Patrick Mahomes: A Case for the Gunslinger

Why Patrick Mahomes II Should be a part of the conversation in the top fifteen picks.

As draft season winds down, we have reached the point in the process where teams are finalizing their draft boards. Coaches are making their last push to get the players they want to lead their team. Through it all there is a no more polarizing figure than the quarterback, especially when it comes to gunslingers. This season is no different.

In a draft that has been described at one with no first round quarterback grades but a lot of first round quarterback talent, teams are trying to decide whether to take a signal caller in the early rounds, or go down the draft and take the “best available player”.

Most analyst this season have Mitchell Trubisky as the number one quarterback prospect in this class. With Deshaun Watson as number two (or in some cases 1A). There is no doubt that the player with the highest upside is Patrick Mahomes.

Mahomes, has been compared to a number of pro quarterbacks throughout this process. Roethlisberger, Favre, Carr and even some comparing him to Steve McNair. He has a Great pedigree, his dad pitched in the Major League Baseball. His throws have been clocked at over 60mph.

There are risk with Patrick, most scouts are citing his system in collage might have inflated his states. Also pointing out it will be hard for him to translate to the next level.

Here are a few arguments for and against taking the Gunslinger with a high pick.

Strengths: Mahomes has amazing arm talent, he can throw the ball from any angle and any place on the field. Mahomes arm is so strong he doesn’t need to plant his feet to get pop on the ball. He makes good reeds, seems to get the ball in the right player’s hands.

Mahomes has the feet quickness to be able to extend broken plays, which he did a lot in collage with most teams constantly blitzing him. Patrick has a good relationship with his teammates and is a good leader.

Mahomes has been criticized for the system he was in, but Tech’s Air Raid offense has more pro-style concepts than reported. He moves his eyes well and doesn’t lock on receivers during progression. When faced with rush, he moves fluidly behind the line of scrimmage, not sure if that translates to the pocket, but couldn’t hurt.

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Weakness: Bad mechanics, he needs to do a lot with his footwork. His timing on throwing routs can be a little slow, which causes him to trust his arm a too much. He thinks he can make every throw regardless of his limitations (which aren’t very many).

Needs to work on pre-snap reeds, I think Mahomes can do that, but the NFL system is so much more complex than anything he ever saw in college. He will need time to get use to the speed of the game.

Mahomes must get better on short and intermediate throws. NFL Coaches would say the most underrated throw in the NFL is the check down route. Mahomes can make that throw, but needs to work on getting the ball to the receiver with more fluidity. Receivers sometimes have to wait on balls and have to catch them off balance.

Upside: Mahomes is smart, he was an academic all American. He has no blemishes on his record, and is the kind of player you want on your team. There are a lot of teams at the top of this draft that not only need a quarterback but need a culture change.

Drafting a player Like Mahomes could be the spark that a team like the Browns or the Bills that need to change the years of losing.

Looking at the pros and cons of Mahomes, I think teams will see his upside and jump at the chance to draft him. With elite skill sets being the thing NFL GMs covet the most, I don’t think Mahomes makes it out of the top fifteen.