2019 NFL Draft: Top 10 Quarterback Prospects
By Liam McKeone
The NFL Draft is quickly approaching, and several teams will go in looking for their franchise quarterback, a cornerstone of any championship team. This year’s quarterback class, like the draft as a whole, is top-heavy. We all know about Kyler Murray, but where the rest of his fellow draftees fall is a little murky. I’m here to clear that up. Here are the 10 best QB prospects heading into the 2019 draft.
1. Kyler Murray, Oklahoma
There’s a reason other than his connection to Kliff Kingsbury that most mocks (including my own) have Murray going at No. 1. He’s captured the entire nation’s attention with his incredible story, and his football skills are just as worthy of the attention. He’s a true dual-threat QB (4,361 yards passing and 1,001 yards rushing in 2019) who only threw seven interceptions and won the Heisman Trophy. Murray checks every conceivable box for a QB prospect, with the exception of his height (checking in at 5’10” at the Combine) and lack of experience (one year as a starter). In every other way, Murray is a high-level prospect, and will likely be the first guy off the board come April 26th.
2. Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State
Potential is always the name of the game in the draft, and this year’s two top QBs are chock-full of it, even though it’s paired with limited experience. Similar to Murray, Haskins only has one season as a starter, but wowed analysts and fans across the country in his brief period in the spotlight. Haskins has an NFL-level arm with the accuracy to match (completed 70 percent of his passes in 2018) and has the size at 6’3″, 231 pounds that NFL teams look for in their franchise passer. Haskins has a lot of work to do in recognizing coverages and learning when he can force throws and when he should just throw it away, but those are common problems for the vast majority of quarterback prospects. Some team has almost certainly already fallen in love with Haskins, and will take him early.
3. Daniel Jones, Duke
Jones has been a relatively late-riser in the draft process, but his time at Duke shows that he has what it takes. Jones has unusually good mechanics for someone his age, and three years’ of starting experience is extremely attractive to GMs around the league. He needs to work on the speed of his decision-making, and his physical talents are average, but if Jones can fully grasp a complicated NFL gameplan, he can be a very steady presence for years to come. Teams have been taking notes about how even a competent QB on a rookie contract can be hugely beneficial. He might not have the star potential of Murray or Haskins, but his bust potential is significantly lower than most QB prospects.
4. Drew Lock, Missouri
Lock is the type of prospect who comes along yearly in the draft: he has all the physical tools in the world, but inconsistency and accuracy issues were rampant over his years as a starter. Lock’s arm isn’t quite as good as, say, Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes III, but it’s arguably the best arm in the class. Lock showed tantalizing glimpses against lower competition at Missouri, but had a lot of trouble playing higher-quality opponents, which doesn’t bode well. As with most QBs with his makeup, if Lock can grasp and recognize how to attack NFL coverages, then the sky is the limit. But until he can do that, he won’t be able to throw himself out of trouble like he did in college. A team will take a chance on his huge arm, because they always do, but it’s unlikely it’ll be in the top ten.
5. Will Grier, West Virginia
Grier has been labeled a fast-riser in this year’s QB class, a status likely helped along by his engaging personality, reputation as a leader, and his ability to make big-time throws in big-time games. In reality, very little has changed as far as the evaluation of Grier’s talents. He was at the fringes of the Heisman conversation after throwing for nearly 4,000 yards and 37 touchdowns this year, but the concerns about his accuracy arm strength remained; these concerns were compounded upon during Grier’s Senior Bowl performance, where they were on full display during a disappointing showcase for the West Virginia product. Grier might kill it in the interviews and convince a team to take him early on, but being a good leader can only get you so far in the NFL. Under the right tutelage, Grier could be great, but it’ll take more time than some teams might have.
6. Ryan Finley, NC State
Finley has been steadily productive during his years at NC State, but is underwhelming in most other aspects of his game. He’s a below-average athlete with average arm strength and exhibited poor decision-making in the red zone. On the other side of things, he showed regular improvement from year-to-year, and his accuracy has always been his biggest draw as a prospect. Finley might top out as a very good backup, but will be a solid mid-round pick for a team looking to nurture a QB prospect on the bench for a few seasons.
7. Jarrett Stidham, Auburn
Stidham’s ceiling puts him above the remaining QB prospects, but his bust potential is perhaps the highest in the draft. His 2017 season showed the level of his upside: a confident, mobile quarterback who knew where the ball was going before the snap more often than not. Last year showed the opposite, where he never looked comfortable in the pocket and didn’t have the arm talent to make up for his mistakes. If Stidham could end up in the right system, he’ll end up looking like his 2017 self, who is a future starter. If he’s rushed into things, he’ll wash out quickly. Stidham is worth a flier for a team that is set at the position and wants a longer-term developmental project.
8. Clayton Thorston, Northwestern
Thorston is a four-year starter who hasn’t really improved over the last two years after throwing for 22 TDs and over 3,000 yards in 2016. With his solid physical profile and ability to make throws at every level, there’s potential for Thorston to develop into an average starting QB. But, as his past two seasons have shown, he could also bottom out quickly due to his lack of confidence in throwing down the field and his inability to keep composure when things aren’t going according to plan. Thorston should definitely be given some credit for leading Northwestern to their first Big Ten division title, but he’ll be hard-pressed to make it off the practice squad in his first season with his new team.
9. Trace McSorley
McSorley suffered heavily from an underwhelming final year after playing very well in his previous two seasons at Happy Valley, contributing to his complete lack of draft stock. Yet McSorley is worth a sixth or seventh-round pick if only because the kid plays his heart out. Yeah, he might end up being Matt McGloin 2.0, but everything that’s transpired during his football career has never been for lack of trying. The issue is that his slim frame paired for his love of running outside the pocket, along with his average accuracy and arm strength, doesn’t translate to the NFL. Where McSorley will go depends significantly on how much stock an NFL GM puts into “being a winner”, but McSorley is one of those guys. He could either surprise everyone and go in the fourth round, or he’ll be an undrafted free agent. Either way, I’d rather take a chance on McSorley’s past production and grit late in the draft.
10. Jacob Dolegala, Central Connecticut State
If you’ve never heard his name before, you wouldn’t be alone. Dolegala was completely invisible to the eyes of football pundits everywhere before scouts starting digging for gold in what is considered to be a very weak QB class. Standing at 6’7″, 242 pounds, Dolegala at least looks the part of an NFL quarterback. Dolegala didn’t put up big numbers at his FCS program, but completed over 60 percent of his passes his senior year, and never threw double-digit interceptions. When you get this far down the draft board, teams are willing to take chances on guys they didn’t really scout, and Dolegala’s size automatically qualifies him for that category. You might never hear his name again, but Dolegala should get picked up by someone in the late rounds.