Boise State v. Hawaii: Five NFL draft prospects to watch
By Seth Steere
13
Cole McDonald Quarterback
Scouting Report
Cole McDonald possesses all the arm talent in the world, but like most quarterbacks with a big arm, he tends to try to put the ball in tight windows, resulting in too many turnovers. He still has yet to develop the mental side of the game that you look for in a quarterback and relies too much on his arm talent forcing errant throws.
In the first game of the season — against the Arizona Wildcats — for the Rainbow Warriors, McDonald was pulled about halfway through the third quarter because he had racked up four interceptions. Albeit was the first game of the season, but it’s still something to monitor in his match-up against Boise State.
McDonald’s arm talent will only take him so far and if wants to be taken more seriously by scouts and general managers, he will need to clean up his technique. When forced out of the pocket, he tends to try to power most of his throws with his arm, as opposed to getting his shoulders pointed to the target and engaging his hips; ultimately, resulting in an inaccurate throw or a pass that falls short of his target.
When he is able to stay in the pocket, he does look much better as a passer; he does a good job of climbing the pocket and putting himself in a position to make a throw. He doesn’t process things as quick as you’d like, but he has shown the ability to get off his first read and hit his check-downs.
McDonald still has a long way to go, but with the rocket, he has attached to his right shoulder and his ability to scramble and make things happen with his feet, he has an extremely large upside if you can tap into his potential.