Category: Scouting Reports – 2015

Braxton Miller Scouting Report

Scouting Reports - 2015
Comments
[divider top=”0″ style=”solid”]
Braxton Miller QB Ohio State #5
Ht: 6’1″
Wt: 215

[divider top=”0″ style=”solid”][level-scouting-reports]

Strengths: Elite mobility. Dangerous runner when he leaves the pocket, on par with Johnny Manziel and Michael Vick. Does a great job keeping his eyes downfield while he’s on the move. Elite arm strength and throws a tight spiral. Maintains arm strength on the move. Showed steady progress improving his decision making.

Weaknesses: A developmental prospect who is still finding his touch as a passer. Gets antsy in the pocket and has inconsistent mechanics under pressure.  Accuracy is inconsistent, especially on deep balls. Underwent offseason shoulder surgery in February, 2014. Missed two games with a knee injury in 2013.

[/level-scouting-reports]

Overview: Miller has elite potential but is still a developmental prospect. He’s shown steady improvement, but still struggles with accuracy. He looks very jumpy in the pocket, even when he’s not facing immediate pressure and it leads to shaky mechanics. With continued develop he could establish himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the 2015 class but he’s not on that level just yet.

Marcus Mariota Scouting Report

Scouting Reports - 2015
2 Comments
Marcus Mariota QB Oregon #8
Ht: 6’4″
Wt: 219

[level-scouting-reports]

Size/Athleticism: Prototypical height. Too skinny. Needs to add weight in order to take the pounding at the next level, especially if he’s in an offense that calls for designed roll outs, read-option or designed runs. Exceptional athlete for the position. A serious threat to run, but it isn’t his go-to weapon.

Arm strength/Accuracy: Accuracy is solid when standing in the pocket but suffers when he rushes. Does not set his feet often enough and it leads to errant throws. Limited experience throwing into tight windows due to Oregon’s offense. Accuracy is inconsistent under pressure, but he’s capable of firing some bullets into tight spots when off-balance, leading to high hopes for his development in this area. Arm strength isn’t quite elite, but he’s capable of making every throw in an NFL offense.

Footwork/Release: Fundamentally sound when he takes his time in the pocket. Has a tendency to rush his footwork and release when trying to get off a quick throw. Very robotic when he isn’t pressured (which he usually isn’t)—this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but how will he handle adjusting to the NFL where pressure does not allow him to go through his designed movements as frequently? Has a very quick release which helps him handle pressure, but it doesn’t necessarily lead to good throws.

Decision making: Does a great job of being patient and not tucking to run too soon. Plays in a very friendly system which does not require him to go through multiple reads (usually) and makes things very easy for him. This doesn’t mean he isn’t capable of handling more (he’s intelligent and he probably is) but it does make this area more of an unknown than for other quarterbacks.

Intangibles: Very quiet and, fair or not, some teams will definitely question his ability to be a leader. Oregon coaching staff speaks extremely highly of his work ethic and leadership, but it’s a unique culture there and not every NFL coach will buy into his ability to transfer that leadership to the NFL. My personal opinion is that he will be just fine, so long as he is in a supportive situation. If a GM drafts him and his coach doesn’t fully buy in, he probably isn’t the type who will excel and grow into a leadership role under those circumstances.

Durability: Played through a sprained knee in 2013. Frequently slow to get up when taking big hits. Slight frame raises concern for durability in the pros despite his ability to remain relatively healthy in college.

[/level-scouting-reports]

Overview: Mariota is a physically gifted athlete who is still developing as a quarterback. he shows a lot of the traits necessary to excel (arm strength, mobility) and has some of the fundamentals down (quick release, keeping his eyes downfield under pressure). There are certainly enough positives to make a strong argument for him as a first-round prospect. However, there are some flaws (inconsistent accuracy) and some unknowns (durability due to skinny frame and ability to make pre-snap reads in an NFL offense). Ultimately, I view Mariota as a Colin Kaepernick-type prospect. You can build a successful offense around his strengths, but he will only have success at a high level if he’s in a strong system with a quality supporting cast. He won’t carry a team by himself.

Jameis Winston Scouting Report

Scouting Reports - 2015
3 Comments
Jameis Winston QB Florida State #5
Ht: 6’3″
Wt: 228

[level-scouting-reports]

Size/Athleticism: Prototypical size and overall build. Well built and can take a hit. Tough to bring down and will escape would-be sacks. A moderate threat to make plays with his feet.

Arm strength/Accuracy: Prototypical arm strength. Accuracy is well above average for a college quarterback. Does an great job with timing throws, especially across the middle of the field. Displays great touch on his passes. Knows how to take something off or put a little something extra on to float the ball over defenders or squeeze it into tighter windows.

Footwork/Release: Footwork is consistent. Does a nice job setting his feet and throwing from a sturdy base. Release may be a bit extended.

Decision making: Does an exceptional job keeping his eyes downfield. Attacks the middle of the field as well as any quarterback in the college game in recent years, a testament to his ability to see the defense, rather than simply locking on to his receiver. Has a lot of faith in his receivers to make plays, and gives them opportunities on 50/50 balls—this paid off frequently with Kelvin Benjamin in 2013, but his completion rate on these throws noticeably dropped with a limited supporting cast in 2014. Handles pressure extremely well, moving within the pocket and rolling out when needed all while keeping his eyes downfield.

Intangibles: Accused of sexual assault, but charges were never pressed. Questionable circumstances surrounding the entire investigation will cause teams to look further into the situation on their own. Stole crab legs from a grocery store and was suspended from the baseball team and sentenced to community service hours. Suspended for shouting obscenities in the student union at Florida State in 2014.

Durability: No known issues. Has the frame to handle the physical toll of playing in the NFL.

[/level-scouting-reports]

Overview: Winston is a special prospect in terms of his physical tools, and an obvious candidate to go No. 1 overall. His combination of physical traits and decision making should allow him to play at a reasonably high level from the time he sets foot on an NFL field. However, questions about his maturity will play a major role in determining his draft stock. Any team drafting him in the top 10 needs to trust his willingness to commit to the game. If he isn’t committed to spending time in the film room, putting in extra hours of work with his receivers and coaches, then his physical talent won’t be enough.