What is the story about?
The draft is under three months away, and this series is meant to be a clear, practical guide to evaluating prospects—position by position—using the same criteria coaches and scouts lean on. For this installment on quarterbacks, I spoke with people who do this work for a living and blended their language with a framework I’ve used while coaching at the high school and college levels. The goal isn’t hype; it’s translation: what to watch, why it matters, and how it projects on Sundays. If you’re cutting
clips, grading live, or just trying to separate traits that travel from traits that fade, this will give you a repeatable way to do it.
Processing & Decision-Making
- Hits an open receiver quickly. Windows close fast; a late ball turns a first down into a PBU or pick. Think “snap, settle/plant and throw” on a slant vs. off-man… no wasted time.
- Makes the correct read vs. coverage. Reads leverage and safety depth; throws where the concept is designed to win. seams versus Cover 3 or crossers versus man.
- Works to second and third reads. Full-field answers beat good defenses; one-trick looks get erased in January. Example: curl-to-dig to checkdown on 2nd-and-9.
- Checkdown is a choice, not a habit. Dump it when coverage wins, not as a bailout at the first hint of noise.
- Reads multiple defenders on a play. “Apex + safety + hook” tells the truth; single-key QBs get baited by rotations or by last second changes and flips.
- Handles post-snap change. When Cover 2 spins to 3, he updates, resets, and throws on time—no freeze.
- Two-minute urgency without panic. Same decisions, faster tempo; knows when to kill, clock, or rip the out.
- Smart throw aways and eating it. Sometimes the best play is eating the sack or throwing it away on 3rd and long.
Accuracy & Ball Placement
- Protects receivers. Away from contact shoulder; avoids hospital balls over the middle.
- Leads when appropriate. The receiver doesn’t have to slow down to catch the ball; puts receivers in good spot to get YAC.
- Throws receivers open. Anticipates the window vs. zone—ball out before the break to beat closing speed.
- Fits tight windows on time. Timing beats coverage; late = interceptions.
- Intentional high/low placement. Back-shoulder vs. press, low away on slant vs. lurking CB or robbing safety.
- Hits out of the break. WR is most open at the top of the route/stem; “see it early, throw it early.”
- Bucket touch on deep corners/posts. Arc over LBs, down before the safety—trajectory is a skill.
- Throwing to a spot only my receiver can get. Sideline fades toe the chalk; incompletion > turnover.
- Paces the short game. Flats, TE sticks and checkdowns need catchable pace, not 100-mph rockets.
Arm Talent (Velocity, Distance, Shapes)
- Far-hash outbreakers arrive on a line. NFL staple; no extra hitch or the CB undercuts it for a pick 6.
- 50–60+ yard carry with timing. Distance and drop point matter more than raw air yards.
- Off-platform zip holds. When feet aren’t perfect, does the ball still carry? Big difference on scrambles.
- Ball stays true in weather. Clean spin in wind/rain separates the men from the boys.
- Shapes throws. Layer over LBs, under safeties—shot-put lasers get tipped.
- Effort profile. If every 12-yard out looks max effort, the menu shrinks and timing dies.
Pocket Movement & Poise Under Pressure
- Climbs and slides, doesn’t drift. Backwards drift walks you into edges; one slide step can save a sack.
- Feels interior push and resets square. Hops off the spot, re-loads, keeps the base under him—eyes stay up.
- Takes the hit to finish the read. Some throws require bravery; bailing early kills concepts.
- Economical evasiveness. One move then throw > running in circles.
- Hot answer vs. free runner. Replace the blitz with the ball; don’t make hot into hero ball.
- No happy feet in clean pockets. Quiet feet = quiet mind; jittery feet = spray chart.
Mechanics & Footwork
- Under-center 3/5/7 and shotgun rhythm. Footwork must match concept timing or accuracy dies.
- Depth step, crossover, balanced gather. The drop is a tool; lazy first step shrinks the pocket.
- Front shoulder/foot to target, bent-knee base. Alignment + posture = repeatable throws.
- Sequence: feet → hips → shoulders → compact release. Levers in order; long loops = late balls.
- Consistent spiral, minimal waste. The ball tells on you; wobble = energy leak.
- Crisp play-action footwork. Sell the fake, then get back in phase now—don’t drift into the rush.
- Rapid reset after evade. Re-load in one step; if the base collapses, accuracy craters
Improvisation & Second-Reaction Plays
- Buys time without killing structure. Slide, sprint, reset—don’t pull routes into chaos for no reason.
- Eyes stay downfield. Scramble to throw first; run only when coverage vacates.
- Creates explosives when plays break. Second-reaction TDs change games; keep risk in check.
- On-the-move accuracy. Sprint-out dig, leak to sideline comeback, cross-body sting route—placement still matters.
- Knows when to eat it. The late, blind cross-field throw is how seasons end (cough cough Brett Favre 2009).
Athleticism (Inside/Outside the Pocket)
- Pocket quickness (Brady type). Subtle slides, micro-escapes, instant re-set—athleticism without running.
- Open-field threat (Lamar/Allen type). Speed, acceleration, contact balance—defenses must account for QB run.
- Gets to top speed quickly. Short-area burst wins 3rd-and-4 scrambles.
- Makes a free defender miss. One miss turns a sack into a chunk gain.
- Designed QB run utility. Adds a gap without sacrificing durability or eyes.
Pre/Post-Snap Command (Protection & Autonomy)
- Diagnoses with cadence/motion. Forces the defense to declare; cheap info = good decisions.
- Sets and changes protections. MIKE points, slides, scans—sacks often belong to the QB, not the OL.
- Kill/alert usage. Proactive checks beat bad plays; don’t be a play-call passenger.
- Confirms post-snap. Shell changes? Update the answer, don’t freeze.
- Looks in command. The unit’s tempo and confidence track with him.
Situational Performance (3rd, Red Zone, Two- & Four-Minute)
- Third down. Sticks awareness, leverage manipulation; wins even when the defense knows the call.
- Red zone. TDs over FGs; avoids red-zone turnovers—tight windows demand intent.
- Fourth down. Best available answer vs. pressure; not just “our favorite shot.”
- Two-minute. Clock, sideline, spike vs. kill; produces points without panic.
- “Get 25 in 30 seconds.” Controlled aggression: chunk + clock + risk management.
College Context & Experience
- True dropback volume. Separate RPO/quick from real progression reps; projection lives here.
- Under-center reps and freedom. More protection control and audibles = shorter NFL on-ramp.
- Strength of schedule and top-defense splits. What happens when windows shrink and pressure is constant?
- OL/WR context. Disneyland pockets and five future NFL WRs can hide flaws—adjust your grade.
- Year-over-year growth. Footwork, timing, turnover-worthy plays trending the right way?
- Parcells filters (as a check, not law). 3-year starter, senior/grad, 30+ starts, 23+ wins, ≥60% comp, ≥2:1 TD:INT.
- “Winner” lens last. Record helps frame, but the traits tell you if it travels.
In the end, quarterback scouting isn’t magic—it’s pattern recognition. If you watch with a plan, the tape starts telling the same story over and over: fast, correct decisions; ball where it needs to be; a calm pocket; answers when the picture changes; command before the snap and control after it. This framework gives you a way to see those patterns on purpose. Use it while you clip games, chart a few “truth throws,” and separate traits that travel from traits that just look good on Saturdays. You’ll miss less, overreact less, and project better. And when the draft noise gets loud, you’ll know what actually matters—who can think, place it, and run the huddle on Sundays.
I wrote recently about the development crisis with quarterbacks in the NFL; a return to basics with the checklist above would save a lot of quarterbacks.
