2018 NFL Draft: Key strengths and weaknesses for Kurt Benkert

Weakness: Gunslinger Mentality

Some may say this isn’t a weakness, and I won’t be the one to argue that it necessarily is. A gunslinger mentality can be a positive outlook on football, as it creates a rare fearlessness that enables a quarterback to play through their inconsistencies.

The fearless nature of the gunslinger mentality also carries a negative connotation, however, which is the adverse effect of the borderline refusal to let a play die.

Benkert’s pocket awareness has been criticized, which ties directly into this weakness. Rather than throwing the ball away when nothing else is available to him, he has a tendency to either force throws down the field or try to extend plays with his legs.

The latter is certainly admirable, but the issue with such a decision is that there’s a time and a place to try to extend a play, and a time and a place to live to fight another day.

Rather than trying to make every play imaginable, Benkert must learn that it’s better to admit defeat on a down than it is to lose yardage. Moreover: It’s better to admit defeat on a down than it is to lose the ball—and for that matter, better to punt the ball away than to turn it over.

This is a flaw that can be addressed and improved upon, but Benkert will need to address his pocket awareness in order to develop into the star that he’s capable of becoming.