Mothman wrote:
Thanks. It's nice of you to offer...
If you have time to share it, I'd love to read Mel Kiper's take on some of the top QBs in this draft.
You got it! These are from his "big board". He last updated it on January 16th, obviously before his most recent mock, so it may have changed between then and now but:
#9 - Teddy Bridgewater
Bridgewater is poised and smart and is the QB in this draft class who most regularly made NFL-like throws with good timing and anticipation; he throws to spots and openings, not just to open targets. Bridgewater also has a good blend of arm strength to drive the ball into tight windows and the sense of when to take some heat off and make a throw that will result in an easy catch. He adjusts his velocity really well, depending on the depth and location of the pass. He does a good job pre-snap, gets through his progressions and often scans the whole field. His ball placement is consistently good.
#10- Blake Bortles
Bortles offers an enticing blend of the size you traditionally look for at QB with the athleticism that is now coveted across the NFL as more offenses put mobility to good use. He has sound mechanics, though almost rigidly so, and shows poise and good footwork in the pocket. He has above-average arm strength, based on my reviews, and can drive the ball pretty well on deep and intermediate throws. While he's generally accurate, he can be inconsistent with his ball placement and ask a lot of his wide receivers. UCF's pass-catchers turned a lot of short throws into huge plays, which inflated Bortles' passing totals a bit.
#11 - Johnny Manziel
While some see Manziel as a wild card, many I talk to across the NFL see him as a player with the highest ceiling among those at quarterback. It's not hard to agree, because Manziel is highly competitive, a gifted improviser heading to a league that demands it, and is an effective pocket passer. He anticipates well and sees the whole field, and though he doesn't have great arm strength, he can make special throws with touch and precision both from the pocket and on the move. (He would deliver strikes with more velocity if he kept his feet underneath him consistently.) I'm concerned with how well Manziel can balance his ability to improvise with the ability to get out of bounds or slide and limit hits, but that certainly can be learned. I also think he can prepare at an elite level.
Here is his analysis of the Vikings projected pick (Bortles), in his most recent mock:
Analysis: The Vikings lack any sense of certainty at the QB position. While I think Bortles will have a bit of a learning curve because he needs to gain much greater consistency with his ball placement, he has tremendous physical upside, with a big frame that can really move, which will provide an added dimension to help the offense move the ball as the passing aspect steadily improves. Can Bortles start right away for a team that wants to take a step forward? I think that's a question for the process.
Those are the only three that made his top 25 prospects. The rest of his rankings for QB are as follows:
4. Derek Carr, Fresno St.
5. AJ McCarron, Alabama
6. Zach Mettenberger, LSU
7. *Brett Smith, Wyoming
8. Logan Thomas, Virginia Tech
9. Jimmy Garoppolo, Eastern Illinois
10. David Fales, San Jose St.
Kiper himself doesn't give detailed analysis on the rest (not that I could find laid out like this, at least), but if you are curious about a specific player, I have access to the Scouts, Inc. scouting reports through Insider (which are
very detailed) on most (not all, unfortunately, I think there will be more as we approach the draft) of the prospects in the draft. Let me know if your curious about anyone in particular and I would be glad to post. Also, I would be willing to post McShay and Kiper's full mocks later if anyone is interested.
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Here is McShay's analysis of the Vikings projected pick (Mosely), in his most recent mock:
Analysis: If there's anything that keeps Mosley out of the first half of the first round, my guess is it would be concerns about his durability (he's had significant shoulder, hip and elbow injuries in the past), but it's hard not to fall in love with his performance on tape. He was highly productive at Alabama, and set the tone for that defense with his motor and aggressive play. In addition to his outstanding cover skills, he's very disruptive when turned loose as a pass-rusher. He'd be a good fit in Minnesota as the Vikings' weakside linebacker.