Washington Football Team 7-round mock draft: Rolling with Taylor Heinicke

Round 7, Pick 243 – Arkansas QB Feleipe Franks

Even in a theoretical situation where Washington signs a free agent quarterback, or ends up being won over by a quarterback in-house, it makes sense to add a rookie quarterback at some point in the 2021 offseason. There are few guarantees in the free agent class this year, and if Taylor Heinicke or Kyle Allen winds up starting in 2021, it’s entirely possible that Washington picks a quarterback again in 2022.

At the very least, having extra talent waiting in the wings can be a good thing, and it can help Washington better navigate uncertain waters at the most important position. In Round 7, there aren’t a lot of inspiring options to choose from, but Feleipe Franks offers intriguing potential as a developmental passer.

Franks had a tumultuous collegiate career. Once the starting quarterback at Florida, his career as a Gator was marred by inconsistency. Eventually, an injury forced him off the field, and Kyle Trask usurped his role as the starting signal caller. Franks subsequently transferred to Arkansas, and was forgotten about, until he had a career year in 2020.

At Arkansas, Franks drastically improved his efficiency. In his past two full seasons, he’d never completed above 58.4% of his passes. In 2020, he completed passes at a rate of 68.5%. Overall, Franks converted on 163 of 238 pass attempts, putting up 2,107 yards, 17 touchdowns, and just four interceptions in the process. Along the way, Franks won captain honors, and showed good competitive toughness and athleticism for his size.

Franks needs clear development as a passer, as he struggles to use his eyes as a weapon and doesn’t always process the field well. Nevertheless, he has enough athleticism and arm talent to be a high-upside addition, and seeing how he navigated through adversity in his college career, he’d be a valuable depth player for the Washington Football Team, while they sort things out.