QBs in the draft thread 2

Well I finally got to watch Dak Prescott in the Senior Bowl.

He looked good. I liked it.

I can see why Rams fans here and there like him.

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Mayock: Cowboys, Browns, Chargers could strike for QB in draft

By Chase Goodbread

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000630393/article/mayock-cowboys-browns-chargers-could-strike-for-qb-in-draft

Video at the Link..

The situations are different, but the compelling need could be the same.

And with quarterback being the most important position on the field, the timing could be right for the Cleveland Browns, San Diego Chargers and Dallas Cowboys to invest a high first-round draft choice in the position, according to NFL Media draft expert Mike Mayock.

“If you’re looking for a quarterback in that top 10, (picks) two, three and four have got to be locked in,” Mayock said on Saturday during the NFL Network’s broadcast of the Reese’s Senior Bowl. “Two with Cleveland, three with San Diego. Philip Rivers is one of my favorites of all-time, but remember they took Rivers when they had (Drew) Brees. And No. 4, Dallas has got to be looking, also.”

The Browns, of course, have continuously misfired drafting quarterbacks for decades, and new coach Hue Jackson could be looking to correct that just two years after the club chose troubled, high-maintenance quarterback Johnny Manziel in the first round. While the Browns are looking to fill a gaping void, the Cowboys and Chargers would merely be looking to soften the eventual departures of the aging Rivers and, for the Cowboys, Tony Romo.

“I look at Dallas at No. 4 and as much you love Tony Romo, three years in a row he’s not been able to play 16 games,” Mayock said. “He’s 36 years old. At what point — you’re not going to be drafting that high again — at what point do you pull the trigger? San Diego, same thing. Cleveland’s got to get a quarterback. Philadelphia’s sitting there at (pick) No. 13 saying ‘My guy might not get to me anymore.'”

Whether any quarterback in the 2016 NFL Draft merits a top-five pick is a slightly different question.

NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah rates North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz as the top quarterback in the draft, and the No. 7 overall prospect. He did nothing to worsen that standing during Senior Bowl week. Cal’s Jared Goff and Memphis’ Paxton Lynch are also strong first-round possibilities at the position.

“There aren’t 12 franchise quarterbacks in the whole league,” Mayock said. “If you can draft one, you have to.”

And the sooner, the better.

Brandon Allen Senior Bowl Highlights

http://www.arkansasrazorbacks.com/brandon-allen-senior-bowl-highlights/

MOBILE, Ala. – Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen made the most of his time on the field at the 67th Reese’s Senior Bowl, helping the South squad to a 27-16 win on Saturday. In his two drives in the third quarter, Allen completed 7-of-10 passes for 106 yards.

Allen entered the game at the start of the third quarter with the South leading 17-3 and promptly completed his first two passes for 30 yards. The drive resulted in a field goal and a 20-3 lead with teammate Sebastian Tretola playing right guard.

The final drive of the game for Allen started with four straight completions, highlighted strikes of 32 and 22 yards, respectively. The 32-yard completion down the seam saw Allen step up in the pocket to avoid the pass rush en route to firing a perfectly placed pass.

GO TO LINK TO SEE VIDS

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Cowboys QB Dark Horse: Arkansas Brandon Allen

http://www.scout.com/nfl/cowboys/story/1638401-cowboys-qb-dark-horse-arkansas-brandon-allen

MOBILE, Alabama — With Dallas possessing the fourth overall pick in April’s NFL draft along with questions about aging franchise quarterback Tony Romo’s durability, draftniks have the Cowboys taking a quarterback in the first round. Meet a quarterback Dallas could have their eye on if Jerry Jones and the brain trust decide to use fourth overall to address another position on the team.

Things really clicked for Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen in his senior year for the Razorbacks. The 23-year-old Fayetteville, Arkansas native went 7/10 for 106 yards in Saturday’s Reese’s Senior Bowl.

“We only had two series, but had a chance to get two scoring drives and had a two-minute drill, threw a couple of nice balls,” Allen said. “Overall, I was pretty happy with it.”

One of the big question marks Allen had to overcome at the Senior Bowl was his hand size, 8.5 inches, the smallest of any of the invited quarterbacks. Allen was set out to prove to NFL scouts that his hand size wouldn’t be a factor playing pro football.

Said Allen: “I think from the weigh-ins one of the question marks was my hand size. I wanted to prove it all week and today that my hand size hadn’t affected me before and it won’t affect me now. I can still spin it with the best of them, and I was hoping to prove that today.”

Allen had a better outing for the South squad than did North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz, who led the North in the first quarter going 6/10 for 50 yards. Still, one game doesn’t “win” the draft for any one player. Whichever among the eight invitees stood atop the quarterback mountain in Mobile would still have to produce more impressive NFL scouting combine showings and pro timing day results to catapult to the head of the draft class.

In other words, junior standouts Jared Goff from Cal and Paxton Lynch from Memphis have yet to arrive to the party. When they do at the NFL scouting combine later this month in Indianapolis, the prospect rankings will be even more jumbled.

If the Cowboys aren’t able to use their fourth overall pick to take a blue-chipper at quarterback, or opt to upgrade another position with that premium pick, and they don’t like the quarterbacks available early in the second round when Dallas picks 34th overall, the Cowboys would consider using a later pick on Allen. Reports indicated the Cowboys took heavy interest in Allen at the East-West Shrine Game on Jan. 23.

CowboysHQ has learned Dallas also interviewed the Hogs quarterback down in Mobile, though Allen was assigned to the South coached by the Jaguars staff.

Coming from Bret Bielema’s pro style offense at Arkansas, Allen believes he wouldn’t have much of a learning curve to overcome to contribute to an NFL squad.

“I think coming from a pro style offense is really going to help me translate well,” said Allen. “A lot of guys nowadays don’t huddle, don’t call plays in the huddle, don’t go under center. I think me being a in a pro style offense will really help my chances of adapting well there. And I think I can throw the ball accurately with a lot of velocity on it. I’ve seen a lot of guys throw the ball accurately. I can throw it just as far and just as strong as those guys.”

If the Cowboys were to take Allen, he would come in immediately and compete with incumbent backup Kellen Moore, veteran Matt Cassel, and practice squader Jameill Showers for a spot on the roster. His smarts, maturity, decisive reads, and accuracy, traits Allen claims he has, would have to elevate to an NFL level to make the team. Taking Allen in the 2016 draft would be Dallas signaling they haven’t found their franchise quarterback, their successor to Romo, but rather another interesting prospect they hope will grow into a competent backup role or trade bait.

For now, Allen will go to Boca Raton, Florida and train with XPE Sports Academy headed up by Tony Villani to work on his speed and keep the arm fresh for the combine. Aside from the drills in Indianapolis, Allen recognizes that acing the meetings is another integral component which he is intent upon proving.

“I think the combine is going to be a lot of what you do in meetings. I want to show how football smart I am. And, again, when I’m out there throwing the ball, they’re going to put in a lot of routes that a lot of NFL guys want to see. And I want to show them I can make all the throws and hand size has never been an issue for me. And along with show them a little bit of athleticism and test well.”

Rams land Paxton Lynch in Todd McShay’s latest mock draft

Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/26540/rams-land-paxton-lynch-in-todd-mcshays-latest-mock-draft

EARTH CITY, Mo. — Los Angeles Rams fans should probably get used to seeing their favorite team connected to any and all available quarterbacks this offseason.

After the Rams finished at the bottom of the league in most major passing categories, a franchise signal caller is undoubtedly the team’s top need entering this offseason. So whether it’s a veteran free agent, a possible trade or, yes, the NFL draft, the Rams are going to be linked to all of them until they make a move.

On Tuesday, ESPN NFL draft analyst Todd McShay released his second mock draft and first since the draft order took more of a clear shape (it won’t be official until after the Super Bowl).

In his first mock draft, McShay sent Ole Miss wide receiver Laquon Treadwell to the Rams with the 10th overall pick. That was before the season ended and the Rams played their way into the No. 15 spot.

This time around, McShay went with a quarterback, sending Memphis’ Paxton Lynch to Los Angeles. It’s worth noting that Lynch has fallen in McShay’s eyes after he sent the Memphis quarterback to Cleveland with the second pick in his initial mock.

In the time since, McShay has upgraded California’s Jared Goff and North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz to spots above Lynch in the pecking order. He sent Goff to Cleveland with the second pick and Wentz to Dallas with the fourth choice in this mock draft.

After that, Treadwell went off McShay’s board to San Francisco at No. 7, leaving the Rams well out of the reach of the top two quarterbacks and top wideout in the draft.

As for Lynch, it would make sense if the Rams took a long, hard look at him. It’s not outrageous for a top quarterback to be drafted 15th overall but in this day and age, any quarterback falling out of the top 10 comes with obvious warts. In Lynch’s case, the early read on him features questions about his accuracy and decision making.

That means the Rams would be getting a potential long-term solution but not necessarily an immediate one in Lynch. Under coach Jeff Fisher, a sense of urgency hasn’t exactly been prevalent so we can’t rule out the possibility they’d take a project quarterback in the first round. But at some point, you’d think winning now would become the team’s top priority which could leave the Rams looking a different direction come April.

2016 NFL Draft Prospects: Quarterbacks

Feb. 4, 2016.

http://walterfootball.com/draft2016QB.php

image: http://walterfootball.com/college/NorthDakotaState_logo.gif

Carson Wentz, QB, North Dakota State
Height: 6-5. Weight: 233. Arm: 32.38. Hand: 10.
Projected 40 Time: 4.85.
Projected Round (2016): 1.
2/4/16: Sources have said they think Wentz could be the best quarterback prospect in the 2016 NFL Draft. In order to help make that happen, Wentz had an excellent Senior Bowl showing off his big arm, ball placement, field vision and athleticism. Teams believe he will continue to rise in the lead up to the draft.

Multiple teams have told me they gave Wentz a first-round grade and think that he is the real deal. They say that Wentz has a good arm, size and athleticism, plus they love him off the field. They also like his pocket presence, field vision, experience under center, ability to make play calls in the huddle, and potential to grow in the NFL. They believe that he will fill out his frame in a NFL strength and conditioning program. The big challenge for Wentz, in their view, will be the drastic change in the speed of the game coming from North Dakota State’s opponents compared to the NFL. He also will need to mature into a leadership role.

On top of his good arm, mobility, pocket presence, field vision and accuracy. Wentz operated in a pro-style system with play calls in the huddle and working under center. In 2015, he completed 64 percent of his passes for 1,669 yards with 16 touchdowns and two interceptions while missing almost half the year with a broken wrist. Wentz also had four rushing touchdowns.

As a junior, Wentz completed 64 percent of his passes for 3,111 yard with 25 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also had six touchdowns on the ground. Wentz was a backup as a freshman and sophomore.

image: http://walterfootball.com/college/California_logo.gif

Jared Goff*, QB, California
Height: 6-4. Weight: 210.
Projected 40 Time: 4.71.
Projected Round (2016): 1.
2/4/16: In 2015, Goff completed 64 percent of his passes for 4,719 yards with 43 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He beat up on weak competition early in the season, but he didn’t play as well against quality opponents like Utah, UCLA and USC. Goff bounced back to close out the regular season well against Stanford and Arizona State.

Still, Goff demonstrated his strong, accurate arm and quality field vision. He also has functional mobility to avoid rushers and pick up some yards on the ground. Goff needs to add weight for the NFL and also could have some issues with getting rattled and handling the rush at the next level.

Goff’s stats were inflated by a college offense that has a lot of instant passes, and coming from that system, he will need development for the NFL with field vision, working under center and holding up in the face of a pass rush. Goff displayed good mechanics at times, but also had some issues maintaining that when faced with a lot of pressure, and that led to some bad habits of throwing off his back foot. He has said he is working to correct those problems.

Some scouts said that Goff has been overhyped. One scouting director said that Goff was a good player, but he didn’t feel he was “top of the draft” worthy right now. Another scout said they were lukewarm on Goff as a pro quarterback.

In speaking to another general manager from a team that is among the best at evaluating and developing quarterbacks, he felt that Goff was the best of the draft-eligible signal-callers. Obviously, there isn’t a real consensus about Goff among NFL evaluators.

8/8/14: Goff enjoyed a breakout 2014 season. The sophomore completed 62 percent of his passes for 3,973 yards with 35 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Goff displayed some pocket-passing potential while playing with a less-than-ideal supporting cast. He struggled against USC’s good defense taking sacks and had a few interceptions dropped. Goff needs to perform better against top competition. He became the starter as a freshman in 2013 and completed 60 percent of his passes for 3,508 yards with 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

image: http://walterfootball.com/college/Memphis_logo.gif

Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis
Height: 6-7. Weight: 245.
Projected 40 Time: 4.78.
Projected Round (2016): 1-2.
2/4/16: In 2015, Lynch completed 67 percent of his passes for 3,778 yards with 28 touchdowns and three interceptions. He has a good skill set, but is raw and needs development. Lynch has an arm that can make all the throws for the pro game, and he flashed the ability to pass accurately and beat good coverage with precise completions into tight windows. Lynch also has the athleticism to make plays with his feet and or throws on the run.

However, there is a lot of work that Lynch needs. His footwork and field vision are the primary areas to improve. Lynch was inconsistent with passing accurately and working through his progressions. He needs to become more consistent with the ability to thrive as a pocket passer as well. His eye movement and working through his progressions need to be faster and more consistent. According to sources, his head coach Justin Fuente said that Lynch needs to mature on the field with his football I.Q. and needs to mature off the field to handle being a franchise quarterback. Fuente coached Andy Dalton at TCU, and he told NFL evaluators that Dalton was far ahead of where Lynch is coming out of college.

In his previous seasons as a starter, Lynch used his running ability more. As a sophomore, he ran for 321 yards with 13 touchdowns while completing 63 percent of his passes for 3,031 yards with 22 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Lynch completed 58 percent of his passes for 2,056 yards with nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions as a freshman.

image: http://walterfootball.com/college/MichiganState_logo.gif

Connor Cook, QB, Michigan State
Height: 6-4. Weight: 218.
Projected 40 Time: 4.60.
Projected Round (2016): 1-3.
2/4/16: Sources say that Cook has good height, weight and delivery, but a number of evaluators don’t really like him. They think he’s too inaccurate and question his lack of leadership with his team not voting him a team captain. If one highly touted quarterback prospect slides like others have in years past, Cook could be the prime candidate. He made a big mistake turning down his Senior Bowl invitation and the opportunity to address some of these concerns.

In 2015, Cook connected on 56 percent passes for 3,131 yards with 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He played well against Oregon, but wasn’t overwhelming against some mediocre opponents, though he had a prolific game against Rutgers. The Spartans have admitted their play calling was overly conservative at times and needed to let Cook throw more often. Late in the regular season, he played with an injured shoulder.

Cook has athleticism, good size, experience in a pro-style system and a strong arm that can make some beautiful throws downfield into tight windows. However, he isn’t a quarterback who drops back and throws 50 times a game while dominating a defense. His accuracy needs improvement as well. Cook was more of a game-manager for Michigan State, and that could be his future in the NFL.

8/8/15: Cook completed 58 percent of his passes in 2014 for 3,214 yards with 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions. League sources identified Cook as a potential high first-round pick. He needs to improve certain aspects of his game to meet that grade though, mainly accuracy. Cook has proven to NFL evaluators that he has a big arm, pocket presence, the mobility to avoid rushers and roll out, and the ability to make the occasional precision throw. Cook plays in a pro-style system and has shown steady improvement with his ability to function out of the pocket while working through his progressions.

Cook has often thrown the ball better than his numbers illustrate. He can make some amazingly accurate throws into extremely tight windows for completions downfield, but also has some inconsistency with his accuracy on the routine passes and when going deep down the middle. Cook has to improve his footwork, which in turn will help his accuracy.

2013 was Cook’s first year as the full-time starter, and he got off to a slow start before coming on strong in the second half of the season to help lead the Spartans to a Big Ten title and victory over Stanford in the Rose Bowl. Cook completed 58.7 percent of his passes for 2,755 yards with 22 touchdowns and six interceptions for the year. He had great games against Ohio State (24-40 for 304 with 3 touchdowns, 1 interception) and Stanford (22-36 for 332 yards with 2 touchdown, 1 interception) to close out that season.

image: http://walterfootball.com/college/OhioState_logo.gif

Cardale Jones*, QB, Ohio State
Height: 6-5. Weight: 250.
Projected 40 Time: 4.75.
Projected Round (2016): 2-3.
2/4/16: In 2015, Jones displayed his big arm and great skill set, but must get better at reading the field and with his passing technique. He was undefeated in his 11 starts in college, but with so little playing time, needing development is understandable. Jones entered the 2016 NFL Draft rather than return to Ohio State.

Jones completed 63 percent of his passes in 2015 for 1,460 yards with eight touchdowns and five interceptions. Aside from his right-arm cannon, he also displayed his running ability and how difficult he is to sack with his huge size. Jones is very physically gifted, but he’s raw and needs to gain experience.

8/8/15: Jones put on a display in 2014 after entering the starting lineup behind Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett. Jones has great size and a cannon for an arm. In his three starts, he completed 61 percent of his passes for 860 yards with seven touchdowns and two interceptions. Jones has a lot of upside and it will be fun to watch him in 2015, assuming he wins the starting job over J.T. Barrett.

Jones needs to improve his ability to throw while under heat. He also needs to get faster working through his progressions, moving his eyes and getting rid of the ball. Jones can hold onto the ball too long when plays start to break down on him. When Jones has a clean pocket, he displays the ability to make any throw the NFL asks for. While Jones is a pocket passer, he will take yards on the ground when available and has some athleticism as a runner. Jones can be tough to bring down for defenders in or out of the pocket.

Sources from multiple teams said that they view Jones as having a first-round skill set and if performed for an entire season the way he played in his three starts, he would be a first-rounder. Teams have questions about Jones’ football I.Q. and off-the-field maturity, so his pre-draft interviews will be important to address those questions.

image: http://walterfootball.com/college/PennState_logo.gif

Christian Hackenberg, QB, Penn State
Height: 6-4. Weight: 234.
Projected 40 Time: 4.87.
Projected Round (2016): 2-4.
2/4/16: In 2015, Hackenberg completed 54 percent of his passes for 2,525 yards and 16 touchdowns with six interceptions. He had terrible games against Rutgers and Temple, but good outings against Buffalo, San Diego State, Indiana and Illinois.

Clearly, Hackenberg needs to improve his accuracy and decision-making, but the junior was playing in a bad situation with a weak offensive line and receivers. Over the last two seasons, Hackenberg routinely made some beautiful throws that are dropped by his receivers, but also missed too often on routine completions. He is a pro-style quarterback who was forced to play in a college spread offense that didn’t fit him well at all. Sources say that Penn State head coach James Franklin beat Hackenberg down and handled him terribly.

In speaking with sources, some teams grade Hackenberg on the third day of the 2016 NFL Draft as a fourth-rounder, but others have graded him in Round 3. Even the teams that graded him after the third round expect him to be selected in the second or third round. One general manager said Hackenberg has just average accuracy and is a statue in the pocket. There also was reports about Hackenberg being disliked in the locker room and not a leader, but in speaking with Buccaneers left tackle Donovan Smith – a former Nittany Lion – and Penn State defensive end Carl Nassib, they both dismissed that, saying Hackenberg wasn’t a finger pointer and did everything asked of him. Nassib was shocked to hear of those reports and said that Hackenberg was a great teammate.

8/8/15: Hackenberg completed 56 percent of his passes in 2014 for 2,677 yards with 12 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He played better than the numbers indicate as his supporting cast was a huge liability, including an awful offensive line. Hackenberg closed out the 2014 season with a huge comeback overtime win over Boston College, completing 34-of-50 for 371 yards and four touchdowns.

In terms of a skill set, Hackenberg has what the NFL is looking for with a size, pocket presence, field-vision potential and a strong arm that can push the ball downfield. James Franklin’s offense didn’t help Hackenberg develop much as a NFL pocket-passer prospect last season as so many of the play calls were instant throws because of a weak offensive line that couldn’t maintain its blocks. Hackenberg needs to improve his ball placement and decision-making in some areas, but his supporting cast really hurt him last year. At times, Hackenberg makes some brilliant throws downfield after working off his first read, and if he does that regularly as a junior, he could be a high first-rounder.

Hackenberg was the star recruit for Bill O’Brien and proved the hype legit during an impressive freshman season that saw him named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Hackenberg completed 59 percent of his passes for 2,955 yards with 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2013. He also ran for four touchdowns. Sources in the NFL feel that Hackenberg could end up being an elite quarterback prospect.

image: http://walterfootball.com/college/NCState_logo.gif

Jacoby Brissett, QB, N.C. State
Height: 6-3. Weight: 236. Arm: 32.88. Hand. 9.5.
Projected 40 Time: 4.83.
Projected Round (2016): 3-4.
2/4/16: In 2015, Brissett completed 60 percent of his passes for 2,662 yards with 20 touchdowns and six interceptions. Sources with teams say that Brissett is a sleeper quarterback who they’re keeping an eye on. As we reported in the rumormill, some east coast scouts rate Brissett ahead of other more highly touted prospects like Penn State’s Christian Hackenberg. Other sources aren’t fans of Brissett. He had a decent week at the Senior Bowl, but didn’t light a fire under his draft stock.

8/8/15: 2014 saw Brissett complete 60 percent of his passes for 2,344 yards with 22 touchdowns and five interceptions. He showed potential as a pocket passer. Brissett was on fire against a lot of weak competition even before he lit up Florida State (32-of-48 for 359 yards with three touchdowns). Brissett sat out the 2013 season per NCAA rules after transferring from Florida. He spent 2012 as Jeff Driskel’s backup. Brissett played a little as a freshman backup during the 1-year tenure of Charlie Weis as Florida’s offensive coordinator.

image: http://walterfootball.com/college/MississippiState_logo.gif

Dak Prescott, QB, Mississippi State
Height: 6-2. Weight: 226. Arm: 31.38. Hand: 9.88.
Projected 40 Time: 4.69.
Projected Round (2016): 4-6.
2/4/16: Prescott completed 66 percent of his passes in 2015 for 3,793 yards with 29 touchdowns and five interceptions. On the ground, he totaled 588 yards with 10 scores. Sources say they view Prescott as Tim Tebow 2.0 from playing in the same offense, though Prescott has better throwing mechanics and functions better out of the pocket than Tebow did entering the draft. They think Prescott needs to become a better pocket passer, but they numerous teams loved him in the Senior Bowl meetings. They were impressed with his football I.Q. and his leadership skills to be captain in a NFL locker room.

8/8/15: Prescott completed 61 percent of his passes in 2014 for 3,449 yards with 27 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He averaged 4.7 yards per carry for 986 yards with 14 scores on the ground. Prescott underwhelmed against Alabama, but that was really the only game of the season in which he struggled.

Prescott’s play has been somewhat reminiscent of Tim Tebow at Florida because Prescott is playing in the same offense for Tebow’s former offensive coordinator, Dan Mullen, the Mississippi State head coach. Like Tebow, Prescott needs to improve his pocket passing and accuracy for the NFL.

In 2013, Prescott completed 58 percent of his passes for 940 yards with 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

image: http://walterfootball.com/college/Stanford_logo.gif

Kevin Hogan, QB, Stanford
Height: 6-2. Weight: 217. Arm: 32. Hand: 10.13.
Projected 40 Time: 4.79.
Projected Round (2016): 4-6.
2/4/16: As a senior, Hogan completed 68 percent of his passes for 2,867 yards with 27 touchdowns and eight interceptions. In his good games, he looked like an early-rounder; in his bad games, he looked like an undrafted free agent. Hogan has a good enough skill set to play as a pro, but looks more like a backup-caliber signal-caller in the NFL. Sources said they like Hogan’s intelligence to become a quality backup quarterback.

8/8/15: In 2014, Hogan completed 66 percent of his passes for 2,792 yards with 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He had five rushing touchdowns, too. Hogan was still streaky as a passer, looking inept at times and throwing excellent passes on other attempts. He needs to become more consistent in order to rise as a senior.

Hogan wasn’t as good as expected in 2013 as Stanford’s passing attack was underwhelming. For the year, he completed 61 percent of his passes for 2,630 yards with 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Hogan averaged 4.5 yards per carry for 314 yards on the ground with two touchdowns, too.

image: http://walterfootball.com/college/USC_logo.gif

Cody Kessler, QB, USC
Height: 6-1. Weight: 224. Arm: 32. Hand: 9.88.
Projected 40 Time: 4.85.
Projected Round (2016): 4-6.
2/4/16: In 2015, Kessler threw for 3,536 yards with 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 67 percent of his passes. If he had a better physical skill set, he would be rated higher, but he is undersized. Kessler’s lack of arm strength looks like a real weakness for the NFL. He did not impress at the Senior Bowl. Kessler looks like a game-manager backup quarterback in the NFL.

8/8/15: Kessler completed 71 percent of his passes in 2014 for 3,505 yards with 36 touchdowns and four interceptions. He was an effective game-manager for the Trojans. Kessler is undersized and could be lacking in his physical skill set to be a starter for the NFL. He needs to prove that wrong as a senior. Kessler was considering entering the 2015 NFL Draft, but decided to return to USC.

It took some time, but Kessler eventually won the starting quarterback spot for USC to replace Matt Barkley, and Kessler has improved as he gained experience. Kessler completed 65 percent of his passes in 2013 for 2,968 yards with 20 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

image: http://walterfootball.com/college/Indiana_logo.gif

Nate Sudfeld, QB, Indiana
Height: 6-5. Weight: 240.
Projected 40 Time: 4.90.
Projected Round (2016): 5-7.
2/4/16: Sudfeld completed 61 percent of his passes this season for 3,184 yards with 24 touchdowns and five interceptions. He has good size and a strong arm, but he needs to get faster in his delivery. Sudfeld also has to improve his accuracy, ball placement, field vision and play faster. He had a quality week at the East-West Shrine and is a late-round developmental candidate.

8/8/15: Sudfeld missed half of the 2014 season over a season-ending shoulder injury. 2013 saw him complete 60 percent of his passes for 2,523 yards with 21 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

image: http://walterfootball.com/college/Oregon_logo.gif

Vernon Adams Jr., QB, Oregon
Height: 5-11. Weight: 200.
Projected 40 Time: 4.67.
Projected Round (2016): 6-FA.
2/4/16: Adams had a solid senior year for Oregon, completing 65 percent for 2,643 yards with 26 touchdowns and six interceptions. He has a quality arm, athleticism, touch on his passes and nice field vision. The lack of size is the huge negative for Adams. While he has some similarities to Russell Wilson, the odds of Adams panning out like Wilson are extremely remote. Prior to playing for Oregon, Adams played at Eastern Washington.

image: http://walterfootball.com/college/Arkansas_logo.gif

Brandon Allen, QB, Arkansas
Height: 6-1. Weight: 214. Arm: 30.5. Hand: 8.5.
Projected 40 Time: 4.91.
Projected Round (2016): 6-FA.
2/4/16: Allen was a game-manager quarterback for Arkansas the past few seasons, but as a senior, he produced some big plays, leading the Razorbacks to overtime wins over Auburn and Ole Miss. In 2015, Allen completed 66 percent of his passes for 3,440 yards with 30 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He became a nice college quarterback, but he doesn’t look like he has a starter’s skill set for the NFL.

Allen had a respectable week at the Senior Bowl, and sources say they liked him as a late-round or undrafted free agent to compete for their third quarterback spot.

image: http://walterfootball.com/college/BowlingGreen_logo.gif

Matt Johnson, QB, Bowling Green
Height: 6-0. Weight: 219.
Projected 40 Time: 4.83.
Projected Round (2016): 6-FA.
2/4/16: Sources say that Johnson is a Case Keenum-type quarterback prospect. Johnson has a decent arm and is a gamer, but limited for the next level. The redshirt senior completed 67 percent of his passes this season for 4,946 yards with 46 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Johnson missed almost all of 2014 with an injury, but completed 64 percent of his passes the year before for 3,467 yards with 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

image: http://walterfootball.com/college/Alabama_logo.gif

Jacob Coker, QB, Alabama
Height: 6-5. Weight: 236. Arm: 31.38. Hand: 9.88.
Projected 40 Time: 4.88.
Projected Round (2016): 6-FA.
2/4/16: Coker had a rocky start to the year, but played better to help lead Alabama to a National Championship. He completed 67 percent of his passes in 2015 for 3,110 yards with 21 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Coker has good size and a strong arm, but looks like a project for the NFL. He has a long windup in his delivery and lacks athleticism in the pocket. Coker didn’t impress at the Senior Bowl. As one source said, “Coker is a poor man’s Mike Glennon.”

8/8/15: Coker was Blake Sims’ backup last season. Coker has a good skill set, but he needs to be the starter and effective to rise.

image: http://walterfootball.com/college/WesternKentucky_logo.gif

Brandon Doughty, QB, Western Kentucky
Height: 6-3. Weight: 220.
Projected 40 Time: 4.86.
Projected Round (2016): 6-FA.
2/4/16: Doughty has some vocal fan supporters based off his production and video-game stat line, but in speaking with sources, they haven’t mentioned Doughty as a pro prospect who they’re impressed with. He doesn’t have an NFL arm and was unimpressive at the East-West Shrine.

In 2015, the senior completed 72 percent of his passes for 5,055 yards with 48 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Doughty completed 68 percent of his passes in 2014 for 4,830 yards with 49 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

image: http://walterfootball.com/college/LouisianaTech_logo.gif

Jeff Driskel, QB, Louisiana Tech
Height: 6-3. Weight: 230. Arm: 32.5. Hand: 9.75.
Projected 40 Time: 4.69.
Projected Round (2016): 7-FA.
2/4/16: Driskel has the skill set to be a quality NFL starting quarterback. He is big, athletic, and has the arm strength to make all the throws. However, Driskel doesn’t have the mentality of a pro signal-caller. While at Florida, Driskel was a disaster with turnovers, poor accuracy, and taking an offense that had pro talent and making it inept.

In 2014, Driskel had future NFL running backs (Matt Jones and Kelvin Taylor), wide receivers (Demarcus Robinson), and offensive linemen (D.J. Humphries and Max Garcia), yet still struggled to move the ball. Driskel completed 54 percent of his passes that season for 1,140 yards with nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Driskel transferred to Louisiana Tech and beat up on the weak competition in 2015, completing 62 percent of his passes for 4,033 yards with 27 touchdowns and eight interceptions. At the Senior Bowl, his skill set flashed at times, but he didn’t play well enough to undo the damage done by his play at Florida. Sources say that they’ve given Driskel an undrafted grade.

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Travis Wilson, QB, Utah
Height: 6-6. Weight: 240.
Projected 40 Time: 4.85.
Projected Round (2016): 7-FA.
2/4/16: In 2015, Wilson completed 65 percent of his throws for 2,095 yards with 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He has big size and an arm, but isn’t a NFL passer.

8/8/15: Wilson completed 60 percent of his passes in 2014 for 2,012 yards with 17 touchdowns and four interceptions. He was in and out of the lineup on top of being benched at times. Wilson has a good size and a nice arm but has to get more consistent. He completed 56 percent of his passes in 2013 for 1,827 yards with 16 touchdowns and 16 interceptions across nine games.

image: http://walterfootball.com/college/Michigan_logo.gif

Jake Rudock, QB, Michigan
Height: 6-3. Weight: 208.
Projected 40 Time: 4.91.
Projected Round (2016): FA.
2/4/16: Rudock played at Iowa for a few seasons before transferring to Michigan for his senior year. He had a solid final season and was a functional game-manager for Jim Harbaugh. In 2015, Rudock completed 64 percent of his passes for 3,017 yards with 20 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He was a smart quarterback, but lacks the arm or athleticism to be rated higher.

Rudock did not impress at the East-West Shrine practices. He wasn’t horrible, but he looks like an undrafted quarterback who will compete as a training camp to be a team’s third quarterback.

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Joel Stave, QB, Wisconsin
Height: 6-5. Weight: 219.
Projected 40 Time: 4.86.
Projected Round (2016): FA.
2/4/16: Stave has some size to him and occasionally makes nice throws, but he was never consistent in college and had some rough slumps. That was reinforced at the East-West Shrine.

In 2015, Stave completed 61 percent of his passes for 2,687 yards with 11 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. His best season came in 2013 when he completed 62 percent for 2,494 yards with 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Stave had Jared Abbrederis at wideout and Melvin Gordon in the backfield that season.

image: http://walterfootball.com/college/FloridaState_logo.gif

Everett Golson, QB, Florida State
Height: 6-1. Weight: 185.
Projected 40 Time: 4.70.
Projected Round (2016): FA.
2/4/16: In 2015, Golson completed 67 percent of his passes for 1,778 yards with 11 touchdowns and three interceptions. He had some ugly struggles for the Seminoles. Golson didn’t play against Syracuse and Clemson because of a concussion and backup Sean Maguire kept the job afterward.

8/8/15: Golson landed at Florida State after leaving Notre Dame. 2014 was Golson’s return to football after being suspended for the 2013 entire season for cheating on an exam. Perhaps the year away was good for him; he occasionally looked improved with his passing skills. However, Golson had problems with turnovers. The senior completed 60 percent of his passes for 3,445 yards with 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He had eight touchdowns on the ground.

Golson previously led Notre Dame to the National Championship game in 2012. The first-year starter completed 59 percent of his passes for 2,405 yards with 12 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also ran for 415 yards and six touchdowns that season.

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Wes Lunt, QB, Illinois
Height: 6-4. Weight: 215.
Projected 40 Time: 4.82.
Projected Round (2016): FA.
2/4/16: This year, Lunt completed 56 percent of his passes for 2,761 yards with 14 touchdowns and six interceptions.

8/8/15: Lunt completed 64 percent of his passes in 2014 for 1,763 yards and 14 touchdowns with three interceptions. He missed five games with injuries and played in a running offense.

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Max Wittek, QB, Hawaii
Height: 6-4. Weight: 235.
Projected 40 Time: 4.79.
Projected Round (2016): FA.
2/4/16: In 2015, Wittek completed 47 percent of his passes for 1,542 yards with seven touchdowns and 15 interceptions.

8/8/15: Wittek didn’t play in 2014 after transferring from USC. He was a backup as a Trojan and didn’t beat out Cody Kessler to replace Matt Barkley.

image: http://walterfootball.com/college/UtahState_logo.gif

Chuckie Keeton, QB, Utah State
Height: 6-2. Weight: 200.
Projected 40 Time: 4.65.
Projected Round (2016): FA.
2/4/16: Keeton missed most of the regular season with a sprain of the MCL. He completed 52 percent of his passes for 1,006 yards with four touchdowns and seven interceptions in his seven games.

8/8/15: Keeton went out for the year with a knee injury early in 2014. He completed 55 percent of his passes in his three-game season for 426 yards with two touchdowns and four interceptions.

Keeton started the 2013 season off well by completing 69 percent of his passes for 1,388 yards with 18 touchdowns and two interceptions. On the ground, he averaged 4.4 yards per carry for 241 yards and two touchdowns. Keeton injured his knee against BYU and was out for the rest of the year.

Keeton had a breakout sophomore season and was the 2012 First-Team All-WAC quarterback. He completed 68 percent of his passes that year for 3,373 yards with 27 touchdowns and nine interceptions that year. Keeton also ran for 751 yards (619 net) with eight touchdowns.

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Justin Holman*, QB, Central Florida
Height: 6-4. Weight: 213.
Projected 40 Time: 4.69.
Projected Round (2016): FA.
2/4/16: Holman completed 51 percent of his passes this season for 1,379 yards with seven touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He fractured his right index finger in Week 2 and missed three games.

8/8/15: Holman replaced Blake Bortles for Central Florida last season and had a solid debut, completing 57 percent of his passes for 2,952 yards and 23 touchdowns with 14 interceptions. Holman flashed at times, but he needs to improve his accuracy and cut down on interceptions as a junior.

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Davis Webb, QB, Texas Tech
Height: 6-4. Weight: 195.
Projected 40 Time: 4.78.
Projected Round (2016): FA.
2/4/16: Webb was relegated to backup duty behind Patrick Mahomes.

8/8/15: In 2014, Webb completed 61 percent of his passes for 2,539 yards with 24 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He missed the final four games with an injury. Webb has to prove he is more than a college-system quarterback.

image: http://walterfootball.com/college/OklahomaState_logo.gif

J.W. Walsh, QB, Oklahoma State
Height: 6-2. Weight: 205.
Projected 40 Time: 4.70.
Projected Round (2016): FA.
2/4/16: Walsh was the backup quarterback to Mason Rudolph.

8/8/15: Walsh only played two games in 2014, completing 56 percent of his passes for 233 yards with a touchdown and interception. He broke his foot in the second game and missed the rest of the season. Walsh earned playing time as a redshirt freshman in 2012 after backing up Brandon Weeden in 2011. Walsh flashed some passing and running ability during his playing time in 2012, completing 67 percent of his passes for 1,564 yards with 13 touchdowns and three interceptions. He ran for 320 yards (290 net) and seven touchdowns, too. In 2013, Walsh completed 59.5 percent of his passes for 1,333 yards with nine touchdowns and five interceptions.

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Trevone Boykin, QB, TCU
Height: 6-2. Weight: 205.
Projected 40 Time: 4.71.
Projected Round (2016): FA.
2/4/16: In 2015, Boykin completed 65 percent of his passes for 3,575 yards with 31 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. His season ended slightly early – a few days before TCU’s bowl game – when he was arrested following a bar fight and assaulting an officer. That pretty much ended any shot the senior had at getting drafted. Boykin doesn’t display the traits of a pro pocket passer and lacks the size of the vast majority of NFL quarterbacks.

Boykin was a college quarterback who is more of a third-day-caliber prospect – before the arrest at least. He should be one of those signal-callers who is being discussed as switching positions to wide receiver, running back or cornerback.

8/8/15: Boykin did a lot of damage with his arm and legs last season. He ran for 707 yards with eight touchdowns while completing 61 percent of his passes for 3,901 yards with 33 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Boykin has to improve as a pocket passer to improve his NFL stock.

Jared Goff “confident” he’ll be best quarterback in draft

Josh Alper

Jared Goff “confident” he’ll be best quarterback in draft

The Scouting Combine gets underway next week, kicking off the pre-draft evaluation process for all 32 teams.

Given the importance of quarterbacks to success in the NFL, the top players at that position will get close scrutiny from any team in need of one. That group is made up of Cal’s Jared Goff, North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz and Memphis’ Paxton Lynch right now and Goff explained to Peter King of TheMMQB.com why he thinks he’s the right choice for a team looking for a long-term solution.

“I think my accuracy is as good as it gets at this level,” Goff said. “I think my pocket presence and my ability to extend plays speak for themselves. I’m confident I’ll be the best quarterback in the draft.”

Goff is working with former Cardinals and Colts quarterback Ryan Lindley as he prepares for the combine, where he said he plans to take part in all of the drills. Any team taking Goff will hope that his talent proves more formidable than what Lindley’s displayed during his time in the league and that will be especially true if the Browns, who pick second, decide to hitch Goff to new coach Hue Jackson. The Browns don’t have the best history with drafting quarterbacks, but Goff says he’s not intimidated by the possibility of being the next would-be answer to the team’s prayers.

“I’m not worried about it,” Goff said. “I’m excited about it. Whatever team I go to, I’ll be excited to go. I want to be the future of a franchise. I think I can be a guy who can make an impact right away.”

The Browns could use such a guy, which should make all three of the quarterbacks of great interest to Cleveland over the coming weeks.

Connor Cook is ready to put doubts to rest at NFL Combine
The Michigan State QB heads to Indianapolis with an impressive resume but expecting to face questions about leadership and other intangibles

http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/story/michigan-state-spartans-connor-cook-ready-for-nfl-combine-022016

Connor Cook is eager to get back to Indy. It’s the place where he led Michigan State to two Big Ten titles, but next week at the NFL Combine he’ll get a chance to compete with other quarterback prospects and let the NFL personnel folks get to know him better. Cook told FOX Sports on Friday that he played the final three games of the 2015 season in a shoulder brace around his passing arm. He said the shoulder got back to 100 percent about two weeks ago.

“It’s been gradually getting better and better each week,” Cook said. He relocated to San Diego about a month ago to train for the draft with George Whitfield and long-time NFL coach Jimmy Raye “I took it easy the first week or so (in California) just because that was my first throwing without the brace. I didn’t want to jump out going gangbusters and have any setbacks. I wanted to get a feel for throwing again without the brace because obviously that’s allowing my shoulder to have full range of motion.”

Last month, Cook declined an opportunity to play in the Senior Bowl, which he said was due to trying to get his sprained shoulder healed up.
“Obviously, I wasn’t 100 percent playing against Penn State, Iowa and Alabama,” Cook said. “After the season, I talked to my agent Joel Segal and we felt like the best option was to go to California to start training and rehabbing, so that I’d be 100 percent for the Combine and Pro Day and that stuff.
“I am a competitor, and any time I get a chance to compete against anyone, I want to take it. So (having to skip the Senior Bowl) did kinda sting, but we just did what my agent thought was the best option.”

Cook sustained the shoulder injury Nov. 14 against Maryland. He said it didn’t affect his accuracy but it did hinder his velocity. The injury kept Cook out of MSU’s win at Ohio State. He returned a week later for a win against Penn State and then over No. 4 Iowa in the Big Ten title game, but the Spartans lost to Alabama 38-0 in the Playoff.

“I’ve never been one to make an excuse for how I played. Everyone else is out there playing hurt as well.”

Cook isn’t blaming the defeat on his shoulder. “We lost fair and square,” he said. “I was out there giving it my 100 percent. I’ve never been one to make an excuse for how I played. Everyone else is out there playing hurt as well. We have linemen dinged up all year. They weren’t complaining or making any excuses, so I wasn’t going to either. It’s a game. You gotta play through it and keep on keeping on.”

The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder from Ohio leaves Michigan State as the school’s all-time winningest quarterback, going 34-5 as a starter. He earned first team All-Big Ten honors in 2015 despite that injury and has a sterling 71-22 TD-INT ratio for his college career. Still, Cook knows when he gets back to Indy he will face some questions not only about his shoulder but also about his character. Some of it apparently stems from the fact that Cook was not one of the Spartans’ three captains this season, which has prompted some NFL scouts to wonder about his leadership skills. And, as the draft process has heated up, that has triggered more speculation from draft observers.

FOX Sports spoke to Michigan State’s All-American left tackle Jack Conklin about how accurate some of those perceptions are about Cook.

“I think it’s people reading him wrong,” Conklin said. “I know (people) expect him to be captain, but with our team, we have 12 eagles that our team voted. There are 12 guys that are voted by the team, and then three guys from that are voted the captains.”

Cook was one of those eagles, Conklin said, adding that the other nine eagles rotated as the fourth captain from week to week, so the QB did serve as a team captain for a couple of games. “I think it’s people trying to read into things that are not there. He’s been our starting quarterback for three years. He is a leader. You can’t be a starting quarterback in the Big Ten and have done so well — won a Rose Bowl and a Cotton Bowl and gone to the Playoffs and not have a quarterback that’s a leader.”

Conklin suspects that it’s also because Cook doesn’t fit the Midwest persona. “There’s an expectation of what a Midwest, power-football team quarterback’s supposed to look like, and Connor doesn’t act like that. He’s gonna wear what he wants. He’s gonna look the way he does, but when it comes down to it, he is that blue-collar type of guy.

“He is the guy that does the right things. He’s not out getting arrested. He’s not getting bad grades. He’s the guy who does the right things. He does well in school. He makes good choices around the team. He’s going to go through these interviews and people aren’t going to find these reasons why not to like him.”

Asked where he thinks the perceptions come from, Cook said: “I guess people see the amount of wins that we’ve had as a program and they look at a three-year starter and see he didn’t get named captain his senior year, so they automatically jumped to ‘Well, he had to do something. Maybe he got arrested or in trouble.’ Well, if that was really the case, people would know. If I violated team rules, people would know. Coach D (Mark Dantonio) tells it how it is. In the past when guys have gotten in trouble, Coach D has said why.

“Or some people think ‘Oh, Connor must not get along with his teammates,’ but that couldn’t be further from the truth. People can talk to the coaches, my teammates, my past teammates. Every one of them would say I was a team leader. I commanded respect every time I stepped inside that huddle. They respected me in the locker room. Talk to any of my teammates.

“My other thing is, how can you be that successful and win that many games as a team if the quarterback and his teammates aren’t getting along? I don’t think that’s possible. If you have a quarterback and his teammates that don’t get along, you’re probably not going to win a whole lot of games.”

The three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection calls it “a big misconception. I just didn’t get voted captain, but that didn’t affect the way that I led. It didn’t affect the way I played or led as a sophomore or as a junior or this year. We won our conference this year. I’m just looking forward to the Combine to meet with these coaches and GMs, and show them who the real Connor Cook is.”

from off the net

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alyoshamucci

Cook needs to hit two areas. Interview and accuracy.

He needs to show clean footwork and consistent strike throwing. That way his 58% comp pct could be overlooked.

As far as the interviews the answer to that will come out. If he’s got porcupine quills, you can’t hide that.

I will say this. Hoyer and Cousins we’re both quieter. If he’s more outspoken than them he might be having issues with how the school likes their QB to be. It’s not like he’s out pulling manziel garbage.