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Finding A Quarterback: The Other Guys

| April 7th, 2017

Over the last few weeks I have profiled the top four quarterbacks in the draft but the Bears are not likely going to get any of them.

The praising of Mike Glennon has been universal to the point where I don’t think the Bears are going to spend the third pick on a quarterback. I also think all four of the top guys will be gone before the Bears pick in the second round.

So, where does that leave them? With one of these guys…

Jerod Evans, Virginia Tech

Evans is my Jordan Howard of this year’s draft.

I really liked Howard last year and thought his value was going to be the best of any of the running backs, and that was when I thought he’d be a third-round pick.

Evans, like Howard, has only one year of major college experience and, like Howard, he was really good. His resume is pretty much the same as Mitch Trubisky and, physically, he’s pretty much the same as DeShone Kizer.

There isn’t much in terms of tape of Evans on Draft Breakdown but he has a strong arm and makes big throws down the field. Pro Football Focus ranked him sixth in terms of accuracy percentage on throws of more than 20 yards, he’s one of two players in the top 10 (the other being Watson) with more than 55 throws that far down the field.

He also threw just eight interceptions last year, at least two of which were in his receiver’s hands before being dropped.

 It’ll take a lot of work to get it out of him, but Evans has a lot of potential.

Joshua Dobbs, Tennessee

The most athletic and elusive of the quarterbacks in the draft, Dobbs’ biggest flaw is that he makes some really stupid decisions.

He reminds me a lot of Brett Hundley coming out. Now with the Packers, Hundley looks like he might develop into a capable player thanks to the coaching of Mike McCarthy. I think Dobbs needs a similar situation because he doesn’t seem comfortable in the pocket and really hurries some of his throws right into the defense’s hands.

Nathan Peterman, Pittsburgh

Reminds me of Ryan Fitzpatrick.

He’s regularly praised for how intelligent he is, but regularly made really, really bad decisions. But there’s still enough good that I think he’ll stick in the NFL for awhile.

He’s not particularly big or athletic and his arm isn’t necessarily strong or accurate, but he’s adequate in all of those categories. That alone makes him a bit of a rarity. I think he gets drafted with the idea that he’ll be a career backup.

Davis Webb, Cal

Strong-armed quarterbacks with Webb’s size and mobility are rare, but he really struggles with ball placement.

I wrote about Kizer’s problems with accuracy. Webb’s are worse. At least with Kizer there are stretches where he’s very accurate. Webb doesn’t have that. He failed to complete even 63 percent of his passes, despite having an average depth of target of nine yards (38th best in the draft, per PFF).

I absolutely believe he was told by NFL teams that he’s a first-round talent, but that doesn’t mean he’ll go in the first round. One of the bright spots was that he, reportedly, really improved during the Senior Bowl practices, in his first exposure to NFL coaching. Teams might see someone they can develop.

Brad Kaaya, Miami

A weird prospect to me.

I really think his problems boil down to mechanical issues. He showed flashes of having a strong enough arm, but didn’t show it consistently. His accuracy was all over the radar. I wonder if he ever got adequate coaching in college.

Adding to the problem is the fact that he can’t move. I see him as a long shot to be able to play until he gets his mechanical issues fixed because he doesn’t have any attributes to help him overcome them.

Chad Kelly, Mississippi

If not for a knee injury during the season, Kelly would be getting more buzz, but that, combined with off-the-field issues, mean he’ll likely be available in the sixth round. If that’s the price, sign me up.

He’s one of the biggest wildcards. He has the arm to be successful. He’s wild at times, but he makes some great throws and big plays. If he’s able to replicate his performance at the collegiate level in the NFL, most teams would be very happy to have him.

But the other problems are very real. Just last year, he got into a fight on the sideline of a high school game. His pro day ended because of a wrist injury. Can he stay out of trouble or healthy? That’s why he’ll be drafted late, if at all, because nobody can count on him.

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