Pat Devlin’s stock falling fast

In early January I gave Pat Devlin a preliminary 2nd-round grade, based mostly upon some footage I had seen from his 2009 season. After struggling in the East-West Shrine Game I dropped his grade to the 3rd round.

Devlin's offseason has not gone as planned

The concern with Devlin is his arm strength. At the Shrine Game he struggled to put enough on his passes and frequently his throws came out wobbly.

At his Pro Day on Tuesday Devlin reportedly showed off more of the same shaky arm strength and inconsistency with his accuracy.

According to Josh Buchanan of JBScouting.com Devlin “overthrew or underthrew so many passes causing his coaches and teammates to express concern… He had too much air on flag routes and Devlin himself even expressed disappointment.”

Devlin’s poor workouts are a great example of why it’s so difficult to evaluate prospects from the FCS and other lower levels of the college game. Devlin was one of the elite quarterbacks at the FCS level, and his accuracy appears to be a strength on tape. As a senior he threw just three interceptions in 384 attempts.

Now that scouts have gotten to see him up close, it appears as though he may not have an NFL future all.

I’ve seen enough good qualities from his game footage that I still wouldn’t hesitate to draft him in the middle rounds of the draft, but his struggles on the practice field have eliminated any chance of him coming off the board in the first three rounds.

Posted on March 16, 2011 by Ryan McCrystal in 2011 NFL Draft 1 Comment

Pat Devlin

Browns are going to draft a quarterback

Mike Holmgren has faith in Colt McCoy. He’s made that very clear.

However, he also plans to draft a quarterback.

That admission shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering that both Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace are free agents. However, Holmgren also stated that he plans to meet with all of the top quarterbacks, which he indicated probably includes Blaine Gabbert and Cam Newton.

It will be interesting to see what Holmgren means when he says he will meet with all of the top quarterbacks. He said he will “bring them in, do our work and see what happens.”

Does that mean he plans to use some of his private workouts on guys like Gabbert and Newton?

If so, it’s a questionable decision and has to make you wonder how committed he is to McCoy. If they’re set to move forward with McCoy, it makes no sense to draft a quarterback in the 1st or 2nd round. So why waste a draft visit on quarterbacks that will be long gone by the time its worth considering a signal caller.

One would think it would be wise to focus on more realistic 1st-round options, and perhaps some mid-round quarterbacks such as Pat Devlin, Andy Dalton and Ricky Stanzi.

Posted on February 25, 2011 by Ryan McCrystal in 2011 NFL Draft, Browns Comments Off

Pat Devlin Scouting Report

Pat Devlin QB Delaware #17
	Ht: 6’4 Wt: 222
Strengths:
Prototypical height and overall size for a NFL quarterback. Puts a nice touch on his passes; knows when to take something off and knows when he needs to fire it into a tight spot. Accuracy is impressive. Very patient in the pocket; does a great job standing tall and keeping his eyes down field as pressure closes in around him. Appears to be very poised under pressure. Very smart with the football – threw just 3 interceptions in 384 attempts as a senior.
Weaknesses:
Level of competition is a concern; limited playing time against top defenses. Adequate arm strength, but nothing special. Takes most of his snaps out of the shotgun – something which is becoming less of a concern for NFL teams. Limited mobility; can occasionally buy time with his feet but is not a threat to run.
Comments:
Skeptics will say that Devlin is only getting publicity because people are searching for the next Joe Flacco, but he is a legitimate prospect. He isn’t quite on Flacco’s level, but he definitely possesses the skills to be a starter at the next level. Everything Devlin does makes him look like a NFL quarterback, the only question that remains is can he do it against NFL defenses? What encourages me most is his patience. He looks very cool under pressure and if he can maintain that poise at the next level he will succeed.

Posted on February 1, 2011 by Ryan McCrystal in Scouting Reports - 2011 Comments Off

Pat Devlin