With all of the attention going to the top rated quarterbacks in the draft, there has not been a ton of conversation about the next tier of players.
One of the main reasons for that is experts are saying this is an extremely weak draft for QB prospects. You will hear names like Brett Hundley from UCLA, Bryce Petty from Baylor and Sean Mannion from Oregon State. There is another name that Bears fans should keep an eye out for: Garrett Grayson.
Grayson tends to fall under-the-radar a little, playing for Colorado State. That may turn out to be a disservice…or a favor to Chicago fans. He is a very talented player who has started 35 games for the Rams. Grayson basically holds all the records for quarterbacks at the school, and had one of the more impressive weeks at the Senior Bowl. Due to a hamstring injury, he did not participate fully at the combine last month, but he really blew it out of the water today at his pro day workout.
He has very good accuracy, and moves very well at 6’3 and 220 lbs. He throws an extremely good deep ball, and has been praised for his footwork. He got better each year as a starter.
He worked on his 3, 5 and 7 step drops, and showed that at his pro day where he was pretty impressive. That can improve even more at the next level with sound coaching but from what the scouts say, his mechanics are already strong. He has not really been a great improviser, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. You can tell that over the last few years, he has focused more on being a pocket passer.
There is one major thing that Bears fans should love. He does not throw a ton of interceptions.
Grayson threw for close to 10,000 yards in college, threw 65 touchdowns and only 25 interceptions. He also ran for 9 scores.
His teammates love to play for him, and he definitely commands the huddle. With his strong performance at his pro day, his stock is definitely on the rise. He could go as early as high in the second round, and it is highly doubtful that he lasts past the third round.
While it seems like most experts have the Bears going with defense, wide receiver or offensive line with their first three picks, Garrett Grayson is worthy of their consideration. The Jay Cutler situation is what it is right now. Who knows if David Fales even makes the roster and Jimmy Clausen is purely a backup. And then…well…that’s it, folks.
Grayson would make the immediate future a lot more interesting from the first day of training camp. I sure hope he gets that shot in Chicago.