bluejerseyjinx wrote:The only other Qb in this draft I would draft would be Micahel Penix Jr. Can't ever remember being so impresses with a guy in a big bowl game. I didn't think he or Washington had a chance against Texas at all. All that kid did was carve up the Longhorns and made it look easy. Not sure how far he drops in the draft but the Cowboys would be stupid not to take him if he's there. I also wouldn't be surprised if Seattle isn't sand bagging here hoping he will fall to them.
This is why you need to watch more Football out West.
Okay, having watched just about every game of his, the last two years, I'll give you my honest assessment of him. Fwiw, I've also watched him up close in person twice. Including the Oregon game in Seattle, last October.
Positives: He throws the prettiest ball you'll ever see. He can absolutely spin it. A lot of that is due to him having large hands. He makes some of the most outrageous throws that will wow you.
He's also clutch. Now, some of that was because he had a lot of help. The best trio of WR's in the country & an offensive line that won the Joe Moore award this past year. They had talent all over on that side of the ball. Best team that UW has had since 2016. Btw that team in 2016, had guys like John Ross & Vita Vea. But this team had far more talent.
In the right scheme, he could really thrive (High/Low reads). His numbers are great when using play action & taking shots down the field. He's the best deep ball thrower in this draft.
Negatives: Injury prone. It's a real concern. He had
four season ending injuries at Indiana. Two ACL procedures on the same knee. It's why he wears a knee brace.
He also has a thin frame. I just don't think his body to built to take a lot of punishment. So, you have to take that into account with him. There were times even this past season that it looked like he was playing hurt. So, if you plan to have him as your starter, then you better have a quality backup on the roster.
He struggles when facing pressure. If you give him a clean pocket, he'll carve you up. But if you get to him, his numbers when pressured plummet.
This isn't necessarily a negative, but the one guy that he reminds me a lot of is Geno. A southpaw version. From a playstyle perspective. Penix has a better arm in my opinion. But both can absolutely spin the ball. While also at times making some questionable decisions under pressure.
This is why ultimately, I have him more as a 2nd round talent. Now, he might go somewhere in the backend of round one. But it's still a gamble.
It could be a complete smokescreen, but the Hawks have not shown a ton of interest in him so far. Which is a little odd, when you realize that his former OC at UW is now the current OC with the team. I mean, they traded for Sam Howell of all people.