2017 NFL Draft: Iowa C.J. Beathard Scouting Report
By Jon Dove
Iowa’s C.J. Beathard is receiving some early 2017 NFL Draft hype, but there just isn’t anything that jumps off the tape that screams NFL quarterback.
C.J. Beathard has prototypical size and the arm strength needed to succeed in the NFL. He has experience working from under center in an offense that looks to feature the running game and play action.
This is a solid athlete with some mobility, but mainly to avoid rushers while sticking in the pocket. Beathard shows solid pocket awareness with the ability to step up in or side step to avoid the rush. This allows him to extend the play while also keeping his eyes downfield.
The rest of his game doesn’t feature flash the skills needed to succeed at the next level. He’s a deliberate decision maker which results in late throws and passes into tight coverage. Beathard tends to hold the ball too long and is hesitant to let it rip.
He deserves some leeway in this area because Iowa doesn’t have a unique offensive attack nor do they have elite talent at the wide receiver position. However, Beathard needs to show more anticipation and the ability to read the defense at a faster pace.
His lack of anticipation also hurts his accuracy and ball placement. Too often, Beathard’s targets are forced to stop their momentum in order to make a catch. This limits the opportunities for yards after the catch and increases the potential for interceptions.
Beathard also needs to show more overall playmaking ability. He just doesn’t make enough throws deep down the field which forces Iowa’s offense to grind out yards. Most NFL offenses want a quarterback who can stretch a defense and pick up yardage in chunks.
There’s talent here, but Beathard is far from a high level prospect at this point in the process.
Current Draft Range: 6th Round