Under the Radar QB’s that could rise

[Dkollidas]

We know about Darnold & Rosen (pretty sure they’ll go to the Browns & Giants), as well as other guys that look like 1st round eligible guys, Josh Allen, Baker Mayfield, Lamar Jackson, & Mason Rudolph.

 

But I feel like there are a lot of other very solid quarterbacks in this class, and wonder if we don’t see one or more of them rise up the boards.

 

I’m looking at the following:

Luke Falk- Washington St.

Ryan Finley-NC State

Jarret Stidham-Auburn 

Riley Ferguson-Memphis

Will Grier-West Virginia 

Clayton Thorson- Northwestern

 

Could any of these guys find their way into the late first or early second round?

 

This is is what I basically know/have heard of these guys:

 

Falk- Accurate, but slight framed guy, not a powerful arm. He’s been benched on multiple occasions this season mid-game, and seems to be regressing.

 

 

Finley- Seems to be a guy that is accurate ands positive is that he currently plays in a pro-style offense. Doesn’t do too much deep passing, probably because his arm only seems adequate in terms of strength. But he seems to very good poise & anticipation, which has helped him develop into a “rhythm passer” 

 

Stidham- Even though he’s only a redshirt sophomore, this guy intrigues me a lot. 

He was a top prospect coming out of high school, was doing well at Baylor, then moved on when the programs issues began. Had a very good year when he transferred to JUCO, and has yet to really make his mark in a very run-oriented offense at Auburn. I think he could be a riser if Auburn gets to the college playoff and we see Stidham so we’ll on the national stage. I wonder if he’ll come out this year, or try another year as the starter at Auburn which would make a lot of sense, so I can’t blame him if he does.

 

Grier- He’s accurate, not the biggest guy, but has decent enough size. Has some

mobility as well. The main thing is he got busted for performance enhancers, how will that affect teams views on him throughout the process.

 

Ferguson- Big kid who left Tennessee, took time off, ended up at Memphis, and is pretty

much lighting it up..

 

*please feel free to add anything to what I’ve got.

 Additionally, of all these guys (or even some that I haven’t mentioned), how would you rate these guys, and could any of them sneak into late 1st or 2nd Round at all? 

[Buffalo Barbarian]

Not a fan of any of those guys.

[K D]

All of those guys are projects. We don't have time to develop a QB. I expect them to draft a QB high that is ready to play and pair them with a veteran who they can learn from

[GunnerBill]

Falk is a 3rd or 4th rounder.

 

Finley, Stidham and Thorson on a very small sample size of each I have "draftable, day 3" next to.  

 

Grier?  Wouldn't take him if the alternative was playing Fred Jackson at Quarterback.  

 

Not seen Ferguson.  

[Woodman19]

10 hours ago, kdiggz said:

All of those guys are projects. We don't have time to develop a QB. I expect them to draft a QB high that is ready to play and pair them with a veteran who they can learn from

Every team has time to develop a QB if the end result is something special, patience is another story though.  I personally would wait 2-3 years if the end result was Dan Marino.

[K D]

23 minutes ago, Woodman19 said:

Every team has time to develop a QB if the end result is something special, patience is another story though.  I personally would wait 2-3 years if the end result was Dan Marino.

Dan Marino played as a rookie and was good from the start.  What QB's were developed from late round picks to be HOF type QB's after sitting on the bench?  Maybe a couple in the entire history of the NFL but it is EXTREMELY rare.  It would be like winning the lottery.  You have a much better chance finding a franchise QB at the top of the 1st round so we can't mess around if we really want a good QB.

[Woodman19]

1 minute ago, kdiggz said:

Dan Marino played as a rookie and was good from the start.  What QB's were developed from late round picks to be HOF type QB's after sitting on the bench?  Maybe a couple in the entire history of the NFL but it is EXTREMELY rare.  It would be like winning the lottery.  You have a much better chance finding a franchise QB at the top of the 1st round so we can't mess around if we really want a good QB.

The point is, if the end result is special then you wait.  Just because fans are impatient and feel we "don't have time" doesn't make it true.

[Luka]

After interviews and workouts, I think Thornson will be a 2nd rounder and I am hoping a Buffalo Bill. High character, good arm, great mechanics and footwork, athletic, accurate and most importantly produces on a bad team.

[thenorthremembers]

1 minute ago, Luka said:

After interviews and workouts, I think Thornson will be a 2nd rounder and I am hoping a Buffalo Bill. High character, good arm, great mechanics and footwork, athletic, accurate and most importantly produces on a bad team.

 

For the life of me I dont know what I am missing when I watch Thorson.   Aside from being a big guy and having high character I dont see any of what you describe here.   Granted he played very good defenses this year, but even in comparison with the field of quarterbacks who also played those defenses he threw less touchdowns and more interceptions.

 

I think he needs to go back to school, because right now I see a quarterback very much in the mold of someone like Tom Savage.  The packaging looks great but the play isn't where it needs to be.

 

Luke Falk has been mentioned as a 1st round prospect this year, same with Ryan Finley so I dont see them as currently "under the radar."  Personally, I dont think either is a 1st round prospect, but the word is out none the less.

 

If you want truly under the radar guys who could end up making a late charge in the draft three guys come to mind

Drew Lock Missouri

Mike White Western Kentucky

Logan Woodside Toledo

[Luka]

3 minutes ago, thenorthremembers said:

 

For the life of me I dont know what I am missing when I watch Thorson.   Aside from being a big guy and having high character I dont see any of what you describe here.   Granted he played very good defenses this year, but even in comparison with the field of quarterbacks who also played those defenses he threw less touchdowns and more interceptions.

 

I think he needs to go back to school, because right now I see a quarterback very much in the mold of someone like Tom Savage.  The packaging looks great but the play isn't where it needs to be.

 

Luke Falk has been mentioned as a 1st round prospect this year, same with Ryan Finley so I dont see them as currently "under the radar."  Personally, I dont think either is a 1st round prospect, but the word is out none the less.

 

If you want truly under the radar guys who could end up making a late charge in the draft three guys come to mind

Drew Lock Missouri

Mike White Western Kentucky

Logan Woodside Toledo

 

I'm not as interested in his stats. College QB stats are very misleading. They play wildly different systems, wildly different levels of competition. I just watch his feet, watch his eyes and watch his delivery. Try to get a sense of what the route should be and where he's placing the ball. I don't see anything you have to change in those aspects. He's not a guy that needs to work on his mechanics or change his delivery. Gutted out 3 big wins against Wisconsin, Iowa and Michigan State and really has average to below average talent around him.

 

Falk is a hot mess. Sometimes when you watch a guy throw into coverage you think to yourself "that was a gutsy throw." All Falk does is throw into coverage, which tells me he might not be able to read a defense at all. The Oregon game stood out as a game where he was regularly throwing into double coverage. His arm doesn't look to be any stronger than any of the tier 2 guys either.

[thenorthremembers]

2 minutes ago, Luka said:

 

I'm not as interested in his stats. College QB stats are very misleading. They play wildly different systems, wildly different levels of competition. I just watch his feet, watch his eyes and watch his delivery. Try to get a sense of what the route should be and where he's placing the ball. I don't see anything you have to change in those aspects. He's not a guy that needs to work on his mechanics or change his delivery. Gutted out 3 big wins against Wisconsin, Iowa and Michigan State and really has average to below average talent around him.

 

Falk is a hot mess. Sometimes when you watch a guy throw into coverage you think to yourself "that was a gutsy throw." All Falk does is throw into coverage, which tells me he might not be able to read a defense at all. The Oregon game stood out as a game where he was regularly throwing into double coverage. His arm doesn't look to be any stronger than any of the tier 2 guys either.

 

I can understand your point on the stats.   I point to that only because I've only been able to watch one game of his this year.  It's possible he was just having a bad game that day but watching him I thought he looked slow and I wasnt overally impressed with his decision making.  I have to go back and watch a few more games before I make my mind up.

 

Agree on Falk.  Honestly think the guy is undraftable but we will see what happens.

[Luka]

13 minutes ago, thenorthremembers said:

 

I can understand your point on the stats.   I point to that only because I've only been able to watch one game of his this year.  It's possible he was just having a bad game that day but watching him I thought he looked slow and I wasnt overally impressed with his decision making.  I have to go back and watch a few more games before I make my mind up.

 

Agree on Falk.  Honestly think the guy is undraftable but we will see what happens.

 

I mean his stats do tell part of the story but some of his throws I wonder what the outcome would be if he had a guy in the same league as even Zay Jones. We'll see though, obviously if it was an exact science no debate would be needed. He has definitely had a couple of bad games, he's a lot like Flacco or  (Eli) Manning in that way so that would be something to take into consideration. I've read in some places that scouts think he's pressing because Northwestern just isn't that good.

Edited November 30, 2017 by Luka

[Woodman19]

53 minutes ago, Luka said:

 

I'm not as interested in his stats. College QB stats are very misleading. They play wildly different systems, wildly different levels of competition. I just watch his feet, watch his eyes and watch his delivery. Try to get a sense of what the route should be and where he's placing the ball. I don't see anything you have to change in those aspects. He's not a guy that needs to work on his mechanics or change his delivery. Gutted out 3 big wins against Wisconsin, Iowa and Michigan State and really has average to below average talent around him.

 

Falk is a hot mess. Sometimes when you watch a guy throw into coverage you think to yourself "that was a gutsy throw." All Falk does is throw into coverage, which tells me he might not be able to read a defense at all. The Oregon game stood out as a game where he was regularly throwing into double coverage. His arm doesn't look to be any stronger than any of the tier 2 guys either.

Fantastic post, agree with everything you said.  

[K D]

2 hours ago, Woodman19 said:

The point is, if the end result is special then you wait.  Just because fans are impatient and feel we "don't have time" doesn't make it true.

I understand what you are saying but the liklihood of that happening is slim and none.  Josh Rosen is a sure thing starting NFL QB.  Any of these other guys and you are just rolling the dice and we don't have 2-3 years to develop someone who most likely will never amount to anything.  You saw what happend with Cardale.  They gave up after 1 season because we can't hold a roster spot for a 3rd string QB

[Luka]

2 hours ago, kdiggz said:

I understand what you are saying but the liklihood of that happening is slim and none.  Josh Rosen is a sure thing starting NFL QB.  Any of these other guys and you are just rolling the dice and we don't have 2-3 years to develop someone who most likely will never amount to anything.  You saw what happend with Cardale.  They gave up after 1 season because we can't hold a roster spot for a 3rd string QB

 

Well I think that had more to do with him not being "their guy" as you saw with a good portion of the roster. And no player coming out of college is a sure thing. Rosen has question marks, just like everyone else. It will take the right situation, right coaching etc.

[LeGOATski]

12 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 Not seen Ferguson.  

 

I haven't seen him play, either, but I know he comes from the Mike Norvell system, which is very QB friendly. One-read pass plays and tons of zone read runs. He simplifies it, so they can go very fast.

[elijah]

On 11/29/2017 at 12:16 AM, Dkollidas said:

Stidham- Even though he’s only a redshirt sophomore, this guy intrigues me a lot. 

He was a top prospect coming out of high school, was doing well at Baylor, then moved on when the programs issues began. Had a very good year when he transferred to JUCO, and has yet to really make his mark in a very run-oriented offense at Auburn. I think he could be a riser if Auburn gets to the college playoff and we see Stidham so we’ll on the national stage. I wonder if he’ll come out this year, or try another year as the starter at Auburn which would make a lot of sense, so I can’t blame him if he does.

Stidham will stay and be one of the top available quarterbacks next year

[4merper4mer]

On November 30, 2017 at 4:58 AM, GunnerBill said:

Falk is a 3rd or 4th rounder.

 

Finley, Stidham and Thorson on a very small sample size of each I have "draftable, day 3" next to.  

 

Grier?  Wouldn't take him if the alternative was playing Fred Jackson at Quarterback.  

 

Not seen Ferguson.  

Thoughts on Keane?

[GunnerBill]

9 hours ago, 4merper4mer said:

Thoughts on Keane?

 

Not seen. 

[Billsfansinceday1]

I have seen Riley Ferguson a few times and he is very impressive.

 

I haven't seen the rest so will trust others.

 

Grier is going back for his senior year so I look forward to seeing him next year.