tvturner's Scouting Report 2023: Quarterbacks Edition

[tvturner]

Some may be familiar with these as I’ve done them for the last 2 years and while I don’t have as much free time to do a plethora of prospects positions currently, I figured seeing how QB is the most anticipated and biggest need for the team I’d start with them. These are all personal opinions and observations from watching film of these prospects.

 

Young, Stroud, Levis, and Richardson are the only 4 I'm doing, seeing how there’s absolutely no chance the Colts leave the draft without one of those guys.

 

 

Bryce Young

Pros: 

Young has a great arm on him and can make all the throws you’d want. He’s much more of a touch passer than a gunslinger and he excels at that. I think his short to mid accuracy is among the best of his traits. He’s got the timing and touch on throws to all levels of the field and he’s at his best when he’s throwing in timing routes/plays. He’s consistently shown he can hit the throws on routes to maximize the YAC for receivers, and knows when to gun it and when to rely on anticipation for when the receivers come free. 

 

His processor is insanely fast for how young he is. It definitely helps to be working with top talent and Saban at the helm but a lot of it lies on his shoulders. It’s obvious he has a full understanding of the offense he’s running and his ability to pick up defensive schemes at the speed he does is a rarity. Whether it’s pre to post adjustments, identifying blitzers, finding soft spots in zone, or flipping a receiver's route, he’s damn good at it.

 

His mobility isn’t showstopping like Fields, Kyler, or Lamar but he’s twitchy enough to create space when he needs to, escape the pocket, make the second level miss, and gain with his legs. He also takes pretty decent care of his body, which is a necessity for his size.

 

Cons: 

The most glaring con when it comes to Young is his size. It’s been said over and over again. He’s listed at 6'0 and 194 but I’m sure Alabama stretched the truth a bit there because IMO, he doesn’t look close to that weight. Sure the height is an issue but I personally think you’ve got to have some thickness as a QB to survive the punishment and I’m not sure Young is anywhere near that body shape.

 

As I said earlier, Young can make all the throws but there’s an obvious ceiling on it. He doesn’t possess the arm strength of the current wunderkind signal callers in the NFL (Mahomes, Allen). I don’t think he’ll ever make those wow throws that show up in the highlight reels every week, and I highly doubt he’ll ever make a throw that makes you wonder if other QBs could do the same thing. There’s probably going to be a dozen QBs in the league with a stronger arm. His accuracy needs to improve when being pressured, forced out of the pocket and on the move, and when he’s off platform.

 

While this isn’t a huge concern and more of a nitpick when it comes to Alabama prospects. Bama schemes include a lot of predetermined reads, making his job as a processor a lot easier. I’d like to see him improve in the independent area when it’s off script and there’s not the predetermined 1-2-3 reads.

 

His pocket drop is often lazy and rushed. It doesn’t help that he’s probably been under center for less than 1% of the plays at Bama. Everything from being caught flat-footed, getting staggered and jolty footwork, or throwing off his backfoot and pulling his shoulder off platform, I think there’s plenty of room for improvement.

 

Question is, can Young survive the punishment in the NFL with his frame?

 

CJ Stroud

Pros: 

Stroud’s probably the best pure passer heading into the draft. He has a good arm and can hit every throw on the field. His accuracy is surgical when he’s kept clean and he’s shown consistency in it. He’s fantastic at placing the ball exactly where it needs to be and I have no concerns about his accuracy dipping in the NFL. He’s fantastic when it comes to changing his pitching repertoire, whether that’s bulleting balls to receivers and changing to his off speed to maximize yardage and hit receivers with anticipation. He doesn’t turn the ball over and he rarely throws uncatchable balls.

 

I’d say he’s more pocket passer than improviser when it comes to his legs. He showcased his running ability in the game against Georgia but I don’t expect Stroud to hit anywhere near that rushing mark on a game to game basis. He can get yardage when he needs to but I’d say he’s more akin to Cousins/Stafford when it comes to running.

 

His footwork is sound when he’s kept clean. He’s got a smooth release, he knows when to reset his feet, keeps his shoulders and hips level and how to navigate his pocket. He’s also shown the ability to gather his feet when he’s on the move outside the tackle box.

 

Cons: 

Short and simple, Stroud had the best OL and WR rooms in all of college football last year. That makes his job much easier and it’s why I feel Ohio State quarterbacks are extremely hard to project in the bigs. 

 

Stroud struggles bigtime with pressure in his face. He’s in the bottom 50 of QBs when he’s under fire. He’s got a sub 45 completion percentage and I think it’s his biggest fault. His decision making and accuracy dips when the OL gets pushed into him and he gets antsy to pull the trigger and throw the ball. A lot of back foot throws.

 

I think he’s more than capable of being a better runner but I struggle to find his willingness to be that type of QB. He was labeled as a dual threat coming into college and very rarely did he ever actually use his legs. The modern day NFL seems to call for mobility at the position and I’d like to see Stroud take advantage of the talent that he’s got. There’s a lot to be unlocked for him in that regard. 

 

His mechanics still need work when he’s on the move and most of the time it falls on his shoulders not being in place to drive the ball, he’s left throws short and flat and I think it attributes to playing behind the best OL and not being used to moving outside.

 

There’s been times where Stroud has stared down a receiver and let the secondary key in on where he wants to go with the ball. There’s also been plays where he’s not seen defenders drop into zones, I think his processor could use work.

 

He’s shown the QB he can be when he played against Georgia. The question is can you rely on that elite talent to show up week after week? 

Will Levis

Pros: 

Levis is a lab specimen when it comes to what you want at QB. He’s listed at 6’3” 232, and has an incredibly thick frame built for the NFL. He is the biggest bet-on traits and potential in the draft. 

 

When it comes to his arm strength, he absolutely has the best in the class. He can gun the ball to the level of Mahomes and Allen. The guy can throw the ball to every hash on the field. He’s shown he can rifle into tight windows, between defenders in the mid zones, and knows how to convert power to touch. His strength doesn’t dip when off platform, on the move to the right and left.

 

He’s also got 2 years of experience in NFL style offenses. Kentucky ran a similar offense to what McVay and Shanahan like to run. He’s been under center, has made pre-snap calls at the LOS, knows how to check protection, and I think he’s got the ability to dominate a pro offense if he can put his craft together. 

 

Levis isn’t going to blow your top off with his legs but he’s a dangerous runner and it’s something I think he’ll excel at in the NFL. He’s ruthless and physical, he can make defenders miss and he’s not afraid to lower his shoulder in the second level. Not to mention there’s the Josh Allen hurdles that Levis has done multiple times in college. 

 

His release is electric. It’s smooth, lightning fast, and compact. He can fire the ball in the tiniest of windows with pressure in his face, and he’s going to get the ball where he wants it to go. I think his release is a rarity for a player with a howitzer as an arm. 

 

I think his accuracy on deep routes is his best between the short-mid-long range throws. 

Kentucky was horrid this last season, and Levis carried that team. His offensive line consistently allowed pressure and Levis still managed to get throws off and go through his progressions. He’s under fire a lot and he’s been able to step through the pocket, get his body in the right lane, avoid blitzers and deliver strikes. 

 

Cons: 

While Levis does have an arm gifted by the Gods, he can rely on it to win too much. There’s often times he’s making throws into tight windows because he thinks his arm will always win, resulting in turnovers or bad decisions. 

 

He’s got experience with zone checks, pre-snap adjustments, and identifying blitzers, there’s inconsistencies on that front. Whether it’s not going through his reads, sticking to long on a read, and holding the ball too long, he just needs to be a more sound processor. 

 

His offensive line made his job incredibly hard but he’s got some guilt in that area too, he needs to be better at getting the ball out quickly. When he holds it for longer than he needs to, that’s when his turnovers hit, when he misses throws, and gets sticked by defensive linemen. His turnovers are a bit of an over-exaggeration IMO, as I believe around 10 of his interceptions were his receivers fault but that doesn’t excuse the rest of them.

 

As far as his physicality, he’s an absolute gamer. The knock is he takes a lot of unnecessary hits, can get rocked in the pocket by not throwing the ball, and should probably try to slide more often in the bigs. 

 

His footwork and lower body mechanics are hit and miss, some plays he’ll do exactly what he needs to do, other plays it’s sloppy, rushed, and way too jittery. I’m sure this aspect of his game will be majorly improved in Year 1 of the NFL.

 

Tape vs stats is a huge thing with Levis. If you just check box scores and statlines, you’re going to have absolutely no clue the player he is. The question with Levis is, can he put it all together and play to the comparisons of Allen and Herbert or will he flame out early?

 

Anthony Richardson

Pros: 

Richardson is one of the most gifted mobile QBs in a while to come into the draft. He’s a one-cut Ferrari with a powerful build to plow through the secondary. He’s magical with his legs and can consistently rip big yardage off in the blink of an eye. He’s got a decent enough feel in the pocket and knows when he needs to adjust his body or leave the tackle box.

 

When it comes to his arm, I think he’s right behind Levis. He can make every throw you want, whether it’s a 20 yard strike to a 60 yard go route. His deep bombs just look easy for him. His down the field accuracy is often gorgeous and pinpoint, he doesn’t struggle with putting enough air on it or placing the ball in a position for his receiver. 

 

 

Cons: 

Truthfully, his accuracy is absolutely horrible on short to mid throws. There’s been plenty of routine, give-me-it completions that were there for the taking and Richardson just missed them. Whether it’s highballing throws, throwing a fastball when he just needs to throw with touch, or leaving defenders short, everything about it needs improvement. While fixing his mechanics will certainly help, it won’t completely fix that issue.

 

His mechanics are sloppy and they’re abysmal when he’s under pressure. He won’t keep his shoulders square, his hip rotations are off, his feet slide and slip, he fades to his back foot and throws up help me balls. There’s the times where his mechanics are clean and he’s playing at his best but he just doesn’t ever do it consistently.

 

Processing and going through progressions is a struggle for him. He doesn’t go through his reads very well, struggles to identify blitzes and coverages and oftentimes he will stare down receivers which leads to bad throws, turnover worthy plays, and his getting killed in the pocket. 

 

I think AR is the hardest guy to evaluate in this class. Scouts have said he’s one of the most inaccurate first round hyped QBs they’ve ever seen. I absolutely do not like the Cam Newton comparisons for him either, given Newton was lightyears ahead of him as a ‘sound’ passer.

 

The question for him is can good coaching and the right fit elevate him to be one of the best dual threats in the league, or when thrown in the fire will he finish as a what could’ve been prospect?

 

[tvturner]

All 4 of these guys have plenty of strengths and each of them have some pretty glaring issue(s). If I’m banking on potential, I’d take Levis. If I’m banking on success out of the gates, I’d take Stroud.

 

I’d also advise you to check out @Superman's last few posts as he laid out incredible write-ups of the 2023 QBs.

[Indyfan4life]

1 hour ago, tvturner said:

All 4 of these guys have plenty of strengths and each of them have some pretty glaring issue(s). If I’m banking on potential, I’d take Levis. If I’m banking on success out of the gates, I’d take Stroud.

 

I’d also advise you to check out @Superman's last few posts as he laid out incredible write-ups of the 2023 QBs.

Our Oline in its current state is disaster waiting to happen for Levis or Richardson imo. 

[crazycolt1]

27 minutes ago, Indyfan4life said:

Our Oline in its current state is disaster waiting to happen for Levis or Richardson imo. 

The Oline graded out better and they improved quite a bit towards the end of the season.  Not having a statue like Ryan will change things drastically. 

[Indyfan4life]

10 minutes ago, crazycolt1 said:

The Oline graded out better and they improved quite a bit towards the end of the season.  Not having a statue like Ryan will change things drastically. 

It did improve, this is true. I just think with Levis liking to hold onto the ball too long and taking unnecessary hits isn’t what this team or offense needs. He doesn’t fit the type of offense I also imagine Shane wants to run. This is where Stroud (eventually has to move more) and Young would flourish. Just can’t see it. 

[richard pallo]

1 hour ago, Indyfan4life said:

Our Oline in its current state is disaster waiting to happen for Levis or Richardson imo. 

I think we can count on a few changes being made in our OL this offseason.  I would bet we will see a marked improvement over this year.

[crazycolt1]

1 hour ago, Indyfan4life said:

It did improve, this is true. I just think with Levis liking to hold onto the ball too long and taking unnecessary hits isn’t what this team or offense needs. He doesn’t fit the type of offense I also imagine Shane wants to run. This is where Stroud (eventually has to move more) and Young would flourish. Just can’t see it. 

I'm not advocating for any particular QB because the odds are against 3 or 4 rookie QBs actually being franchise QBs. 

As far as Levis holding the ball too long can be corrected with a pro QB coach. There are a few QB gurus available to teach the pro game to rookies. 

[stitches]

Great post @tvturner. Thanks for your effort. 

 

Levis is one of my favorites too but the biggest worries I have with Levis are 2 - he seems oblivious to pressure in the pocket sometimes. He doesn't see it, he doesn't feel it... and not just from the blind side... there might be a free blitzer coming straight at him from the center-right side and he would not even flinch while taking a huge shot and losing the ball in the process. He just didn't see it... AT ALL! This happened multiple times this season. His pressure-to-sack ratio is one of the highest ever recorder by 1st round prospect and this is a stat that actually translates from college to NFL. The second thing I worry about is - he's already had 2 years of NFL-level and type of coaching... and he still struggles with holding the ball too long, slow processing at times, etc. 

 

The appeal of Young is him as a processor of the game and playmaker. He's been sensational in college with that and he's got the accuracy to make those matter. But like you said - the size is the biggest question - will he be able to see well down the middle with huge OL and DL in front of him? And will his body survive as the playmaker he's been so far? 

 

With Stroud accuracy is the game. He is the most accuracte QB I've seen recently in the draft. And if you think you can give him good pocket and weapons who get open quickly, I wouldn't fault any team for wanting him as their QB. I have serious doubts about his playmaking ability out of structure. I think the Georgia game was an outlier and I don't think he will be able to do anything close to it in the NFL with any consistency. So the question for me becomes - if he's not a playmaker, are you limiting your ceiling too much with a QB like this? This is not the 2000s or the 90s.... Who is the last premier QB without major off-structure playmaking element in his game? I cannot think of one in the last 10 years. The Peyton Mannings and Philip Rivers and Tom Bradys of the world are a dying breed. Ironically enough... maybe Matt Ryan has been one of the last of this type of QBs to have serious success in the league. 

 

To me Richardson is the absolute boom or bust QB of this draft. He can be an MVP type of QB or he might never become a starting QB in the league if he doesn't improve some of his fundamentals - mechanics, footwork, accuracy, get more consistent with his processing of the game, etc. But he is the most athletically gifted QB of this class. I think I disagree with you about Levis being on the same level. I think Richardson is actually a tier above. And I think people underestimate some of the more nuanced parts of his game. His reads and processing are inconsistent, but IMO you can see the beginnings of a QB who actually knows what he's doing and where he should go with the ball. There are cases where he holds the safety with his eyes, there are cases where he changes protections or plays at the line. He is raw... but he's not as raw as people seem to think. IMO he's more inexperienced and inconsistent than he is raw.

 

With that said... I think there is plenty to like in pretty much all of them and if Ballard and Steichen think any one of them can be our franchise QB I would absolutely understand the pick and would be happy with any of them. It's kind of interesting just how different all of them are too... you have a huge variety in types of QBs with vast differences in strengths and weaknesses and variety of offenses you can run with them... 

 

[Jackie Daytona]

On 2/26/2023 at 9:02 PM, Indyfan4life said:

Our Oline in its current state is disaster waiting to happen for Levis or Richardson imo. 

Last season was likely an outlier for the OL.....too much proven talent there outside of 1.5 spots to completely crap the bed again if healthy