guys who wows you with great throws, he's a guy who grows on you the more you watch him due to his consistency and accuracy. He also has a very effective deep ball despite not having great arm strength due to his ability to drop the ball in on a dime and hit the receiver perfectly in stride. On the other hand, he does struggle when forced to throw backpedaling or on the run, which reflects limited arm strength.

His build is just like everyone else I've posted about so far. He's a thick, muscular 6'2. Out of all of the 6'2 guys, though, Peterman is the one whose height scares me the most. He doesn't have the athleticism of Mahomes, Trubisky, or Watson (although I'd say his athleticism is pretty good-- above average quickness and agility, and he also flashes a surprisingly good top speed every now and then when he's forced to scramble, and he's able to deceptively outrun defenders). He also doesn't have the same ability to throw from multiple arm angles or sling the ball with good zip off his back foot. He needs to be set, and he needs space to throw, and he's not great at creating space for himself if his pass protection isn't good.

On the other hand, I absolutely love Peterman's headiness, awareness, and consistency. He goes through his progressions better than anyone in the draft class other than maybe Trubisky. He's really a technician who may end up as a quarterback coach someday. If his offensive line gives him time, he will find the open receiver and deliver the ball to him in stride consistently and efficiently. Like with Trubisky, if someone's open or about to become open, the ball is usually coming.

Overall, I think Peterman is a decent prospect who would be a great prospect if only he were a couple inches taller. A lot of people say that the cutoff is 6'2 and after that, you're safe. I disagree. A quarterback's height requirement is dictated by his style of play. Peterman is a guy who would be so much more effective in the NFL at 6'4 or 6'5 than at 6'2. Nonetheless, I think he can play at the NFL level, and I think you can project him as an NFL starter with a high floor and a low ceiling. He's probably the guy most ready to start on day 1 (other than maybe Trubisky).

Draft Projection: 2nd Round

Bonus gif for fun:

Nice write-ups. I'd like a bit more on what you see as limitations and things to be improved upon, and likelihood they will be improved to NFL standards IYO.


For example, while this appears like a good scramble & heads up play,

Bort said:

2. Mitch Trubisky, North Carolina
Bonus gif for fun:

Click to expand...

Did anyone else see the streaking receiver & DB fly by from R to L, with the ball just barely missing them/tipped? Granted, it's a very limited play sample, but is Mitch a gunslinger or safe with the ball? Maybe not the best gif to choose I guess.

Good stuff, look forward to more.

Thanks for taking the time to make the write-ups.

Is there any game from Mahomes that is best to watch just for fun?

Starion said:

Nice write-ups. I'd like a bit more on what you see as limitations and things to be improved upon, and likelihood they will be improved to NFL standards IYO.


For example, while this appears like a good scramble & heads up play,



Did anyone else see the streaking receiver & DB fly by from R to L, with the ball just barely missing them/tipped? Granted, it's a very limited play sample, but is Mitch a gunslinger or safe with the ball? Maybe not the best gif to choose I guess.

Good stuff, look forward to more.

Click to expand...

30 TD and 6 INT, 68.0 completion, averaged 288 passing yards per game.

Speaks for itself

Probie2429 said:

Cade McNown could also throw the ball about 80 yards if I recall.

Click to expand...

His longest pass i think was 80 yards to Marcus Robinson. 5-10 yard pass though, Robinson did rest

5. Deshone Kizer, Notre Dame

Games watched:
2015: All of them
2016: All of them

Many Notre Dame fans are extremely puzzled when they hear about Kizer as a top NFL prospect. They just watched Kizer take a very talented team that was ranked in the top 10 in the country in preseason polls and lead them to a 4-8 record. "They lost to the fucking Naval Academy!" fans would scream.

I think the first piece of this puzzle is that Kizer really looks like an NFL quarterback. He passes the eye test better than any other player in this class. He's 6'4, strong and muscular, moves extremely well, and has an absolute cannon for an arm. You watch him throw a couple 15 yard out pattern in shorts and a t-shirt and you start thinking maybe he's a #1 overall pick. But then you watch the game film, and your opinion, uh, changes...

First things first, he does indeed have phenomenal arm strength. No one in this class has better velocity on their fastball (except maybe Mahomes). He's also pretty accurate left-right. He does that one thing extremely well: throw high-velocity high-rpm accurate fastballs. His problem is that's basically the only throw he makes consistently. Any time he has to put any touch on the ball, his accuracy and consistency just disappear. A lot of his interceptions were badly overthrown or underthrown touch passes.

He also has great size for his position. He's not just 6'4, he's muscular and broad-shouldered. He also moves around extremely well for a guy his size. He doesn't have great top-end speed, but he has a good short burst, good agility, and good lateral quickness. He also runs with power and can bulldoze would-be tacklers. He can really make a lot of plays with his legs.

His major weakness is general awareness. He never seems to have any idea what's going on on the football field around him. Sometimes, he doesn't even bother looking. I've seen plays where he had good protection, stared for about 4 seconds directly at his primary receiver who never at any point came open, and then fired a rifle shot at that not-open receiver. Sometimes, through sheer luck and velocity, the ball would make it through to the not-open receiver, and he'd catch it. Nonetheless, this is not a strategy for consistent success at football at any level. I'm not exaggerating. The difference between watching Kizer versus watching a guy like Peterman or Trubisky is so striking and so jarring that it's almost comical. Kizer also has a tendency to throw completely boneheaded interceptions at the worst possible times. Up two scores in the second half of a game? Perfect time to throw the ball directly to a defender.

On the other hand, allegedly, Kizer interviews well, though, so at least he's got that going for him.

Overall, Kizer looks like an NFL quarterback, has good athleticism for an NFL quarterback, and has good arm strength for an NFL quarterback. However, he does not appear to have any understanding of how to play the position. He also appears to lack any football instincts or awareness, which are things I'm not sure can be taught. He's a project. He has a long way to go before he could step foot on an NFL football field. It's worth noting that the ranking and draft projection are based on potential, not how good of a player I thought Kizer was in college. If it were based on how good of a player I thought Kizer was in college, I'd have him being undrafted. But there are very few people on the planet who are as big, athletic, and strong-armed as Kizer, so I think he deserves this ranking based on potential.

Draft Projection: 3rd Round

Bonus gif for fun:

I'll take Kizer in the 3rd!!!

6. Davis Webb, Cal

Games watched:
2015: None
2016: San Diego State, Utah, Washington, Washington State, Stanford, Oregon, UCLA, Hawaii, USC

Webb is similar to Kizer in that he's another guy who really looks like an NFL quarterback, but doesn't really play the position all that well. Webb is also interesting in that he transferred to Cal because he lost his the starting quarterback job at Texas Tech. If you're thinking "why is a guy who lost his starting quarterback job in college considered an NFL prospect," the answer is that the guy Webb lost his job to at Texas Tech was Patrick Mahomes.

Webb has good arm strength and mixed accuracy. He has above average velocity on his fastball. He's also accurate left-right on his fastball. Much like Kizer, his fastball is really his only good throw. Any time Webb has to put any touch on his passes, he has accuracy and consistency issues. He can throw the ball a long way, but his deep passes are often wildly overthrown or underthrown. He throws well under pressure and on the run, but, again, his accuracy is only consistent on shorter passes.

Like Kizer, he also has great size for his position. He's a towering 6'5, and he's a bit more lanky than the other prospects, but he weighed in at 229, which isn't skinny by any means. He has very good feet. He has unusually good feet and agility for a guy his size. He can look over and throw over defenders, slide around them, and generally command the pocket. He never runs very far in a straight line, so it's difficult to tell how fast he is, but he definitely has excellent agility and lateral quickness for his size. In fact, in watching him, one of the things that I kept wondering is why he doesn't scramble more. He looks and moves around like a guy who should be a good scrambling quarterback, but he never does it. It's kind of odd. ESPN has his 2016 rushing yards listed as negative 110.

Like Kizer before him, Webb's major weakness is general awareness. He doesn't seem to go through any kind of progression, and I'll often notice receivers coming open that he never looks at. He never seems to go through a progression just sort of picks out a receiver out at random. This would be OK except for the fact that the randomly-chosen receiver often isn't open. The mystery of "Who was Webb's primary read on that play" can be added to the mystery of "Why does Webb never scramble".

Like Kizer, Webb throws a lot of inexplicable interceptions, which actually makes sense if my Random Receiver Hypothesis is correct. Maybe I'm being too harsh. Maybe there actually is a method by which Webb chooses who to throw the ball to. Even if true, that method sucks and results in terrible interceptions, and Webb needs to learn how to go through his progressions like a normal quarterback.

Overall, Webb has all of the physical traits you'd want in a starting NFL quarterback, but his decision-making is just bizarre. If you could fix his head, you'd really have something. He's the kind of prospect you take in the middle rounds and cross your fingers.

Draft Projection: 3rd Round

Bonus gif for fun: