With The First Pick
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Possible Quarterback Risers: Riley Ferguson

By Jedidiah Bicker

Dec 20, 2016; Boca Raton, FL, USA; Memphis Tigers quarterback Riley Ferguson (4) warms up prior the the game against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at FAU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 20, 2016; Boca Raton, FL, USA; Memphis Tigers quarterback Riley Ferguson (4) warms up prior the the game against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at FAU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /
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The 2018 Quarterback class is shaping up as a fun one, with the top players set, Riley Ferguson is a name to watch on the rise.  

The 2018 quarterback class is an interesting one. Some big names are emerging, with a couple of them already picked to go in the top 10. Every season a player comes out of nowhere and rattles the draft boards of NFL teams. This season has some really intriguing names. Riley Ferguson from Memphis is one to watch.

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Riley Ferguson started his career as a highly recruited high school player and signed to play with Tennessee. However, after an injury left him forgotten in the depth chart, he chose to spend a year at Coffeyville Junior College, before transferring to Memphis his Junior year. In his first season as the starter at Tennessee, he broke Paxton Lynch’s single season touchdown record with 32.

He also had a respectful completion percentage, with 63% of passes completed. A little lower than Lynch, however, most of Paxton’s throws were bubble screens and flat routes, while Ferguson threw a lot more down the field.

Riley Ferguson is a tall quarterback with quick feet. He has a good arm and is able to push the ball vertically. Also, he is extremely confident in his ability to run an offense, which NFL scouts will love. Ferguson was given a huge task in taking over for Lynch this season.

Backing up a winning season in a solid conference like the AAC with a new coach and a new quarterback seemed difficult. But Riley Ferguson stepped into the role as signal caller and leader without much trouble. He came out of the season with a winning record and room to build.

Riley will have to improve his field vision at the next level. At times he can lock on receivers, however, he got better as the season progressed. He also started slowly in some games. It seemed like he used the first quarter of games as a warm up.  So he will need to come out of the gate hot, to take the next step in his progression.

Riley Furgeson’s listed weight is 210 but he looks a little bigger on tape. He needs to add about fifteen pounds in the offseason but appears to have the frame to do it. With pocket presence being a must in the NFL, Riley will need to work on that has well. At times he runs away from defenders a little too fast.

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Looking at the big picture, Riley Ferguson has all physical tools to make it at the next level. At times when watching him, he reminds me of Derek Carr. In fact, when I watched tape of Carr at Fresno, I saw many similarities to Ferguson. Good arm, good athleticism, and good vision late in games to name a few. Ferguson will get some of the same criticism Carr did coming out of college. Although Scouts seem like players with that skill set a little more since Carr’s success.

Ferguson also played in a lot of pro-style concepts in college. Spending time under center and in the pistol. Memphis runs more of a ball control offense now, which explains why Ferguson’s numbers were good but not overly inflated. Teams will like the fact he will not have a huge learning curve in transition to the next level.

Next: Possible Quarterback Risers: Nick Fitzgerald

This season will be huge for Ferguson. On November 16th UCLA comes to town and he will showcase his talent next to top prospect Josh Rosen. Riley will need to make a few improvements, but with his skill set, by the end of this season, he could in the conversation as a first round pick.

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