Who will pass final exams?
All have talent, but their flaws, real or perceived, make this QB class a tough read
INDIANAPOLIS — Two towering quarterback draft prospects are right out of central casting, and both hail from the Hollywood area.
There’s a brash, stocky gunslinger who’s grown beyond weary of being compared to problem child Johnny Manziel.
There’s a rising small-school sleeper with the rocket arm and plenty of buzz surrounding his untapped potential.
And another quarterback’s athleticism is so superior to his peers he’s had to practically shout down NFL teams whose interest is piqued in having him play wide receiver.
Welcome to the quarterback draft class of 2018, an intriguing bunch in terms of talent whose pending professional arrival is also filled with some thorny question marks.
Whether it’s USC’s Sam Darnold, UCLA’s Josh Rosen, Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield, Wyoming’s Josh Allen or Louisville’s Lamar Jackson, there’s much to like about each quarterback. There are also enough issues for NFL decision-makers to wonder aloud if there’s any sure-fire answer to their respective franchise’s quarterback problems.
“It’s always hard to say,” said Denver Broncos general manager John Elway, a Hall of Fame quarterback, when asked if there’s a sure-fire franchise quarterback in this draft. “We’ve been doing a lot of work on them, but we still have a lot of work to do. We’re in that process now.
“There is a group of guys that are very talented. We’ll continue to do our homework on them. There is a possibility of some really good quarterbacks coming out of this draft.” Skepticism and nitpicking
Looking for the next Carson Wentz or Jared Goff, NFL teams at the scouting combine are intrigued by the diverse skills on display. They’re also proceeding with a healthy amount of skepticism that’s inspired the usual nitpicking that accompanies the draft process, especially at the pivotal quarterback position.
“A couple of years ago, I banged the table hard for Carson Wentz, and I had him as the No. 1 player in the draft, not just the No. 1 quarterback,’’ NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said. “And I wouldn’t rank any of these kids in the same category with Carson Wentz. If I had to do a top players, position players and quarterbacks, I’m not sure any of those quarterbacks would be my top five players. I like them and I think there’s depth and I think there’s some quarterbacks you can build around, but they all have holes.’’
Most NFL teams rank Darnold as the consensus top quarterback prospect. They love his accuracy, size, mobility and intangibles. He’s regarded as a strong leader.
Darnold does have a tendency to commit turnovers, though. That included 13 interceptions and nine lost fumbles last season alone. And he delivered an uneven performance in his final collegiate game, a Cotton Bowl loss to Ohio State. Darnold has a bit of a windup in his throwing delivery and relatively small hands.
The pluses about Darnold are his classic build for the position as a former linebacker and receiver in high school, his pocket presence and ability to make every throw.
“I think I really want to prove to people that I’m capable of leading a franchise, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be the No. 1 team to select me,” said Darnold, who’s under consideration for the Cleveland Browns’ top overall pick. “It could be any team. Throughout the interview process I’m just going to continue to be myself, and if a team happens to fall in love with me and they take me at No. 1, or they take me wherever in the draft, I’d be happy to go anywhere.”
Meanwhile, Rosen has pristine, overthe-top throwing mechanics, polished skills with a nice, natural spiral working in his favor. Rosen oozes confidence. Where Rosen causes raised eyebrows is his reputation as an outspoken locker room lawyer and some concerns about his lack of durability. He could stand to get stronger and add some bulk. Rosen gets high marks for his intelligence. It’s his leadership that’s in question. Some have characterized him as aloof.
“I think leadership is a very personal thing that there aren’t really any shortcuts to,” Rosen said. “It takes time to build relationships. You have to treat each individual individually. Some guys respond to a kick in the butt a little better. Some guys respond to encouragement or inspiration.
“Some guys get down on themselves, so you have to help them up a little bit. I’m not really a big rah-rah guy, and if I tried to be, I think my teammates would see through it.”
Mayfield is regarded as the wild card of the quarterback candidates. He’s a shade under 6-1. A former walk-on at Texas Tech and Oklahoma, the Heisman Trophy winner plays the game with an incredible competitiveness and belief in himself. Mayfield wills his team to win. He throws into tight windows and is a sharp scrambler whose accuracy doesn’t diminish on the move.
Mayfield is an edgy personality, though, and could rub some teams the wrong way. He’s not everyone’s cup of tea following him grabbing his crotch and yelling obscenities toward the Kansas Jayhawks, an arrest last year in Arkansas on charges of public intoxication, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
Mayfield is instinctive, exciting and a real live wire. He’s also small and fumbled 13 times during his time with the Sooners.
Want to put him in a bad mood? Just compare him with Manziel. It’s a sore point for Mayfield and perhaps a bit unfair considering just how troubled Manziel has been. Labels are hard to overcome.
“There’s a line to be drawn to unprofessional, but the great ones are competitive,” Mayfield said. “You look at Tom Brady, you look at (Aaron) Rodgers, Philip Rivers too, those guys have that edge. So, yeah, there’s a line to be drawn and I’ve had my lessons to go through the hard way, obviously, you guys know that.” Plenty of upside with Allen
Allen is interesting. He has the strongest arm of any quarterback entering the league since Carolina Panthers star Cam Newton. At 6-5, 237 pounds, Allen has incredible velocity and torque on his throws.
Allen has ideal size and is very mobile. He isn’t very accurate, though, and NFL teams are trying to figure out if that’s a byproduct of his supporting cast at Wyoming or if it’s indicative of fundamental flaws.
There are many who wonder about Allen’s history of shoulder issues that have required surgeries. There’s a lot of upside with him, too.
What attributes separate him from the other quarterbacks?
“Obviously the size; I think I’m the biggest guy here,” Allen said. “The things you see on the field, the arm strength, the mobility, the thing that I pride myself on is my competitive nature. I’m the type of guy who, the only thing that I want to do is win and I’m going to do whatever it takes to win.
“I think just the question about the turnovers, not turning the ball over is something that I pride myself in. Honestly, I feel I let myself down and my teammates down during this last season when I turned the ball over so much. So that’s something that I need to continue to work on, and that’s the question that’s been coming up a lot.” Jackson not receptive to new role
Jackson showed a sense of humor about reports that NFL teams wanted him to work out at wide receiver, but he was steadfast that he won’t play any position other than quarterback.
Jackson, who has no agent and is being advised by his mother, opted to not run the 40-yard dash or do anything other than throwing drills at the combine. NFL teams know how fast the former Heisman Trophy winner is already. They can just cut on the tape to see him elude defenders in the open field. Jackson is drawing lots of comparisons to Michael Vick, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Jackson is the most dynamic quarterback of the bunch as an exceptional athlete who has breakaway speed and a live arm. He’s the only player to rush for at least 1,500 yards and pass for 3,500 yards in a season, pulling off that statistical milestone twice.
Jackson is a little raw in terms of accuracy, though, and has a tendency to throw off his back foot.
Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid would be happy to work with Jackson, saying, ‘I’d give it a whirl.”
As for Jackson’s reaction, he’s taking it all in stride.
“I’m a quarterback,” he said. “I have faced adversity throughout my whole life. Just coming up with youth football and going to high school, they said you can’t do this and that. I’m here now. I’m ready for it.
“That’s crazy. I thought I did a good job at quarterback. I’m happy to be here. I just have to show off my ability.”