2018 NFL Draft Guide

2018 NFL Draft Guide

2018 NFL Draft Guide

Quarterbacks

Full Sam Darnold Scouting Report

Only a RS SO when he declared. Plays in a spread offense that requires him to check with the coaches pre-snap. He has the size of an NFL QB from the height to weight to build.

Athletic Ability is good, has quickness to evade sacks, has change of direction and quality lateral movement, balance will allow him to stay up despite a sack attempt. Good Competitive Toughness, doesn’t give up on the play after he throws an INT, stays in the game despite dealing with injuries, gets right up after a big hit. Good play speed, has evade ability and will extend the play, capable of picking up large amounts of yardage on the run. Good strength, his size and stature will help him with durability for smaller injuries. He could be used to run in short yardage situations. Great Arm strength, great velocity, can squeeze it through tight windows, no problem with 50-yard throws. Great short to mid-range accuracy, shows it best middle of the field. Can pinpoint a slant throw. Good Deep ball accuracy, improved on his sideline accuracy throughout the season, accurate on a moving platform, will complete the throws no one expects him to make. Great Poise, very calm presence at the QB position, nothing really bothers him. Not afraid of the cameras, big DL, cold blooded when it matters most.

His arm motion was poor on tape. Motion is almost Tebow like in terms of dropping the ball down by his waist, takes a much longer time to throw and allows DBs to make more plays on the ball. However, he looked a little better at his pro day. Ball did not drop as low. Solid Mental Processing, there are times where he won’t read the correct zone scheme and can be fooled by disguises. Can forget to read a safety, but has the awareness to escape a collapsing pocket. Will go with green grass in front of him, will target the blitzing side. Shows that he does have anticipation. Solid Decision Making, there will be some decisions where we question what the heck he is doing out there, can be too hesitant to pull the trigger on the deep ball. However, he will go through his reads and will try his best to make the big play.

Overall, I do believe in Sam Darnold. He will not hit his potential in the first year, but if he has an offensive minded Head Coach he can really improve quickly. I would like to see Darnold go to a team that has an actual offensive line. He does not throw much from the pocket currently.

 

Full Josh Rosen Scouting Report

Junior who played in more of a pro style offense. Has the height of an NFL QB, but he does not have the frame of one. He does not have broad shoulders which makes him a higher risk for injury. Has a very smooth arm motion that will help him long term.

Athletic Ability is Solid, has some ability to move, performed at a higher level than expected at the NFL Combine. Not very quick or agile. Good Mental Processing, perhaps the best pocket awareness in the draft, does a great job of stepping up in the pocket, very quick at recognizing the blitz and identifies the man or zone look pre-snap. Great Competitive Toughness, despite being down a very large margin he will not give up on the game. Continues to play well despite constantly dealing with big hits. Great Arm Strength, capable of squeezing the ball through tight windows. The 50 to 60-yard throws are consistent. Has the velocity to reach all stages of the field. Great Short to mid-range accuracy, consistently accurate either in the pocket or on the move, placement is where the receiver wants the ball. Good Deep Ball Accuracy, along the sideline he can place the ball perfectly along the sideline – in normal weather conditions.  Good Poise, is not afraid of the big city lights or even the off the field criticism. Doesn’t back down from a huge task. Will keep his eyes downfield when dealing with pressure.

Solid Decision Making, will make some questionable rookie decisions, a high risk low reward QB, will try to hurry a throw into a bad decision when being heavily pressured, may throw into triple coverage. However, when he has the time, he will go through all his reads and make a throw that has the best chance to make a big play. Solid play speed, he won’t be anywhere near considered a dual threat QB, but he can run to pick up some yards if there is green grass in front of him. Adequate Play Strength, this will be a concern for some teams that do not have a good offensive line, having a slim frame and recent history of injuries may be a concern for the future.

Overall, Rosen is the most pro ready QB in the NFL. He has some durability issues, but if given a good overall offensive line he should be okay. One other concern is he can rub people the wrong way, that includes a coaching staff. He must have the right coaching staff to handle his attitude.

 

Full Baker Mayfield Scouting Report

Plays in a spread Offense at Oklahoma. Great offensive line and has great weapons all around him. This type of offense does not require him to call a play in the huddle and the fast pace will often make the opposing defenses confused. Allowing the wide receivers to have multiple routes where they are either wide open or have a one on one matchup. For a Quarterback he is considered short, but the number of short QBs in the league are growing.

Athletic Ability is Good, has quickness and has balance when leaving the pocket, change of direction is impressive for a Quarterback. Elite Competitive Toughness, shows a lot of fiery emotion that could lead a team. Comes back into the game despite dealing with an injury. Good Play Speed, mobile, can extend the play, capable of being a solid dual threat QB. Good arm strength, ball speed is above average and can make the deep throw majority of the time. Deep ball Accuracy is good, when his feet are set he is consistently accurate. He also has more attempts down field than the average QB prospect, allowing him to have an advantage when dealing with anticipation. Short to mid-range accuracy is good, accurate when on the move, placement is consistent in the middle of the field, does a nice job leading the receiver on slants or drag routes. Good Poise, does a nice job keeping his eyes downfield, plays big in big situations. Not fazed by hostile environments.

Solid Mental Processing. In the hurry up spread offense, there is a lot of first read throws. Because of this, there are many plays where he is caught staring at his first read. If the first read is covered (which is unusual), he will leave the pocket early and run around until the receiver can get open. His offensive line is arguably the best in college football and has all day to make a throw. If he has to play with a poor OLine, in the NFL, would he still be able to play well? Solid Decision Making, looks too often for the homerun ball when it is not necessary and ends up holding onto the ball too long and makes a frantic decision. Solid Strength, for his size his build will allow him to break bad tackles, but good tackles he will unlikely break.

Character, I’m not sure if I could trust him. A QB shouldn’t be the one to draw Unsportsmanlike Penalties. The leader of a team must be smarter than that. A QB shouldn’t encourage fighting. Should not yell that he is going to spank a winless Baylor team and end up almost losing. Then of course the arrest looks terrible on a scouting report.

Overall, Mayfield is a boom or bust player. There are so many questions with him that it is too risky to consider him in the first round. I believe he would be a great back up in this league and a solid starter in a run heavy offense where he can have better opportunities in the passing game.

 

Full Lamar Jackson Scouting Report

Played in a spread offense at Louisville, but they added some pro-style plays to help Lamar get used to the Pro Offense. The Former Heisman Trophy winner broke almost every record possible at Louisville, being the best Dual-Threat QB in college football. He is a taller QB, but he is lanky.

Athletic Ability is Elite, some things that he is capable of is almost unimaginable, insane quickness, explosiveness, agility, and change of direction. He is can even be useful to jump over the line of scrimmage on goaline situations. Solid Mental Processing, reads the safety well, good vision, improved his anticipation, targets defensive backs who just came in when the other DB left with an injury. Great Competitive Toughness, is a player who will fight for the first down, very tough – will player through serious pain, has confidence in himself, after an INT he will use his anger all on the opponent – in play. Elite Play Speed, true dual-threat QB, will easily evade opponents, extends the play, only QB that could scramble and consistently end up with a large amount of yardage, tremendous acceleration in open space. Good arm strength, puts good amount of velocity on his throws, can squeeze through tight windows, capable of making 50yd throws. Good Short to Mid-Range Accuracy, if not hurried, he has consistent placement, puts touch on the ball and will lead his receivers. Good Poise, he is not afraid of the big stage, will finish his throw despite heavy pressure in his face, keeps his eyes downfield when escaping the pocket.

Adequate Play Strength, his lanky build will not work at the next level, especially if he is going to be running a lot. He did improve last season by gaining almost 10 pounds of muscle, but he will need at least another 10 pounds of muscle to keep him healthy. His deep ball accuracy is solid, when he misses he will miss high and that’s because his footwork is off. Likes to make his front step a little early forcing him to be unbalanced when releasing the ball. Though he has shown great improvement along the sideline. Solid Decision Making, needs to be better at throwing the ball away, his anticipation still isn’t perfect despite improving it.

Overall, Jackson should be considered as a QB. Do not rush him into this. He will need time to build muscle and work on his footwork. Jackson is a playmaker and can be perfect in a run heavy offense. This will give him the chance of really improving his anticipation. I do believe Jackson will be a good starter in this league.

 

Full Josh Allen Scouting Report

Played in a pro style offense at Wyoming. Had a down season, but played his best game of the season on a nationally televised bowl game. He has the size of an NFL QB, the height, build, frame and weight are what you would want.

Athletic Ability is Good, he does have quickness, but what is most impressive is his balance. He can evade a lot of sacks with that level of balance. Good Competitive Toughness, wants to always make a big play, will play through a shoulder injury that many QBs would have sat out for. Good Play speed, despite his large body he has some speed. Can be useful as a scrambler, will be able to extend the play. Great Play Strength, he is a difficult player to bring down and will break many tackles in the pocket. His size could be used in short yardage situations. Elite Arm Strength, his arm is one of a kind. His velocity is incredible and can reach any stage of the field. Would not be surprised if he could complete a pass 70 yards through the air. Good Short to mid-range accuracy, consistent when throwing on the run and does a really good job throwing to the out route.

Adequate Mental Processing and Decision Making, plenty of times he will look at a wide open read and decide to go with a heavily covered read, not fully aware of defenders, poor pocket awareness – shuffles into sacks, will hold on the ball too long rather than throwing it away. Will try to make a throw that is in the middle of the field when he is scrambling to his right. Overall vision of the field needs to improve. Solid Poise, tends to leave the pocket early fearing pressure when there is none, panics vs a blitz, so focused on the pressure that it’s unlikely he will complete the pass. However, he has had games in the past where he pulled off a 4th quarter comeback and that’s hard to teach. Solid Deep Ball Accuracy, he is just too inconsistent, he tends to have the ball float on him, doesn’t know how to put the perfect touch on the ball yet. However, there are times where he can thread the needle and land it exactly where the receivers want it.

Overall, Allen is a project player. His tools could make him into a great player one day, but he shouldn’t play for a season or two. Should not go to a team that does not have a veteran to teach him the basics and the proper way to read defenses. He also needs to learn how to control his Elite arm strength.

 

Full Mason Rudolph Scouting Report

Plays in a spread Offense at Oklahoma State. This type of offense does not require him to call a play in the huddle and the fast pace will often make the opposing defenses confused. Has the size to be an NFL QB, great height and weight with great overall build.

Athletic Ability is Solid, has balance and is solid when changing direction. Great Arm Strength, shows quality velocity on the ball, capable of squeezing the ball through tight windows, no problem reaching the far side of the field, 50-yard throws are easy for him. Great Deep accuracy, can put touch on the ball on those 50-yard throws, leads his receivers on verts/go routes, best when targeting the deep middle of the field. Good competitive toughness, shows passion when he is on the field, puts body on the line for important situations, shows leader capabilities. Good strength, stronger than the average QB, his size is a big plus, his strength can make it easy for a QB sneak. Good Poise, not scared of the big stage, veteran like confidence. Good short to mid-range accuracy, in the redzone, he puts the ball where only his receiver can make the catch.

Solid Mental Processing, needs to have a better pocket presence, when scrambling he forgets to take care of the football which makes it a higher risk of a fumble when hit. Solid Play speed, hard to move his large frame at a fast speed, but he can still scramble some if needed. Solid Decision Making, type of offense forces him to make a lot of quick first read throws, but there are plenty of occasions where he will force the first read when reads 2 and/or 3 are wide open. This is his biggest issue in my opinion.

Overall, Rudolph has potential, the fact he is coming out of a spread offense may hurt him a little in the draft, but he does have the physical tools to be an NFL QB. Needs some work and it would help him greatly if he could learn under a veteran for a season and then take over. He would fit in a system that likes to take a lot of shots down the field.

 

Full Luke Falk Scouting Report

Plays in a spread Offense at Washington State. This type of offense does not require him to call a play in the huddle and the fast pace will often make the opposing defenses confused. He has the height of an NFL QB, but the slimmer frame is a negative.

Athletic Ability is adequate, not going to make any spectacular athletic plays anytime soon, stiff hips and slow change of direction. Won’t be an explosive playmaker with the ball in his hands. Good Mental Processing, nice pocket presence – steps up when he senses pressure, nice job at reading the safeties and knows how to ‘look them off’. Good Competitive Toughness, will continue to play at a consistent level despite multiple injuries, gets right up after a big hit. Solid Arm Strength, has the ability to drive the ball, has thrown in nasty weather without much trouble in terms of velocity. Great short to mid-range accuracy, capable of putting the ball over the shoulder next to the sideline. Consistent placement and leads his receivers well. In the redzone, he puts the ball where only his receiver can catch it. Great Deep Accuracy, has pinpoint ability, possibly the best prospect when throwing an out or corner route, puts touch on the ball, still accurate despite a moving platform. Solid Decision Making, goes through every read possible, will use checkdown effectively, identifies his one on one matchups, will attack the blitzing side. Good Poise, keeps eyes downfield despite the heavy pressure, finishes the throw rather than brace for impact, very calm on 4th down situations.

Adequate Strength, the slimmer frame will not hold up well vs a 300-pound lineman, will need to gain muscle to prevent from a major injury in the league. His arm strength may be an issue when attempting to reach the far-sideline. Adequate Speed, no way should he be used for a QB draw or a read option look, it’s a struggle for him to scramble, not going to be able to extend a play in the league. There are times where he should take a shot down the field, but he will shy away from that at times. Has become a little trigger shy because the PAC-12 defenses started to drop 8 into coverage and he was too afraid to force into double coverage.

Overall, Falk is an accurate pocket passer. He regressed some this season, but he did not have much help at the WR position. The accurate throws he makes along the sideline are impressive, but teams will be afraid of his physical strength and the ball speed. I expect him to start out as a back-up somewhere that has a quality run game, where he won’t have to deal with the 8-cov looks.

 

Full Kyle Lauletta Scouting Report

Three years as the starting QB at Richmond. Mainly a spread offense, play calls came from the sideline, no huddles. Has the height of an NFL QB, but will need to add some weight to become ideal in the weight. Thin overall body.

Athletic Ability is good, he is sneaky athletic, moves well, shows quality balance, some quickness in his game. Good Mental Processing, understands how to look off defenders, recognizes the defense pre-snap. Good Competitive Toughness, dives head first to get into the end zone, fights very hard to stay up and not go down for the sack. Good Play Speed, can scramble and he can be used in QB Runs, can extend the play somewhat. Good Arm strength, has nice velocity, capable of squeezing into some tight windows. Good deep ball accuracy, shows accuracy deep along the sideline, puts enough touch on the ball to get it over a LB, accurate on the move – especially to his left. Great Short-Mid range accuracy, his excellent footwork will be a big reason he is a consistent, accurate along the sideline, placement is consistent on a moving platform, nice back-shoulder placement, has a beautiful Red Zone fade ball. Good Decision Making, rare for him to make a drastic unnecessary decision, does a nice job going through more than his first progression. Good Poise, he shocked everyone by playing at a high level in front of hundreds of scouts at the Senior Bowl and against a higher level of competition he never saw in Richmond’s division.

He does not have the strength of a Big Ben, so he will struggle with most tacklers. Needs to work on his pocket presence and have a better ‘clock’ in his head. He will lose control of his accuracy when he sees his window is closing, ball will sail. Arms strength isn’t great enough to reach the far side of the field.

Overall, Lauletta is a good prospect. He surprised me with his level of performance at the Senior Bowl, forcing me to go back and watch more film. I would like him to start out as a back-up to adjust to the speed of the NFL. He would fit a system that allows him to use his mobility and a lot of short throws.

 

Full Logan Woodside Scouting Report

5th year Senior at Toledo. Had a 93/21 TD/INT ratio for his collegiate career. 28/8 in his final season. High percentage player, 65% for his career. Played in a spread offense, does not call a play in the huddle, doesn’t take a snap under center. His receivers let him down quite a bit, especially in the Miami game. He is below average in height. Personally, I do not care for height, if the QB can find the passing windows. He has added weight since the season has ended and is back to the average mark. More of a muscular frame, good build for size.

Athletic Ability is good, he is a sneaky athletic QB, he moves well in open space, shows agility, not very explosive but still impressive for a QB. Good Mental Processing, reads the LBs and Ss very well, shows anticipation, effective vs cover 3, takes advantages of the miscommunications in the defense.  Good Competitive Toughness, a leader who motivates his teammates, not shy of a David vs Goliath situation – Played very well vs Miami, 3TDs no INTs. Good Play Speed, has some ability to extend the play, shows some acceleration, can be used for rollouts. Good Deep Ball Accuracy, hits his man consistently downfield, nice touch on the ball, love his placement along the sideline, puts the ball where only his receiver can catch it. Good Short to Mid accuracy, shows quality placement in the middle of the field, usually leads his receivers. Consistently gives his receiver a chance. Good Decision Making, goes through his reads, will take the safer option that will feature a high reward, unusual for him to throw into double or triple coverage. Good Poise, he finishes the throw despite the closing pressure, calm mindset.

His size isn’t great, so it limits his strength, but it’s still solid. Arm strength is lacking a little, won’t see the miraculous 60-yard throws, will have some under thrown balls, spiral could improve a little, doesn’t have the velocity to complete the long throw out route to the opposite sideline – already a hard task. He has been less effective with accuracy on the move, there are times where he can make some ridiculous and accurate throws, but he is not consistent enough. Some of that also has to do with arm strength, placement has been behind receivers because of timing. Needs to tuck ball away when scrambling.

Overall, Woodside is an underrated QB in my opinion. Teams may not be interested because he is an inch and a shorter than the average mark in the league. I believe he could at the least be a quality back-up in the league. He’s smart enough to be in more of a pro-style offense.

 

Full Mike White Scouting Report

Former All-American pitcher in high school. Started his collegiate career at USF but transferred after being moved down the depth chart. Good height and solid weight. Long arms and hands are about average.

Adequate Athletic Ability, will not make a miraculous athletic play anytime soon, hips are stiff, not quick, or explosive. Good mental processing, nice job reading the safeties and knows how to move them with their eyes. Great Arm Strength, he still has his pitching arm, great velocity that allows him to squeeze through tight windows, capable of taking deeper shots. Good Deep Ball Accuracy, puts touch on the ball, accurate along the sideline and in the middle of the field vs Cover 2. Good Short-Mid range, placement is consistent, leads his receivers, unusual for him to throw behind. Good Poise, follows thru despite pressure. Keeps his eyes downfield, relaxed in the pocket, calm under pressure.

Never going to be used as a dual threat QB, his pocket mobility is below average. He has a slimmer frame, but still some muscle. Will not be a difficult tackle. He will go through his reads, but he takes a moment to process or he will pass on a read that will be open if he had better anticipation. He has made some dumb decisions too. Needs to have better pocket awareness, doesn’t sense the edge rushers.

Overall, White is a solid prospect. I expect him to be a back-up in the league for a long time. He should be in a system that focuses him as a pocket passer and will allow him to take a good amount of deep shots.

 

Full Kurt Benkert Scouting Report

Started his career at East Carolina and later transferred to Virginia. Has the height to be an NFL QB with some build, could pick up some weight, but not a big deal if he doesn’t.

Athletic Ability is Solid, has some flexibility in his hips and has nice change of direction. Nice balance when on the move. Solid Mental Processing, often identifies the one on one matchups and can identify pre-snap a zone or man look. Good Competitive Toughness, is a player who would put his body on the line to pick up a crucial first down, has some swagger in his game. Solid play speed, has the ability to scramble for a first down if needed, has the ability to extend the play, but wouldn’t be considered a dual threat QB. Solid Poise, shows confidence, not afraid of the big stage. Can lead his team when it is time. Keeps his eyes downfield when forced out of the pocket. Good Arm Strength, in normal conditions, he is easily capable of zipping the ball to the far sideline. Shows he can throw the deep ball. Good overall accuracy, the deep ball is best in the middle of the field or when he is outside the pocket. The short to mid-range is consistent with his placement. Leads his receivers.

Solid Play Strength, frame is not the best when dealing with a big hit, but he is capable of improving his build. His deep ball needs to improve along the sideline. In cold weather he has not been the same player in warm weather. In the month of September, he was very accurate, but regressed in the cold weather.

Overall, I would like to see Benkert as a back-up to start his career. He will need to learn how to be consistently accurate throughout the season. He would fit best in either system that has an indoor stadium or somewhere down south.

 

Full Chase Litton Scouting Report

Coming Soon.

 

Full Alex McGough Scouting Report

4-year starter at FIU, played in a spread offense, had an up and down statistical career. TD/INT ratios were barely over 2/1. He has the average size of an NFL QB. Great Build and has nice height and weight.

Athletic Ability is good, shows the ability to move in space, has some leaping ability, balanced, nice hip flexibility. Gets deep with his drop-back. Solid Mental Processing, understands how to look off a safety, good understanding for line adjustments, aware of blitzers, recognizes cover 2. Good Competitive Toughness, has swagger, willing to dive for a first down – putting his body on the line, plays through pain. Good Play Speed, could be useful for read options, will be able to extend the play, loves to run when given the opportunity. Good Play Strength, very tough player, can break a tackle if given the chance. Good Short-Mid Accuracy, nice touch on the ball, also can throw over a defender, solid at the fade ball in the red zone, still accurate despite having a free rusher in his face, placement is still consistent with a moving platform. Good Poise, stays with the throw despite the pressure, calm in the pocket, loves the high-pressure games.

He finished his career injured with a broken collarbone. Arm Strength is lacking, he is more effective when dealing with accuracy. His velocity could be better, may not be able to throw 50 to 60 yards. He has shown the ability to stretch to the sideline however, needs to show that more. His deep ball accuracy has been inconsistent because of his timing, he has been too late to pull the trigger at times and he puts a tremendous amount of air under the ball – allowing the CB to make a play on the ball. However, he does a solid job of putting the ball more towards the sideline – away from the Safety. His decision making could improve, he has missed out on some opportunities because he went with the easier decision, can get locked into a decision.

Overall, McGough is a prospect who has some quality traits. He could be very useful for a running team. His accuracy should intrigue many teams. I would like to see a team use him as a back-up and see how he does in the pre-season.

 

Full Riley Ferguson Scouting Report

Coming Soon.

 

Full Austin Allen Scouting Report

Coming Soon.

 

Full J.T. Barrett Scouting Report

Coming Soon.

 

Full Brandon Silvers Scouting Report

Coming Soon.