West Virginia’s Will Grier Not a NFL Prospect
By Jon Dove
West Virginia’s Will Grier put up some impressive numbers over the weekend, but he’s not a legitimate NFL prospect at this point in his development.
Will Grier made his return to college football this weekend after nearly two years away from the game. He put up some huge numbers in West Virginia’s loss to Virginia Tech. Grier played with a lot of poise while operating West Virginia’s high-flying attack.
More from With the First Pick
- 2024 NFL Draft: Prospect Viewing Guide for Week 0
- 2024 NFL Draft: All Eyes On NFL Draft Defensive Prospects
- Player Spotlight: USC Safety Calen Bullock
- 2024 Senior Bowl Watchlist Announced
- 2024 NFL Draft: Florida State is Loaded with Prospect in 2023
However, a closer look at his performance shows that he actually missed a lot of big play opportunities. Grier took some time to shake off the rust that comes with missing so much game action.
The rust wasn’t a major issue for Grier with his overall lack of accuracy being the biggest problem. He struggled releasing the ball on time and often threw behind his target. West Virginia’s pass catchers bailed him out more often than not.
His deep ball lacked proper loft all game long. There were several occasions where a West Virginia receiver was streaking down the field but Grier failed to deliver a catchable ball.
Grier’s struggles weren’t related to poor mechanics nor facing pressure in the pocket. He often had plenty of time to throw, but just didn’t place the ball in proper position. This lack of accuracy is something NFL coaches will not tolerate.
An NFL quarterback has extremely small throwing lanes which requires spot-on accuracy in order to complete a pass. Grier would not only have a hard time getting completions but would also have issues with interceptions.
West Virginia’s receivers helped their draft stock by overcoming Grier’s lack of accuracy and putting up big numbers. Garry Jennings, David Sills V and Ka’Raun White all showed some level of NFL promise.