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We’ve heard it countless times: the St. Louis Rams need a quarterback. Currently, the Rams hold the 10th overall pick, which will likely be too late to draft the top two quarterbacks in Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston. Many experts agree that the next best quarterback is UCLA’s Brett Hundley, but is he a viable option?
If the draft were to begin today, the Rams most likely wouldn’t use their first round pick on him. In fact, the Rams could probably wait until the second round and he would be available at pick 41. However, this means nothing so early in the offseason. Many factors come into play on the road to the draft such as: the NFL Combine, Pro Day, team interviews and even desperate teams. Plenty of things will be considered when evaluating his draft stock.
Pros: To begin with, Hundley possesses a desired quarterback body frame standing at 6’3” and weighing in at about 227 pounds. He owns a cannon for an arm, which he has hit targets occasionally from a deep range. He has a knack for quick releases which could come in handy for screens and slants.
The most intriguing trait of Hundley is that he is a dual-threat quarterback, which forces defenders to be quick on their toes. He doesn’t have blazing speed, but Hundley is fast enough to make teams pay for allowing an open space. He isn’t afraid to run with the football and has great instincts for incoming defenders, which often leads to a productive down instead of taking a sack or throwing the ball away.
Another thing to consider is that he comes from a school with one of the worst offensive lines in the nation. Sometimes it was his fault, but more times than not he was pressured. All that considered, he managed to record 9,996 passing yards, 1,747 rushing yards, a 67.4 completion percentage, 106 total touchdowns and 25 interceptions in three seasons with the Bruins. Not too bad since he had a terrible offensive line to work with.
Cons: While Hundley does have a strong arm, his accuracy isn’t on par yet. It’s something that can be worked on, but it will take time which is one of the big reasons why he isn’t in the same ranking as Mariota or Winston. Many dub him a “project player” for this fact alone. Another key problem is that the UCLA offense operated primarily in shotgun formation, and those formations will continue to be used, but on the NFL level he will need to be comfortable adjusting from the pocket.
Hundley tends to abandon passing plays quickly, which has mixed results. He will need to take some more risks when throwing the football. Often times he will wait for the perfect scenario and just hangs on to the ball for too long. Sometimes great plays calls for slinging the ball between multiple defenders, which he has the capability of doing since he has such a quick release.
Bottom line: Hundley will most likely have a bright future in the NFL, but his upside will not show in Week 1 of the 2015 season. It will take time for him to adjust in order to prosper, and this is why teams will hesitate to draft him in the first round since most expect a starter in the first round. Those teams willing to invest their time in a developing a young quarterback will likely unearth a gem. Many of the cons can be coached up, but it will take more than one offseason to master.
Source: Sport-reference.com
You can follow Johnny Gomez on Twitter @Johnny5not6. Be sure to follow Rams Talk on Twitter @TalkRams.
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We’ve heard it countless times: the St. Louis Rams need a quarterback. Currently, the Rams hold the 10th overall pick, which will likely be too late to draft the top two quarterbacks in Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston. Many experts agree that the next best quarterback is UCLA’s Brett Hundley, but is he a viable option?
If the draft were to begin today, the Rams most likely wouldn’t use their first round pick on him. In fact, the Rams could probably wait until the second round and he would be available at pick 41. However, this means nothing so early in the offseason. Many factors come into play on the road to the draft such as: the NFL Combine, Pro Day, team interviews and even desperate teams. Plenty of things will be considered when evaluating his draft stock.
Pros: To begin with, Hundley possesses a desired quarterback body frame standing at 6’3” and weighing in at about 227 pounds. He owns a cannon for an arm, which he has hit targets occasionally from a deep range. He has a knack for quick releases which could come in handy for screens and slants.
The most intriguing trait of Hundley is that he is a dual-threat quarterback, which forces defenders to be quick on their toes. He doesn’t have blazing speed, but Hundley is fast enough to make teams pay for allowing an open space. He isn’t afraid to run with the football and has great instincts for incoming defenders, which often leads to a productive down instead of taking a sack or throwing the ball away.
Another thing to consider is that he comes from a school with one of the worst offensive lines in the nation. Sometimes it was his fault, but more times than not he was pressured. All that considered, he managed to record 9,996 passing yards, 1,747 rushing yards, a 67.4 completion percentage, 106 total touchdowns and 25 interceptions in three seasons with the Bruins. Not too bad since he had a terrible offensive line to work with.
Cons: While Hundley does have a strong arm, his accuracy isn’t on par yet. It’s something that can be worked on, but it will take time which is one of the big reasons why he isn’t in the same ranking as Mariota or Winston. Many dub him a “project player” for this fact alone. Another key problem is that the UCLA offense operated primarily in shotgun formation, and those formations will continue to be used, but on the NFL level he will need to be comfortable adjusting from the pocket.
Hundley tends to abandon passing plays quickly, which has mixed results. He will need to take some more risks when throwing the football. Often times he will wait for the perfect scenario and just hangs on to the ball for too long. Sometimes great plays calls for slinging the ball between multiple defenders, which he has the capability of doing since he has such a quick release.
Bottom line: Hundley will most likely have a bright future in the NFL, but his upside will not show in Week 1 of the 2015 season. It will take time for him to adjust in order to prosper, and this is why teams will hesitate to draft him in the first round since most expect a starter in the first round. Those teams willing to invest their time in a developing a young quarterback will likely unearth a gem. Many of the cons can be coached up, but it will take more than one offseason to master.
Source: Sport-reference.com
You can follow Johnny Gomez on Twitter @Johnny5not6. Be sure to follow Rams Talk on Twitter @TalkRams.
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