The 2018 NFL Draft is flush with intriguing talent, but every one of the top quarterbacks have issues that will be targeted at the Scouting Combine.
The quarterback position may dominate the NFL Draft until the league either shifts away from the format or implodes. That could take an eternity, but the likelihood of quarterbacks becoming undervalued commodities is slim to none.
As far as the 2018 NFL Draft is concerned, teams are willingly overlooking glaring flaws in hopes of finding a franchise quarterback
This is far from a star-studded class of quarterbacks, yet four are projected to come off the board within the first 11 picks of the first round. Another two are considered Round 1 options, while two other players are viewed as polarizing quarterbacks with intriguing upside.
Those polarizing quarterbacks are Josh Allen, Sam Darnold, Luke Falk, Lamar Jackson, Baker Mayfield, Josh Rosen, Mason Rudolph, and Mike White.
For as divisive as this class of quarterbacks may be, the talent level and upside is undeniable. Every one of those players has a chance to be successful in the NFL, and no individual position is quite as important as theirs.
The question is: What can the top quarterbacks in the 2018 NFL Draft do to silence their critics at the Scouting Combine?
Josh Allen has the strongest arm in the 2018 NFL Draft. That’s the foundation for the hype he’s received as a candidate to go No. 1 overall, but it’s also a trait that can’t quite outweigh Allen’s relatively underwhelming accuracy.
Allen is tall, athletic, and has a big arm, but he’s also one of the most inaccurate passers at the top of the 2018 NFL Draft—an issue he’ll need to address at the Scouting Combine.
Allen is a 6’5″ quarterback with a big arm, but he’s also a quarterback who completed a mere 56.3 percent of his passes in 2017. It’s bigger than numbers, but the game film shows a player who struggles to put the ball where it needs to be.
There’s something to work with, which is often enough, but Allen desperately needs to throw the ball with more accuracy on short and intermediate routes.
Allen doesn’t need to ace the drills, but he must show that he is indeed capable of making all the throws. If he simply shows improvement over his game film, the upside conversations will grow louder and NFL general managers will become more intrigued.
Allen is as much of a project as any quarterback in this draft class, but if he throws with accuracy at the Scouting Combine, he’ll be a legitimate candidate to go No. 1 overall.
The USC Trojans have played home to a number of memorable quarterbacks. The latest star to emerge from the program is Sam Darnold, whom many believe has a genuine opportunity to go No. 1 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Darnold is a big quarterback who can make all of the throws from a pure ability perspective, but his throwing motion will be the talk of the town at the Scouting Combine.
Darnold has a tendency to extend his throwing motion beyond what it needs to be. That leaves him susceptible to strip sacks and batted passes, as it gives opposing defenses time to prepare instead of being forced to react to a quick release.
If Darnold shows up and displays an even slightly quicker release, that could be enough to prove that his work ethic and self-awareness are strengths.
It’s worth noting that Darnold worked to shorten his throwing motion between the 2016 and 2017 college football seasons. That’s an encouraging sign, but it doesn’t mean that the issue has been rectified or that he won’t encounter issues with his 2017 motion in the NFL.
Darnold has the tools to be a legitimate franchise player, but he must address the issue of his throwing motion in order to realize that potential.
Luke Falk is one of the many spread offense quarterbacks who will need to prove he can operate in a more traditional system. Falk will get drafted in April, however, and will thus have an opportunity to establish as much during training camp and practice sessions.
What Falk must prove ahead of time, however, is that he has the necessary arm strength to complement his awe-inspiring accuracy as a quarterback.
Falk is a 6’4″ quarterback who stands tall in the face of pressure, which will inevitably garner interest. He has a quick release and throws a beautiful ball, but some have questioned if he has the necessary arm strength to make the dangerous throws towards the sideline.
Coupled with a deep ball that can float a little bit too long, Falk could encounter turnover troubles in the NFL if he doesn’t fix this flaw.
Falk had high interception totals in college, which some believe to be an indication that he’ll struggle with the same issue at the next level. That’s certainly a possibility, but improved velocity behind his sideline and deep middle throws will quiet many of the critics.
Falk will also need to prove that he’s become more comfortable throwing on the run, but his primary focus must be proving his arm strength is NFL-caliber.
The NFL community has come together to question if Lamar Jackson can make the necessary throws at the highest level. Jackson is an explosive and dynamic athlete with a big arm, but his ability to complete passes on short-to-intermediate routes has been questioned.
At the 2017 NFL Draft Scouting Combine, Jackson will have an opportunity to address those concerns by throwing accurately in the passing drills.
Jackson should test well in the portion of the Combine that measures a player’s athleticism. Even if he doesn’t, there’s enough game film to show that his speed in pads can make even the most stout of defenses uncomfortable.
Jackson can also throw a beautiful deep ball that doesn’t hang on him, which is one of the primary reasons he’s received Michael Vick comparisons.
If Jackson is going to be a first-round draft pick, however, he must show progress on the other two levels. His throwing motion is better than most, but the ball tends to sail on him on throws of 10-to-15 yards—an issue that will ultimately lead to interceptions if it isn’t corrected.
Jackson may have the highest ceiling of any quarterback in this draft class, but he needs to show that he’s improved in this regard since the end of the season.
Baker Mayfield is somewhat undersized, but he addressed most of those criticisms at the Senior Bowl. He stands at roughly 6’1″ and has big enough hands to meet the standard for an NFL quarterback—measurements that should be verified at the Scouting Combine.
If Mayfield is going to solidify his place as a potential top-10 draft pick, however, then it will be about more than measurements and interviews.
Mayfield has the ability to make all of the NFL throws and extend plays with his legs. That’s a compelling combination of traits, which has inevitably resulted in the belief that the reigning Heisman Trophy winner could be a franchise quarterback.
The issue that Mayfield faces heading into the Scouting Combine is that his footwork is still somewhat underwhelming—a critical issue for an undersized player.
If Mayfield proves that he can comfortably execute three, five, and seven-step drops, much of the criticism he faces will disappear. Fundamentals and mechanics are critical for an undersized quarterback, and Mayfield won’t be operating out of the shotgun on nearly as consistent a basis.
Mayfield has the tools to be a Pro Bowl level quarterback, but he needs to prove to the NFL personnel in attendance that he can work in a more traditional offense.
Josh Rosen is widely regarded as the most mechanically sound quarterback in the 2018 NFL Draft. He’ll need to justify the hype at the Scouting Combine, but the primary concern with Rosen has nothing to do with his ability to play the position.
If the UCLA Bruins star is going to solidify his place as the best quarterback in the 2018 NFL Draft, then he’ll need to prove that his core strength isn’t an issue.
Rosen has a thin frame, which has caused some to question if he can remain healthy in the NFL. The durability concerns date back to his college career, as he was active for just six games in 2016 due to a shoulder injury that required surgery.
Rosen also missed time in 2017 due to concussions, which calls for an even higher degree of discomfort with his health moving forward.
What Rosen can do to address the shoulder injury is prove that he still gets great velocity behind his throws. What he can do to temper the criticism about his overall durability is show up and prove that he’s adding muscle mass to his frame.
This is more of something that he should have been doing since the end of the 2017 season, but if Rosen is still as thin as before, that alone would be a reason for skepticism.
Mason Rudolph is nursing a left foot sprain, which will capture the attention of most everyone at the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine. If Rudolph’s foot checks out, however, he’ll still have an issue that scouts, coaches, and general managers will be interested in studying.
Rudolph played quarterback in a spread offense, and will now have to prove that he can get velocity behind his throws off of a three, five, or even seven-step drop.
Rudolph is one of the most accurate passers in this draft class, but his questionable footwork impacts the velocity on his throws. He doesn’t have the cleanest strides on his dropbacks, which inevitably hurts his ability to drive his lower body through his throws.
In turn, his passes have a tendency to hang and float, which makes Rudolph susceptible to both incompletions and turnovers in the NFL.
Rudolph played in a spread offense in both high school and college, which is the reason for the skepticism in NFL circles. His size, strength, and pocket presence are remarkable strengths, but coaches are uncertain of how well he can perform in a traditional offense.
If Rudolph comes out and shows that he can get the ideal zip behind his throws off of a traditional dropback, he’ll go a long way towards silencing his critics.\
Mike White is a 6’4″ quarterback who combines accuracy and velocity on his throws at all three levels. He’s a somewhat unheralded prospect, but his breakout performance at the Senior Bowl has increased his exposure and improved the attention he’s received.
White was sacked 44 times and committed 12 fumbles in 2017, however, which speaks to his need to be able to better execute under center.
It’s unclear how much of this he can address at the Scouting Combine, but Western Kentucky’s porous offensive line is only partly to blame for White being sacked at virtual will. The blame goes more to the offensive line than White, of course, but he has a tendency to hold the ball too long.
At the Scouting Combine, White would benefit from showing that he can get the ball out quickly and spread it around the field in the manner expected of him.
The best thing White can do for himself would be to ace the interview process. If he owns his responsibility for the Hilltoppers’ sack and turnover struggles, then a coach may be willing to take a chance on him in the second or third round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
White will also need to prove that his arm is as lively as it seems. If he succeeds in doing so, reenforcing his football IQ would be a critical step in the right direction.
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The question is: Which of these quarterbacks will succeed in addressing the concerns at the 2018 NFL Draft Scouting Combine?