The Washington Redskins have a need at quarterback this offseason. Here’s a look at a top-10 big board for the position after the Senior Bowl and roughly three months ahead of the 2019 NFL Draft.
For yet another offseason, the Redskins have questions at the quarterback spot. Since the Robert Griffin III trade, the team has cycled through numerous starting quarterbacks including Griffin, Kirk Cousins, and now, Alex Smith. All three were deemed the potential answer at quarterback, but none really panned out.
Griffin had a terrific rookie season before tearing his ACL and struggling to ever return to form. Cousins had a tenuous relationship with the front office and left in the offseason to sign with the Vikings. However, Cousins also never won a playoff game, so it’s hard to judge whether or not he really was the answer.
Meanwhile, Smith helped lead the team to victory early and often this season but suffered a gruesome leg injury that will almost certainly keep him out for 2019 — if he ever does return. So, while Smith was definitely a net-positive for the team because of his leadership ability, the team is once again looking for a new quarterback this offseason.
While Colt McCoy could end up being given a chance to start, the Redskins still have to add depth at the position. They will likely look to the 2019 NFL Draft to do that, as they can’t afford to roster Smith and another high-cost veteran option, so here’s a look at the quarterbacks that should top their big board after the Senior Bowl.
I had a really tough time between picking Easton Stick and Clayton Thorson for the 10th spot. Both players are limited to some extent, but each also offers skills that should help them to succeed at the NFL level. Overall, I went with Stick for a couple of reasons.
Stick has a lot of experience as a starting quarterback for North Dakota State, and he helped continue the team’s dynasty for the past few seasons. He took over for Carson Wentz after the current Eagle went pro, and he really didn’t miss a beat.
In college, Stick showed solid accuracy, with a career completion percentage of 61 and totaled 88 touchdowns to just 28 interceptions during his four seasons. In addition to his efficient nature as a passer, Stick was extremely mobile and wasn’t afraid to scramble. He had at least 498 rushing yards in each of his seasons at North Dakota and had a whopping 17 rushing TDs during his senior season.
For the NFL, Stick projects to be a potential-packed backup whose mobility will allow him to fill in as an intriguing gadget player or spot starter. There are some concerns about his overall ability as a passer — he didn’t perform particularly well against higher-level talent at the East-West Shrine Game — but as a mid-Day 3 option, he could develop into a fine backup at the very least. The big area for improvement is his ball placement and field vision, and those are the two things that could have an impact on his overall ability.
This isn’t a perfect comparison, but Stick is somewhat similar to Brett Hundley. Hundley, a former fifth-round pick out of UCLA, was a solid prospect thanks to his combination of mobility and his ability to avoid mistakes in college. However, that didn’t translate to the next level, partially due to the fact that he was only really asked to make short throws in the UCLA offense, and his inability to work through progressions ended up being his downfall. That said, he is still a potential-packed backup.
Stick would come into the league with a similar run-based mindset to Hundley, but if he can read the field better, he’ll stand a chance of being a quality backup and potential low-end starter. Still, it’s tough to trust Stick as anything more than a late-round flier.
If the Redskins are looking for a bargain option in the middle rounds of the draft, Jarrett Stidham will certainly garner consideration. However, there are certainly some concerns that come with selecting him.
Stidham didn’t have a particularly good performance at the Senior Bowl, and among his biggest problems was his complete lack of pocket awareness. Stidham was strip-sacked twice in the game despite seeing limited action, and he did little to quell concerns about his ability to scramble and make plays against pressure. While he can react to it, throwing on the run isn’t a strength of his and he is prone to fumbling (13 over two seasons at Auburn). That could hurt him and will likely keep him on Day 3 of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Also, it’s notable that Stidham saw a significant dip in his accuracy between his first and second seasons at Auburn, going from completing 66.5 percent of his passes to 60.7 on almost identical attempts. That could be partially due to his mechanics, as he has a side-arm release, but it also points to his biggest problem as a whole. And that’s consistency.
Simply put, it’s hard to know what Stidham will do week in and week out. Sometimes, he looks like a sure-fire first-round option with great touch throws and solid overall arm strength. Other weeks, he can’t recognize pressure quickly and his mechanics are his downfall. With proper coaching, he could become a starter, but it’s clear that he needs some work before that will happen.
Erik Lambert of NFL Mocks compared Stidham to Ryan Tannehill. I could see that to an extent, as both came into the league raw with mechanical flaws, but even still, I think Stidham needs a lot more work than Tannehill. So, I’d call him a poor-man’s Tannehill and peg his value around the early portion of Day 3.
The Senior Bowl was a great opportunity for Will Grier to prove that he could be one of the five best quarterbacks in this class. He had a chance to solidify himself as a potential early second-round pick. Instead, it seems that his stock was hurt a bit by his week in Mobile.
Grier’s problems were on display at the Senior Bowl. His inaccuracy was a major problem and during the game and practices, he missed his receivers consistently and had trouble getting the ball where it was supposed to go. For the next level, Grier will definitely need to look to improve his footwork and work on his delivery which could be the root of his problems.
Additionally, it’s clear that Grier will need some time to develop in a pro-style offense after playing in the spread system at West Virginia. Grier needs to improve his ability to read the field as a result of this, and he will also have to learn to deal with pressure when he transitions from playing in what was almost a shotgun-exclusive offense at West Virginia.
Negatives aside, it’s clear that Grier does have a solid skill set. He made an incredible throw that Hunter Renfrow caught during the Senior Bowl, and he made numerous other plays like that during the college football season. Grier has all the arm talent in the world and when he is accurate, he can make incredible plays. It’s just a question of whether or not he can make that happen at the next level.
Grier is somewhat reminiscent of Case Keenum for the NFL. Both have a lot of arm talent and when they are on, they can lead their teams to victory. However, when either is inaccurate, it will make it difficult for their offenses to succeed.
Grier should be given time to develop in the NFL. The Redskins could end up targeting him on Day 2, but there will be some growing pains. If Grier can fix his accuracy issues, he could end up being a solid starter but after the display he put on at the Senior Bowl, I felt the need to downgrade him a bit.
I’m probably a bit higher on Tyree Jackson than most. I understand that he played at Buffalo and hasn’t played a lot of high-level competition. But he has all the tools needed to be a franchise quarterback and if he can put it all together, he could be a stud.
Jackson stands at a massive 6-foot-7, 245 pounds and he has great athletic ability. He can move well in the pocket and has a cannon of an arm. At Buffalo, he constantly made massive plays with his arm and hit a lot of deep throws over the course of his three years of action with the squad.
While Jackson has all the tools needed to be a successful quarterback, one big weakness does plague him. That’s accuracy. Here’s what Kyle Crabbs of The Draft Network had to say about Jackson’s skill set and accuracy issues.
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"Buffalo QB Tyree Jackson presents some fascinating tools that make him a desirable developmental passer. Jackson has a big time arm, some two-way athleticism and prototypical size to play in the NFL. That said, Jackson’s mechanics often cause high variance in his accuracy and he’s not polished with his decision making, he requires notable coaching and nurturing before he’s asked to start."
I completely agree with Crabbs that Jackson will need some time to develop at the next level. That said, I would still choose him over the other mid-round prospects solely because he has the size and arm strength needed to be a great passer in the NFL. If a team that can develop him for a couple of years, like the Patriots, lands him, he would be an excellent pickup and potential starter down the road.
Jackson’s overall skill set coming out of college reminds me a bit of Brock Osweiler. He’s a raw, athletic guy with size and arm strength. That said, Jackson could develop better than Osweiler and if he can learn to control his accuracy, he could become a great starter.
Big-armed quarterbacks are becoming more important to the success of NFL teams in the wake of Patrick Mahomes‘ success, so expect there to be a lot of intrigue surrounding Jackson in the lead-up to the draft process.
No, we’re not artificially inflating Brett Rypien‘s value because he happens to be the nephew of Redskins Super Bowl champion Mark Rypien. Rypien legitimately has the makings of a potential solid starter and of the mid-round options in this draft, he may be one of the safer picks.
Rypien has been a four-year starter at Boise State and every year he improved. He was always accurate and avoided mistakes and he has the mechanics needed to succeed in the NFL. He could use a little polishing, but for now, he seems like a solid potential starter.
Our own Ian Cummings was complimentary of Rypien as a mid-round option during the 2018 college football season. Here’s what he said about Rypien at the time.
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"As a thrower, Rypien has a relatively elastic arm, and at times, he shows flashes of stellar anticipation. He can hit players in stride at all three levels, and he’s not afraid to take chances and push the ball down the field. He brings a gunslinger mentality that keeps the offense humming. There are some concerns with Rypien. He has an average, not great arm, and although he can put zip on it, he will force some deep throws, and overshoot them as a result. He has a tendency to float touch throws too far as well; he’s still working on how to diversify his throwing arsenal."
To me, this sounds quite a bit like Colt McCoy. A potential functional starter who can read the field well, hit receivers accurately most of the time, and has a solid but unspectacular arm. Obviously, the major difference between the two is that McCoy is 31 and Rypien is just 22, so Rypien has more long-term upside at this point.
Beyond the Redskins connection, Rypien would be a solid late-Day 2 pickup for Washington. If they choose to wait on the position, rolling with Rypien and McCoy would be a good tandem for 2019, and if Rypien struggled during the season, it wouldn’t prevent the squad from selecting a true franchise quarterback in 2020. Either way, Rypien has a good skill set and may intrigue NFL teams more than some are anticipating.
Fun fact: Ryan Finley actually began his college career at Boise State. He transferred to NC State after losing the battle for the starting quarterback position to…Brett Rypien. Ironically, both are closely rated in my quarterback rankings and realistically, either could be a good game manager option.
Typically speaking, the term “game manager” has a negative connotation to it. But in this context, it is a good thing. Finley has three years of starting experience and really knows how to lead a team. He is efficient, accurate, and makes good decisions. That description should sound familiar to Redskins fans, as it mirrors nearly exactly what Alex Smith provides the team with.
When healthy, Smith’s combination of experience and risk-averse play helped to keep the Redskins in most of the games they played. He may have lacked the flashy playmaking ability that some passers have in the NFL, but he would keep the team alive and avoid mistakes. Finley figures to be a similar player at the next level.
In his final season at NC State, Finley completed a career-high 67.4 percent of his passes. He had just under 4,000 passing yards and 25 touchdowns which were also career highs. He improved season to season at NC State, and while his weaknesses will keep him out of the first round, it doesn’t mean that he can’t be an Alex Smith type starter at the next level.
Speaking of Finley’s weaknesses, his biggest one is his lack of upper echelon arm strength. He is accurate in the short to intermediate game, but he doesn’t have the ability to push the ball downfield or make big plays. While Finley’s accuracy was on display at the Senior Bowl, so was his lack of arm strength, as a lot of balls seemed to flutter to the receiver. A team can live with that from a starter, but Finley is a high floor, low ceiling guy. He’ll be an average starter at best and a quality backup at worst. Nothing more, nothing less.
Finley should probably be a second-round pick but could slip to the early stages of Round 3. If the Redskins choose to wait until the second round to take a quarterback, he should firmly be on their radar.
Kyler Murray is going to be one of the most hotly debated prospects in this draft class. In fact, he may be one of the most debated prospects ever. Murray has one season as a collegiate starter for Oklahoma, but he was excellent in Lincoln Riley’s offense. But realistically, few thought that he would actually opt to go to the NFL.
Murray, the former No. 9 overall pick of the Oakland A’s in the 2018 MLB Draft, chose to try for an NFL career instead of taking the guaranteed money to play baseball. Clearly, he loves football, so that should be considered a big positive. However, at the same time, there really hasn’t been any quarterback like Murray in the history of the NFL.
There will many debates about this leading up to the draft, but Kyler Murray measured in at 5-foot-10 for the Sooners this season. He could be even smaller, but it’s safe to assume that figure is his maximum height. There has only really been one quarterback to have recent, significant success under 6-feet, and that’s Russell Wilson. That doesn’t necessarily mean Murray can’t have success, but it’s important to note that he would be doing something unprecedented.
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The major concerns about height are related mostly to field vision. It’s tough for smaller quarterbacks to see over the towering offensive linemen, so that could prove to be an issue. It wasn’t at Oklahoma, but that was in a pass-happy offense that runs very different from the pro-style NFL units.
Frankly speaking, an offensive coordinator may have to design a system specifically for Murray to operate within, much like Mike McCoy did with Tim Tebow in Denver. That can work, as evidenced by Lamar Jackson and the Ravens’ offense this year, but it can also be difficult to acquire the personnel needed to execute specific offensive systems.
With that major negative out of the way, it is important to note that Murray does have special arm talent, great athleticism, and does throw a pretty ball. He really carried the Sooners to victories this year, as their horrific defense couldn’t stop anybody, and that’s the main reason that Murray won the Heisman. He could become a dynamic starter at the NFL level, but the major concerns come from moving to the NFL from the Big 12 and his size are still looming.
Murray could end up going in the top-10. He might go at the end of the first round. Maybe he even falls to Day 2. But make no mistake. Some team is going to take a chance on him as a quarterback. I have my doubts about whether or not that will work, but in a league starving for quarterback talent and star power, Murray is going to intrigue quite a few teams.
I really thought that Dwayne Haskins would end up running away with the ranking of QB1 in this weaker draft class, but that is getting a bit muddled now. Because Haskins wasn’t eligible for the Senior Bowl, some of the other top passers are getting more hype than him.
I almost put Haskins at No. 2 on this list, but the other quarterbacks edged him out for the time being. We’ll wait until the NFL Combine to make that move, as recency bias may be playing a role in the slight downgrade of Haskins by some (myself included).
But, I digress. Haskins definitely made the right choice by declaring for the 2019 NFL Draft. He is in perfect position to take advantage of a weaker quarterback group and it’s quite possible that he will be the best of the players drafted. He had a prolific season in his lone year as Ohio State’s starter, completing 70 percent of his passes for 4,831 yards and a school-record 50 passing touchdowns. It’s clear that he has good size and arm talent for the next level, but he does have some things to work on.
First of all, Haskins’ ball placement isn’t always great. While he completed a high percentage of his passes, there were other times that he was just slightly off and missed his target just enough to affect the play. Typically, he didn’t miss short routes over the middle of the field, but longer routes? Those were more of an issue. If he wants to avoid becoming limited in the NFL, Haskins will have to improve on that accuracy and ball placement, especially due to his excellent arm strength.
Haskins has also struggled against pressure at the college level. He is prone to panic as a result of this, and thanks to his lack of mobility, that will be something he has to work on for the next level.
Haskins is somewhat reminiscent of Jameis Winston when he was coming out of Florida State. At times, Winston looked like a prolific franchise quarterback. Other times, he struggled to hit his receivers in rhythm and place the ball well enough. Like Winston, Haskins has all the tools needed to be a very good quarterback, but he needs to fix that ball placement issue. Winston hasn’t done that yet in the NFL and has struggled with turnovers as a result, so Haskins can use him as a cautionary tale.
After the Senior Bowl, Drew Lock‘s stock is on the rise and he could be the first quarterback off the board. By all accounts, Lock had a good week of practice and in the game, he performed pretty well.
Lock is coming to the NFL with a lot of experience. He was a three-year starter at Missouri, but also saw extensive action during his freshman campaign. Each year, Lock improved some aspect of his game. He became more accurate, cut down on turnovers, and improved his decision making. There are still concerns for the next level, but he certainly has a high ceiling.
Lock’s main issue is still his accuracy. While he put forth his best completion percentage of his career as a senior (62.9 percent) he still can be prone to missing targets. Part of the problem is that while Lock has a cannon of an arm, he has trouble adjusting speed and using touch. Often, he will throw the ball hot and that will make it harder to hit the receiver in certain situations. He will have a chance to fix that in the NFL but often, accuracy takes the longest to fix. Thus, Lock may take some time to develop.
For the NFL, Lock profiles similarly to Jay Cutler. He has a great arm and should have a chance to make any throw needed on the field. But short-term, he needs to improve his accuracy rapidly to ensure that he will be a quality starter.
On the bright side, Lock’s personality and leadership style should mesh well in any locker room. Unlike Cutler’s lackadaisical attitude, Lock is a competitor off the field but has a more reserved personality off it. He should be a natural leader and if he continues to interview well, as he did at the Senior Bowl, his stock could continue to rise. No matter what, he will work hard to improve at the next level.
Currently, the top three quarterbacks on my board are all clustered together to an extent. Realistically, they could go in any order, and it’s quite possible that the aforementioned Murray goes ahead of any of these options as well. Because of the lack of separation between these three candidates, it’s hard to truly rank them because they are so close, in my book.
Daniel Jones clocks in as the No. 1 option on my initial list. The Duke passer is one of the safer overall quarterbacks in this draft. He may have a lower ceiling than the other potential first-round quarterbacks, but he has a very high floor. Since this quarterback class is considered to be weak, it will be interesting to see if teams take on more of a sure-thing like Jones or target one of the other top option.
The Redskins are one of the teams showing interest in Jones. Doug Williams was at Jones’ bowl game and recently, reports surfaced that the Redskins like Jones and think they may need to trade up to get him. While it’s unclear if that will actually come to fruition, the fact of the matter is that the ‘Skins are looking at and are interested in Jones.
In terms of skill set, Jones is a smart passer with a solid arm and high football IQ. He got great coaching from David Cutcliffe at Duke. Cutcliffe, of course, is notable for working with Peyton Manning at the collegiate level. So, getting that type of tutelage may make Jones a bit more pro-ready coming out than some of the other passers.
That said, Jones still has to work on his decision making. During practice at the Senior Bowl, he was sometimes slow to pick a target and held onto the ball too long. That carried over into the game a bit, so that’s an area that he will have to sharpen. Still, Jones has talent and he was arguably the best quarterback on the field during the Senior Bowl game. So, while he wasn’t a standout in practice, he still deserves a slight stock up after the game.
Jones is a bit reminiscent of Carson Wentz, as both have big frames (each passer is 6-foot-5) and solid athleticism. Jones could follow a trajectory similar to Wentz, starting his career with an average-at-best season and then improving in the next two years. Jones will be above average at least, and he may play like a top-10 quarterback in spurts. Expect him to be a lock for the top-15 and for him to potentially be the first quarterback off the board.