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- Taulia Tagovailoa – Maryland
Tagovailoa is well known as the younger brother of Tua. He actually spent time at Alabama prior to transferring to Maryland and starting for three seasons. Taulia is actually a fairly good runner and displays more mobility than his brother. He is a confident passer when in rhythm, shows off a quick release and has good intermediate and short throw accuracy. His natural athleticism and starting experience will add to his value as a backup in the NFL. He is a short quarterback with the lack of a consistent deep ball. Often times his deep passes fall a bit short because he fades and throws off of his back foot. His decision making is inconsistent, so he needs time to develop and learn.
Player Comparison: Bryce Young / Bailey Zappe
Projection: 7th Round – UDFA
Best Fits: Dallas, Washington, Arizona (Wild Card – Miami)
- Spencer Rattler – South Carolina
Rattler has been on a rollercoaster in his college career and the rollercoaster has continued leading into the draft. Rattler’s stock has been on the rise as of late. He is a pocket passer with a great arm and can riffle in strong throws on the run. Rattler is pretty mobile but when given time in the pocket, he can place the ball almost anywhere. He is a natural quarterback, accurate and flashes a quick release. Rattler is a smaller QB at only 6’1” and when under duress, he lacks composure. He does have some mechanical inconsistencies, lacks elite vision and his decision making can be a bit iffy. If he can sit behind a talented veteran, then maybe he can find some consistency and stability. He will need plenty of time.
Player Comparison: Kyler Murray / Johnny Manziel / Drew Lock
Projection: 2nd – 4th Round
Best Fits: Los Angeles Rams, Seattle, Denver (Wild Card – New York Jets)
- Michael Pratt – Tulane
Pratt is a solid bodied quarterback who is not afraid to stand in the pocket and take hits. He is a true pocket passer with a great arm. He succeeds most when running play action or bootlegs. Pratt is not a runner but can scramble when necessary. He usually makes fairly quick decisions and plays tough. Pratt doesn’t get his body involved on his throws, using all arm and sometimes lacking true zip. He struggles with moving off of his reads too quickly and does not throw receivers open regularly.
Player Comparison: Will Levis / Sam Howell
Projection: 3rd – 4th Round
Best Fits: Pittsburgh, New Orleans, New England (Wild Card – Dallas)
- Jordan Travis – Florida State
Travis is an experienced mobile pocket passer. He is quicker than fast, has a quick release and is a good improvisor. Travis operates with a calm demeanor in the pocket but then scrambles and turns into a running threat. His mechanics and footwork are elite and he drops passes in with excellent touch. Travis has enough processing ability to make an impact when called upon in the NFL. He does only possess average arm strength and lacks backside awareness which gets him into trouble with ball security. Travis does tend to wait for his receivers to get open rather than throwing them open. He is currently recovering from an injury but when he gets back, he could be a valuable backup.
Player Comparison: Stetson Bennett / Brock Purdy
Projection: 4th – 5th Round
Best Fits: Atlanta, Seattle, Tampa Bay (Wild Card – Minnesota)
- Bo Nix – Oregon
It feels like Nix had been in college for a very long time. Since his time at Auburn, he made major improvements as a passer. Nix has a quick release, makes quick decisions and does very well with RPOs. He has a strong pocket presence but the mobility to escape pressure as well. Nix showcases adequate arm strength but his agility, dual threat ability and burst as a runner may be the most intriguing aspect for NFL scouts. Sometimes he gets overly jittery and needs to slow down to accurately read pressure. Nix tends to telegraph his reads, meaning he needs to improve his eyes and look off defenders. He was a good college quarterback, but his ceiling may be limited in the league.
Player Comparison: Dorian Thompson-Robinson / Sean Clifford
Projection: 2nd – 4th Round
Best Fits: Minnesota, Seattle, Los Angeles Rams (Wild Card – Los Angeles Chargers)
- J.J. McCarthy – Michigan
McCarthy is a mobile pocket passer and relentless competitor who has seen his draft stock climb extraordinarily high in the past few months. He is an agile athlete, puts good zip on his passes and has some touch on his deep ball. McCarthy is excellent in play action and when in the pocket, he can buy time and then take off. His mechanics are relatively sound and he does have some development potential. McCarthy needs to work on his ball placement this offseason because he struggles with throws to the boundary. He tends to telegraph where he is throwing the ball and was shielded by the strong run game at Michigan. Due to the fact that McCarthy didn’t need to throw at a high volume, there are many questions that need to be answered in the NFL. His wiry frame may also need a little more weight added to it in order to absorb contact in the league. He will probably find himself starting instantly at the next level but would be better suited to sit at least for a year.
Player Comparison: Desmond Ridder / Daniel Jones
Projection: 1st Round
Best Fits: Atlanta, Denver, Minnesota (Wild Card – New York Giants)
- Drake Maye – North Carolina
Maye is a highly regarded quarterback but has witnessed other quarterbacks getting more attention as of late. Nonetheless, he will still be one of the first off the board. He throws a pretty football with touch on the deep ball and has ideal NFL size at 6’4” and 230 pounds. Maye is a true pocket passer with a lack of speed but mobile enough to escape pressure. Once he does gets a few steps, he can move well. Maye is not a flashy player but looks natural and his accuracy is good. When on the move, he loses some of that accuracy and he tends to be slow in his progressions. Maye might have a lower ceiling than most believe, but he could be an average starting quarterback.
Player Comparison: Jordan Love / Derek Carr
Projection: Top 10
Best Fits: New England, Las Vegas, Minnesota (Wild Card – Denver)
Watch as Cole unveils the top 3 – highlights included!
