Blaine Gabbert Scouting Report
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Toughness/Leadership: Plays through injuries and has not missed a game due to them. Has total command of the offense in the huddle and at the line of scrimmage. Very vocal leader. Will get in faces of players when be. Does a good job of firing guys up on the sideline.
Intelligence/Decision Making: Very intelligent player, but comes from a spread offense. Has little experience with reading coverages and going through progressions. Ball typically comes out quickly due to one-on-one match ups and receivers becoming open immediately after the snap. He makes the occasional poor pass, but decision making is above average. Sometimes, he fails to throw the ball away, avoiding a sack. He’ll also force a throw here and there. Is a very decisive passer. Knows where the mismatches lie and gets the ball out to his receivers quickly.
Accuracy: Extremely accurate. This is probably Gabbert’s best quality. On short to intermediate routes, he hits receivers in stride and has the ability to throw receivers open. However, his deep ball needs to become more consistent. Has shown time and time again that he can make all the throws on the field. His specialty is the 10-15 yard out. Shows good ball placement and keeps the ball away from defenders while giving his receivers a shot at making the catch. Throws well and maintains accuracy while throwing on the move. When faced with pressure, will throw off of his back foot, causing inaccuracies in those throws.
Release/Arm Strength: Uses a 3/4 release point that’s technically sound. Incredibly strong arm. Spins the ball with the best of them. Can fit the ball in tight spaces and has enough arm strength to complete any pass asked of him.
Pocket Mobility/Mobility: Not overly athletic but can scramble and avoid the rush to pickup first downs.. Has the ability to keep his eyes down field when forced to become mobile. Needs to learn how to step up into the pocket instead of running out of it. In the ppcket, he does a good job of feeling the pressure and sliding his feet. Does a good job at extending plays.
Intangibles: Has two years worth of starting experience. Academic All-American. All-Big 12 Honorable Mention.
Overall Stock: Gabbert is an interesting prospect. Towards the end of the 2010 season, Gabbert has become a hot topic within scouting circles. He possesses all the tools necessary to become a productive NFL quarterback. Even though his stock is rapidly rising, there are still concerns. Gabbert plays in a spread offense. He has little to no experience with taking snaps from under center, reading coverages, or going through progressions. Also, he doesn’t have the experience with taking pressure while in his drop back. He will need to work extremely hard on his 3-5-7 step drops, prior to the NFL Combine. Footwork is essential to a quarterbacks success. Nonetheless, the arrow is pointing up for Gabbert. I fully expect him to learn everything he needs to, and come off the board within the top 10 picks.
NFL Comparison: Josh Freeman
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