Cherry picking we see it all the time, especial in the media. It's all about narratives. When it comes to draft prospects fans do it to hype one player and knock another. Sometimes the cons are true and sometimes they're not. So I decided to look at just the negatives being said about several quarterbacks linked to the Patriots and Trevor Lawrence, and then to build profiles off just that. So people can get a true guestimate of their floor and bust potential.
While you might not see it before reading this, remember this is the worst of the worst from various profiles describing all their flaws. My hope is this will show prospects in a new light and cause fans to have a more realistic expectation based of their negatives instead of all the hype. Keep in mind that even professional scouts can be wrong.
Ladies and Gentlemen of Patriots Nation, after almost 24 hours of researching, collecting data and organizing, I give to you your quarterback prospects.
Trevor Lawrence
Has a tall thin frame. Will need to beef up. Got ate alive by LSU and Ohio State. Benefited from heavy play-action and quick screen passing game. Didn't throw a lot of downfield passes. Wasn't asked to make a lot of full reads. Inflated completion percentage, was top dog in yac from screens in college. Inconsistently goes through and reads progressions. Concerns over how well can he learn a more complex playbook. Inexperienced running under center pro style schemes.
Occasional struggle with blitz pickups, Play can become frenetic when pressure arises. Will leave the pocket too early. Will move around the pocket when he should be throwing. Shows trouble focus on downfield and the blitz.
Occasional struggle with coverage reads. Doesn't always look off the safeties. Occasional tunnel vision. Can improve in throwing receivers open. Anticipation needs development.
Arm strength is not one of his better attributes. Has ball dip in his passing delivery. Above average Accuracy. Average deep-ball placement but then again ball placement all around is barely above average. Overthrows can be an issue. Needs to step into throws. Tendency to throw behind on breaking routes.
Will make ill-advised throw over taking sack on occasion. Turnover machine over last six games. Will take unnecessary risks with the ball when improvising, especially when flushed from the pocket. Needs to learn to slide. Has limited mobility but can do with what he has.
Mechanics need some tweaking. Shows a hitch in his throwing motion. Occasionally gets wide based stants or throws off his back foot. Will rely on his arm instead of using proper footwork.
Is still in development and can get lazy at times. Has to live up to the title of generational quarterback and most like the number one overall. Tries to be the hero or make the big play too often. Likely won't make it passed pick two.
Zac Wilson
Has Average height with a light frame. Has Inflated stats in 2020 due to competition. Never had to worry much about top defenses. Played cupcake opponents, only .500 against the top ranked teams. Tape shows him out playing lesser talent levels, and having a really bad game against Coastal Carolina. Wilson only had one really good year, the rest were average.
Was a one read and run quarterback. Can be slow when asked to make reads. Over improvises. Ball security is cause for concern at the pro level. Keeps the ball low. Forces the ball instead taking gimme throws. Throws the ball into areas he shouldn't. Tries to make highlight throws. Braces for hits during release.
Mechanics will need work. Has tendency to over-stride and sail throws at times. Throws off his back foot. Doesn't set his feet. Doesn't step into his throws. Relies more on arm strength than mechanics.
Anticipation is below average for a NFL starter. Accuracy occasionally underthrows open receivers. Throws towards contact without regard for his pass catchers safety. Relies on quick passes. Some concern over power and velocity on deep balls.
Will take unnecessary hits as a runner, Needs to learn to slide and go down. Not an athletic or powerful runner.
Pocket presence will face heavier rushes in the NFL. Played behind elite line. Concerns if he can stand in the pocket without improvising. Often leaves the pocket early, likes to free lance. Needs to learn an NFL drop back. Occasionally struggles against pressure.
Justin Fields
Played quarterback for Ohio State and that should be enough but...
Pocket presence is full of inconsistencies. Needs to improve sliding around in the pocket. Occasionally runs towards the rush. Appears afraid at times of the pressure. Inconsistent when sensing pressure. Sensory towards the edge is oblivious. Occasionally pressure messes with focus. Needs to process his reads and progressions much sooner facing pressure and the blitz. Occasionally panicked under pressure and wasn't able to get rid of ball. He freezes and takes sacks or gets nervous and runs when he shouldn't.
Little experience under center, ran scripted plays to simplify reads without a lot of nfl concepts, typically one and run. Inconsistent when deciding to make multiple reads. Concerns over if he can read coverages. Ocasionally oblivious to the location of defenders when throwing the ball. Instead of throwing the ball away, will frequently try to use his arm to force the ball through closed windows.
Free lances on pass plays and throws when and where he wants. Forces negative plays due to improvisng. Needs to read defenses better as decision making appears lacking. He's got the gunslinger mindset, always looking for the big play when he could be taking advantage of the dink and dunk and moving the chains. His consistency and work ethic on the field hurt his value. Needs to slide instead fighting for yards. Holds back and doesn't play to full test speed.
Internal clock is broken. Progressions and reads are slow. Slow reaction time on anticipatory throws. Slow processer and reaction time as the play develop. Not only locks on to his first read but locks on to pass catchers consistently. Defenses know where the ball is going. Holds the ball to long. Presnap blitz pickup is inconsistent at best. Consistent late release.
Ball security is inconsistent. Aggressive mentality gets him in trouble. Forces plays and prefers to throw the ball downfield rather than take the sack. Needs to look off defenders. Consistently throws at the safety with little regard. Relying on his arm strength, he forces the ball into tight windows or to covered pass catchers, while other guys down the progression are open. Throws the ball where he wants forcing receivers to break on the ball. Fumbles were an issue prior to 2020. Yet some how still can be occasionally overly cautious and avoid contested throws he should make with smaller windows.
Bubble thrower, accurate ball placement is consistently less than Ideal and hinders yards after catch. Occasionally lacks touch on deep balls. Gets lazy at times and it shows in his accuracy on tape, looks like he's just throwing anywhere in thr general direction of the pass catcher. Either doesn't like or see short passes, leaving throws on the field.
Mechanics are in need if overhaul, Loose elongated throwing motion and Occasional loose footwork. Keeps the ball and his elbows too low. Sloppy footwork, is occasionally lazy with base, throwing from any stance. Makes throws while starting to brace for impact or throws from back foot under pressure.
Mac Jones
Skinny legs, lacks power to shake off defenders. Body has no muscle tone. An easy take down for defender. Too short, lineman bat down balls. Can he take big hits?
Operating speed for RPOs is too slow for the NFL. Average to Below average mobility. Can't run scripted or otherwise. Tries to move the ball but is slower than most quarterbacks. Can barely improvise if play breaks down. Almost Impossible to extend plays with his feet in the NFL.
Mechanics and footwork need development. Average release quickness. Occasional throws off his back foot when pressured. Occasionally throws from his toes.
Locks on to pass catchers instead of going through progressions. Throws balls into coverage and up for grabs under pressure. Ignores short passes for deeper throws. Overly aggressive, a risk to create turnovers at the nfl level.
Concerns over can he command the presnap verbally. Lacks confidence of an NFL starter. Nervous if pass catchers aren't open. Needs more backbone. Nervous when rushed, loses focus of pass catchers. Was overprotected by play call and line. Was protected by running the shotgun, barely ever under center. Hurries throws under pressure, causing bad passes. Retreats backwards under pressure. A statue that cracks under pressure in multiple ways.
Occasionally throws to bubble. Average arm talent, concerns if he can throw through tight windows. Accuracy was a product of the roster. Inaccurate if mechanics aren't perfectly set. Inconsistent accuracy throwing on the run. Needs a clean pocket to throw deep with any kind of accuracy. Incompletions are consistently overthrows. Place the ball where pass catchers will take the brunt of the punishment.
Lack of arm on film. Concerns over arm due to below average arm strength with no zip on downfield throws. Can't hit receivers in stride. Anything over twenty yards floats with hang time and gives defense time to adjust. Has to pushes the ball. Not enough throws around 20 yards.
Is an Alabama quarterback. Only started 17 games. Second only to Lawrence in yac from screens. Inflated completion percentage and production due to talent around him and intelligent play calling. A one year wonder, who lacks developable elite traits. His timing and anticipation helps mask this deficiencies but will be exposed in the NFL. Cannot win at the NFL level playing from behind.
Mobility and arm strength limit schemes. Lacks the talent to make big plays in the NFL. Occasionally miscues under center. Strictly a pocket passer. Concerns over if he can play at a starter level in the NFL, projects as a career backup. Caught Belichick's attention with a bad throw at his pro day. Character issues: Arrested and charged with driving under the influence and carrying a fake ID as a freshman in November 2017, while 19.
Trey Lance
Only 20 years old. Extremely wet behind the ears. Threw only 318 passes over career, starting just 17 games, little over one full season at the FCS level. Untested, played-bullied weak opponents that inflated his game. Never played power-5 Schools. Never faced an FBS school. Only game of 2020 was the worst game of his career, throwing his first interception and completing less than 50%. Speculation by many that that game caused his opt out. Had a good support cast at NDSU. Experience and opponents make him high risk.
Raw mentally. Ran simplistic schemes that shrunk the field and offered half-field reads. Played in a two read and bolt offense. Ran primarily Spread and Air Raid systems with minimum pro concepts. Rarely played under center. NDSU didn't require presnap reads or adjustments.
Not the best high school testing numbers in this class. Torn ACL in 2017. Decided against running the 40 at his pro-day, which seemed like a suspect choice. He looked a little rusty and unpolished at his pro day. Was off-target, mainly overthrows on seven or eight passes at his Pro Day. Some scouts have called practice habits into question.
Gets a little careless with his feet in quick game. Footwork needs improvement for pro style drop back offenses. Footwork is occasionally lazy and has a windup when he throws. Mechanics are a little slow and unrefined. Throws occasionally from a wide base stance.
Delivery motion allows for strip sacks due to keeping the ball low. Quick three-quarters release throwing style that hinders accuracy. Fails to set his feet on short routes. Mechanics, footwork, and athleticism could create balance issues. Pro day exposed footwork and overall body mechanics improvement.
Doesn't trust his Blockers. Quick to abandon the pocket instead of navigating it. Loses focus due to pressure. Decision making must improve. Doesn't trust what he sees and can be overly cautious at times. Occasionally locks on to his first read and leads defenders to his target. Needs development on improving ability to read coverage.
Occasionally leaves explosive plays on the field by not getting it out on time. He didn’t do a lot in the quick game. Velocity suffers due to mechanics. Inconsistent strength, too many overthrows and balls in the dirt.
Average accuracy throwing on the run. Inconsistent ball placement, especially downfield. Not a percussion passer. Frequently a bubble thrower. Ball placement on short throws, doesn’t always allow for yac. Mechanics create some bad throws on intermediate and long throws. Inconsistent accuracy all around.
Must learn to slide and avoid hits. Takes a lot of punishment, puts his throwing shoulder consistently.
Kyle Trask
Rarely improvises and must have good production. Doesn't leave the pocket. Retreats backwards under pressure. Below-average mobility. Concern over If he's mobile enough to improvise and extend plays at the NFL level. A statue slow and ineffective on designed quarterback runs. Only mobile enough for sneaks.
Footwork gets sloppy. Possible knee issues. His mechanics suffer when he does move around. Footwork needs massive improvement. Needs a quick release system. Needs to learn to make reads post snap. Can be oblivious to blitze pickup. Needs more time learning reads. Locks on downfield and ignores underneath guys. Struggles to find a second target. Gets careless with the throws resulting in turnover opportunities for the defense.
Throws into coverage. Puts pass catchers in danger. Occasional late delivery. No accuracy on the run. Throws too many jump balls. Deep ball accuracy requires pass catchers to have circus catch ability. Only average arm strength, lobs the ball with a little hang time. Underthrows deep balls.
Overall, must have above average supporting cast and protection. Requires good playcalling to hide deficiencies. Inexperienced, Hasn't started many games. No cold weather experience.
Kellen Mond
Deep throws are often flat and overthrown. Inconsistent accuracy, erractic ball placement. Throws to bubbles, mainly downfield accuracy. Very Inaccurate by and outside the numbers. Forces throws downfield. Accuracy fades under pressure. Forces passes into extremely tight and closed windows. Needs to learn touch. Ball placement eliminates yac. Throws low and behind pass catchers. Average arm strength and talent. Relies on his arm strength more than his accuracy. Needs to learn when to take something off.
Highly inconsistent anticipationary thrower. Passive and misses opportunities. Conservative prefers shorter throws, sacrificing longer plays. Doesn't read the safety, especially on blitzes. Play lacks any sense of urgency. Slow in reading progression. Leads defenders to the pass catchers. Doesn't sell fakes. Field vision and reading progressions needs improvement. Locks on targets under pressure. Needs to improve pre and post-snap recognition. Appears to have a slow processer.
Slim frame, concern that he can't take a professional hit. Ran primarily half field reads or two reads and scramble. Exclusively a shotgun-pistol quarterback. Below average pocket awareness and navigation. Struggles to navigate the pocket in bad field conditions. Holds the ball too long. Sloppy footwork. Needs to improve footwork on timing routes. Doesn't reset feet outside the pocket.
Ian Book
Needs to get through his progressions faster. Occasionally indecisiveness. Not anticipatory thrower. Too passive and misses opportunities. Has no clue in the pocket. Holds the ball too long. Short and not up to weight for an NFL starter. Too short to play in the pocket. Too small to take hits. Mechanics need complete overhaul.
Abysmal arm strength, can't make an nfl throw. Lacks velocity and lobs everything. Struggles to hit the numbers. Can't throw over defenders heads. Floats deep balls. Is lacking passed the numbers. Ball placement is inconsistent. Throws into coverage and doesn't care about how contested the pass is. Projects as a career backup. Pro day and career wins may give teams a false confidence.
Jamie Newman
Very erratic ball placement all over the field. Throws high near the sidelines. Bubble thrower with below average accuracy. Ball placement eliminates yac. Lacks touch and relies almost completely on arm strength over accuracy.
Is a sitting duck in the pocket. Holds the ball a little too long. Doesn't feel pressure. Duel threat who's scared outside the pocket and doesn't like to leave it. Needs to improve release, footwork and mechanics, poor and robotic.
Skips Progressions. Locks on to primary. Slow going to second read. Will need work in developing anticipatory throws. Field vision and decision-making are below average. Slow decision making. A See it thrower who leads defenders to pass catchers. Read ability creates turnovers.
Wasn’t asked to make many reads and struggles when he does. Simplified, half field spread offense and reads by design. Wake forest tried to disguise his flaws. Opted out in 2020 and then declared. Never played a season at Georgia. Career completion percentage of 60.5. Inexperienced as a one-year starter.
Davis Mills
Slow decision making and release. Inconsistent Bubble thrower. Locks on to his first read and alerts the defense. Consistently throws the ball into coverage. Trouble diagnosing and processing. Makes bad reads. Conservative, prefers the check down receiver. Relies on timing throws and struggles to improvise if the window closes. Not someone you want throwing deep and outside.
Below average pocket awareness. Nervous in the pocket. Not mobile enough to get outside. Holds the ball and waits to be sacked. Doesn't throw the ball away. Below average mobility. Below average accuracy on the run. Can't throw off balance.
Experience: Raw, Only started 11 games, not a lot of experience. Only 4.11% of his passes were touchdowns. Two serious left knee injuries. Compared to Derek Andersen, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Jarrett Stidham, average to below average quarterbacks.
