2016 NFL Draft: early look at NC State’s Jacoby Brissett
By Jon Dove
NC State’s Jacoby Brissett is an athletic and strong-armed quarterback prospect who needs to develop his feel for the position. He has the talent evaluators look for in the position but lacks polish and consistency. The amount of improvement he shows this season will have a major impact on his draft stock.
Brissett has a live arm that allows him to make all the necessary throws to succeed in the NFL. He also shows the ability to put touch on the ball to allow his target to run underneath the pass. His overall accuracy and ball placement is strong thanks to his commitment to squaring his body to his target.
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He’s a smart player who doesn’t make a lot of bad decisions and is willing to fight for extra yards.
This clip shows is a good example of Brissett putting touch on his pass:
The concern with Brissett’s game surrounds his overall ability to run an NFL-style offense. NC State uses a lot of moving pockets which makes things easier on Brissett as he only needs to read one side of the field and doesn’t need to stand tall in the pocket.
His running ability also doesn’t help his development as a quarterback as he’s too quick to tuck the ball and vacate the pocket. So much of NC State’s offensive success is thanks to Brissett movement ability rather than his arm.
This clip is an example of Brissett looking uncomfortable in the pocket, holding the ball too long and failing to let it rip (the clip is a little cut off so click on the link to get a full view):
Brissett needs to show that he can move the chains with his arm and become more consistent with the deep ball. However, his arm strength and natural ability make him an intriguing prospect. He has the potential to develop into a really effective NFL quarterback.