Part 3, QB: Bryce Young has the 'S2' advantage
Today, NFL teams value the "S2" test. Multiple sources tell Bob McGinn that Young scored 98%, while C.J. Stroud scored 18%. What does this all mean? The draft series continues...
This is the 39th year that Bob McGinn has written an NFL Draft Series. Previously, it appeared in the Green Bay Press-Gazette (1985-’91), the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (1992-’17), BobMcGinnFootball.com (2018-’19), The Athletic (2020-’21) and GoLongTD.com (2022-’23). Until 2014, personnel people often were quoted by name. The series reluctantly adopted an all-anonymous format in 2015 at the request of most scouts. The 12-minute, 50-question Wonderlic test no longer is administered at the NFL combine. Players generally took the test at spring 2022 timing days, all-star games and at pro days in March and April. The NFL average is about 19.
Today, Part 3: Quarterbacks.
The standard scouting form for executives in personnel evaluating college quarterbacks includes arm strength and touch, release, accuracy, pocket awareness, the ability to escape the rush, competitiveness, mental awareness and personal character.
But NFL teams always have sought a better mousetrap to reduce the number of debilitating, job-costing mistakes prevalent at the game’s most vital position.
Two Hall of Fame inductees, Giants GM George Young and Cowboys coach Tom Landry, are said to have introduced the Wonderlic Personnel Test to the NFL more than 50 years ago as a low-cost, low-fuss way to measure intelligence and predict performance in any job. It remains an active element in the evaluation process.
As an alternative for players with reading difficulties, teams would administer so-called matrices tests, which substituted shape recognition and were supposed to achieve comparable results.
In the 1980s, pioneers such as Joel Goldberg of the New York Giants used his psychology background to write a lengthy test given to players. Team after team followed suit with their own creations, and the so-called HRT exam (Human Resource Tactics) remains popular as a measurement of leadership, coachability, self-efficacy, focus and social maturity, among other results.
The newest thing in judging athletes is S2 Cognition, a business based in Nashville that has been marketing its product to NFL teams for about seven years. And, in interviews with several football executives this month, S2 testing has developed a reputation so strong in the industry that it undoubtedly will affect to some degree how quarterbacks are drafted.
Suffice it to say, the candidacy for Alabama’s Bryce Young as the top quarterback only was strengthened by his preeminent performance on the S2 whereas the draft stock of Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, possibly the No. 2 prospect, took a hit.
“The S2 people will say, ‘Hey, guys that graded high on this test don’t always play well,’” one club executive said, “’But, we’ve never had somebody grade low and play well.’”
The S2 website showcases the results of Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, who was the No. 1 pick in 2020. His total score of 97% was broken down into four sections: 94% on visual learning, 97% in instinctive learning, 97% in impulse control and 93% in improvisation.
According to S2, the 30-to-45 minute exercise is conducted on what The Athletic’s Matt Barrows in February described as a “specially designed gaming laptop and response pad that can record reactions in two milliseconds.” It measures how players process and make split-second decisions. “Anticipating, reading, reacting and adapting to the game are measurable skills,” the website offers.
Multiple sources said Young’s total score was 98% whereas Stroud’s total score was 18%.
Some other total scores in the class of quarterbacks this year were 96% for Fresno State’s Jake Haener, 93% for Kentucky’s Will Levis and Brigham Young’s Jaren Hall, 84% for Houston’s Clayton Tune, 79% for Florida’s Anthony Richardson and 46% for Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker.
“Stroud scored 18,” an executive said. “That is like red alert, red alert, you can’t take a guy like that. That is why I have Stroud as a bust. That in conjunction with the fact, name one Ohio State quarterback that’s ever done it in the league.”
Justin Fields has started two seasons for Chicago, and among Buckeye retirees the ex-Bear Mike Tomczak might be next. It certainly wouldn’t be first-round busts Dwayne Haskins (2019) and Art Schlichter (1982).
Haener, during a recent appearance at the 49ers’ visit day for local prospects in Santa Clara, Calif., admitted being told he did well on the S2. “I try to show people how I can process, how I can see things,” he told reporters.
Young’s extraordinary score was in keeping with the anticipatory type of play that evaluators often cite as one of his greatest assets.
“The only guy play-style-wise I can compare him to is Joe Burrow in his LSU year,” said an executive with extensive NFL experience. “Bryce is the best combination of poise, processing, instincts, toughness. This kid feels and sees so much.”
When another executive was informed that Stroud scored extremely low, he said that it confirmed what he had seen on tape.
“That was my concern with him,” the scout said. “His personality is just sort of calm and mellow and laidback, and that’s the way he plays. You look at how Bryce Young plays and how Stroud plays, I don’t see how anyone can look at those two play football and you’d want that guy (Stroud) over Young. Bryce’s mind is so quick and he processes so fast. Whereas with Stroud, everything is much, much more programmed.”
One NFC executive described the S2 as a “great test.” Said an AFC executive: “For quarterbacks, it’s been pretty good.”
Another executive said S2 made inroads early in its existence testing hitters for major league baseball clubs.
“Then they started doing it in football,” the executive said. “If you get a high score as a quarterback it’s not saying you’re going to be a great player. But if you get a low score, it’s 100% — none of the quarterbacks that got a low score became good players.
“The benchmark is 80. Eighty and above is good. Stroud was 18. It’s incredibly terrible. He’s going to be off (some team’s) boards. He will not be picked by those teams.”
An executive said that Iowa State’s Brock Purdy, the 262nd and final player selected, had the highest S2 score among rookies in 2022.
Despite the S2 results, a survey of 16 evaluators asking them for their choice as the quarterback with the best chance to bust showed Stroud behind Richardson and Levis. The bust vote count was eight for Richardson, five for Levis, two for Stroud and one for Young. In addition, the panel was asked to rank their top quarterbacks on a 1-2-3-4-5 basis, with a first-place vote worth 5 points, a second-place vote worth 4 and so on.
Young, with 10 firsts and 72 points, led the way. He was followed by Stroud (56, two), Levis (46, three), Richardson (40, one), Hooker (20), Max Duggan (two), Haener (two), Tanner McKee (one) and Dorian Thompson-Robinson (one).
Here’s a sampling how some scouts summed up this collection of quarterbacks.
AFC evaluator: “I would say a bit above average. There’s not a bonafide guy. There’s no Andrew Luck. Comparing it to Joe Burrow, Tua (Tagovailoa), Justin Herbert, that class was way better coming out. You can poke holes in all these guys.”
AFC evaluator: “It’s the most overhyped, and understandably so, group that I can recall. Every one of them is flawed, and some with major flaws. So I think they all get overdrafted and, unfortunately, they all underperform. Even if they become starters they’re bottom-half-of-the-league starters.”
AFC evaluator: “Teams have gone to better athletes at quarterback, but they’re shorter.”
NFC evaluator: “None of these guys are Andrew Luck or Trevor Lawrence.”
AFC evaluator: “History tells us probably four of the (top) five will be busts. It’s crazy.”
Full scouting reports on Bryce Young. C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson, Will Levis and all quarterbacks — packed with the scouts’ extensive analysis — are below…
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QUARTERBACKS
1. BRYCE YOUNG, Alabama (5-10, 204, no 40, 1): Backed up in 2020 as a true freshman before winning the Heisman Trophy in ’21. “He brought them from behind against Texas A&M,” one scout said, recounting the key moments of Alabama’s 2022 season. “Against Tennessee, he brought them from behind but they lost on a field goal and he didn’t get a second chance. In the LSU game, he brought them from behind in overtime and LSU made a 2-point conversion. In those three games, with the game on the line, he had great fourth quarters. He’s just a winner. Makes great decisions. Got a good, strong arm. Reminds me of Russell Wilson (5-10 ½, 204). He’s not as good an athlete as Kyler Murray (5-10, 207) but I think he’s a better person and has better focus.” Compiled an NFL passer rating of 118.3 in 2021 and 114.9 in ’22 for a career mark of 116.4. Also ran for 162 yards and seven touchdowns. “What I love about him is how calm and cool he is under pressure,” said a second scout. “The size will always be a problem with me but his composure, competitiveness and ability to win is real.” Showed up at the combine noticeably puffed-up (some theorize he altered his dietary regimen before drinking an excessive amount of water) and weighed 204. Declined to step on the scale at pro day. According to one scout, he was 169 in January 2022 when the Crimson Tide beat Georgia in the BCS title game. Several scouts expect him to play at about 190 in the coming season. “He’s the biggest outlier in the history of the position,” said a third scout. “He looked like a pregnant lady at the weigh-in. I would say he’s 5-10, 180. I thought about Fran Tarkenton (5-11, 185). If it was sprinter football, he would be the first pick 100 times in a row. But NFL football … They say he only got hurt one time at Bama, but it took him a month to get over it (sprained right A/C joint) even though he missed just one game. He wasn’t the same guy for a month. I may be proven completely wrong but I would be scared to death to take him.” Scored 30 on the Wonderlic test. “He did get his shoulder dinged this year, which scares you,” said a fourth scout. “He could land on that shoulder and that could be it. But I think he has good pocket awareness. I don’t think he’s more likely to get hurt than some of these other guys.” Hands measured 9 ¾ inches. “He breaks the mold of what I look for,” a fifth scout said. “It’s hard for me to live with that size. I see it in Tua (Tagovailoa), but what has he done? Wilson was bigger and stronger. This kid’s got enough arm but he’s not as well built as you’d like. He looks like a high-school kid.” From Pasadena, Calif.
2. C.J. STROUD, Ohio State (6-3, 213, no 40, 1): Third-year sophomore. “Best passer of the entire draft,” said one scout. “He is athletically gifted, as he showed in the University of Georgia (national title) game. He can extend a play with his feet. He’s pretty cool under pressure, but I know he had a gifted offensive line in front of him. He still has a lot of football to learn. I really like the kid, too, but he scares the f--k out of me. It’s the processing skills of coverages.” Passed for 348 yards and four touchdowns without an interception while rushing for 71 yards against Georgia in possibly the finest performance of his career. His record against archrival Michigan was 0-2 after the Buckeyes had owned the series for 15-plus years. “That system is so quarterback-friendly,” said a second scout. “There’s 15 linemen in this draft and he had three of them, and he’s got pro receivers running around all over the place and they can’t win a big game. Is he a pretty thrower? Sure. But he’s never sat in a cockpit where you’re in full-scale chaos.” His career passer rating was 128.7. Also ran for 136 yards and just one TD. “He has really good accuracy and touch, especially to his initial read downfield,” a third scout said. “Aside from Bryce’s game against Tennessee, he had the best moment of the quarterbacks in the Georgia game. I was a little skeptical of his ability to create with his feet and extend drives. Now he’s probably surrounded by the best talent of any of those guys. Those receivers he had were special, but that’s not his fault. He and Levis were on a similar level for me. Levis is maybe more built for that heavy play-action, deep-boot shots. C.J. is a little more natural in the pocket as a dropback passer right now.” Wonderlic of 19. Hands were 10. “I don’t like bringing it up but he’s Dwayne Haskins,” a fourth scout said. “Haskins might have been better than this guy. It was the off-the-field stuff with Haskins, the work (ethic) and all that which is why no one’s making that comparison. This guy has all that off-the-field stuff. Great young man and all that. He’s very deliberate, very streaky. He can do it, but he’s really not a big-time playmaker. He’s a very quiet, introverted personality. I wasn’t blown away.” From Inland Empire, Calif.
3. WILL LEVIS, Kentucky (6-4, 231, no 40, 1): Backed up at Penn State for three seasons. Departed for Kentucky, which finished 10-3 in 2021 under his direction before the ’22 season went haywire. “There was a big drop-off from one year to the next,” one scout said. “What happened? He looked robotic, a completely different guy.” Heavily into body building. “Why on earth he’s doing all this poster-boy, muscle-bound stuff I have no idea,” a second scout said. “I know he’s fallen off and people have gotten cold feet on him, but I still think there’s a chance. Thing I don’t like, very tight-wound, muscle-bound now, and it’s gotten worse. He’s a little bit tight mentally. He can’t dial it back.” Finished with a career passer rating of 96.0 while running for 742 yards and 17 TDs. “Last year, Liam Coen was the coordinator, and Liam was his reason to come to Kentucky,” the scout said. “So Coen goes to the Rams and they bring in Rich Scangarello, who has had like 18 jobs in 18 years. By November, (Mark) Stoops fired Scangarello after one season when you have the No. 1 player in the draft. The line fell apart in front of him and they had one decent receiver. Every team was going after him. He was shooting his shoulder, shooting his foot to play. He’s a 1980’s quarterback. Reminds me of Phil Simms or Troy Aikman.” Scored 29 on the Wonderlic. Hands (10 5/8) were the largest at the position. “The chaos that he’s had to deal with is what he’s going to have to deal with in the NFL,” a third scout said. “Also, he huddles up, he’s running an NFL offense, he’s not getting the play from the sideline. He’s taken snaps from under center. He’s more prepared.” From Madison, Conn. “When (pressure) appears he’s got to be more poised in the pocket,” said a fourth scout. “Strong arm, can make all the throws. But the anxiety is real in terms of how he throws the football under duress. Teammates like him but he’s spoiled. He’s been entitled all his life. He’s arrogant. That’s a big deal.”
4. ANTHONY RICHARDSON, Florida (6-4, 246, 4.41, 1): One of the more intriguing prospects in years. “Think Michael Vick with a Brett Favre arm,” said one scout. “He has the highest ceiling I’ve ever seen in a quarterback, even higher than Cam Newton. Cam was big and fast, but not as fast as this kid. Cam had a strong arm, but not as strong as the kid. If you hit on him, oh my God, you’re talking perennial Pro Bowl and All-Pro. But it’s a big if. Are you going to be employed long enough to see it through?” Has also drawn comparisons to Vince Young, Colin Kaepernick, Josh Allen, Terrelle Pryor, Justin Fields, Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts, among others. “He’s very raw still,” said a second scout. “He has to learn how to go through progressions. I was at his pro day. He put on a show and, before, at the combine. At his pro day, he didn’t throw with the laces. The ball looked like a Nerf ball in his hand for how big his hand is (10 ½). He’s a year or two away, but I think he has the highest ceiling of all of them. Richardson is more Cam Newton but he throws the ball better. It’s just his accuracy is off some.” In Indianapolis, he staged possibly the greatest workout ever by a quarterback with a 4.41 40, a 40 ½-inch vertical jump and a 10-9 broad jump. “Terrelle Pryor was a tremendous athlete,” a third scout said. “That’s actually not a bad comparison. I had Justin Fields rated higher coming out. I’m concerned that he hasn’t played a lot of football and he hasn’t done a lot of winning. Even in high school they were kind of average. I have problems with his accuracy (54.7%). He scares me. The accuracy scares me.” Hardly saw the field in 2020, made one start in ’21 and then started 12 in ’22. Finished with a passer rating of 85.1. Also ran for 1,116 yards (6.9-yard average) and 12 TDs. “We don’t love him but he’s talented,” said a fourth scout. “He hasn’t played. Started one year and wasn’t very good. If there was a dunk contest, he’d win.” Scored 16 on the Wonderlic. “In a traditional NFL sense, you would say bust, that he isn’t going to have it from the mental part of it,” a fifth scout said. “He is the most cart before the quarterback. But, if (former Eagles offensive coordinator) Shane Steichen did what he did with Jalen Hurts, then you’ve got to believe somebody out there thinks, ‘OK, we can do something similar because this guy’s more gifted.’ This guy’s the most incredible prototype. He’s the biggest, strongest (quarterback) candidate in the history of the NFL. In today’s NFL, where there’s enough college stuff percolating upward, and we saw what happened with Hurts, there’s at least a 50-50 shot that he can do it.” From Gainesville, Fla.
5. HENDON HOOKER, Tennessee (6-3, 219, no 40, 1-2): Spent four seasons at Virginia Tech, starting 15 games and leading the Hokies to a degree of respectability. “He’s the most cerebral quarterback and has the least interceptions,” one scout said. “Understands the concepts. He’s a tad older (will be 26 in January) than the group but his extra year in college football has helped him develop. Should be drafted in the first round. The reason you’d draft him in the first is to get the fifth-year option, which is smart because he’s injured. Throws a precise pass. He can throw the deep ball. Really good decision-maker. Great kid.” In Knoxville, he took over for Joe Milton after two games. Posted a passer rating of 107.5 in Blacksburg and 126.8 at Tennessee for a career mark of 120.4. Rushed for 2,079 and 25 TDs. Just 12 career picks. “The guy knows how to play,” said a second scout. “He’s Teddy Bridgewater is what he is. Just poised, got command. He’s accurate, got touch. His arm is good. He’s a good enough athlete. Little awkward the way he runs. He can get out of trouble. He’s better than them (Richardson, Levis). He’s a better football mind than Stroud. By no means is this dude a franchise-maker. He’s going to be a solid starter. He’s Teddy Bridgewater.” Suffered a torn ACL Nov. 19 at South Carolina. “Pretty polarizing player,” a third scout said. “That offense is hard to project players out of. There will be a big learning curve as far as reading progressions. He’s got a natural arm. He’s able to make decisions and make adjustments with the receivers. He’s got a little tightness in his body that makes it hard to throw from tight pockets. He’s a little bit older than you’d like but with a quarterback I wouldn’t worry about that quite as much. He’s not in the same tier as the top four guys.” Wonderlic of 16. Hands were 10 ½. From Greensboro, N.C.
6. JAKE HAENER, Fresno State (5-11 ½, 208, no 40, 3-4): “He reminds me of Case Keenum,” one scout said. “He’s kind of intriguing a little bit.” Sixth-year senior turned 24 last month. “He was the best quarterback at the Senior Bowl,” said a second scout. “Late pick.” Bolted Washington after two seasons when the Huskies named a transfer, Jacob Eason, as the starter shortly before the 2019 opener. Made 29 starts for the Bulldogs, finishing with a passer rating of 107.9. Rushed for minus-109 yards and eight TDs. “I see some of the guys that started games in the NFL and say, ‘Why couldn’t this guy?’” a third scout said. “Small guy, not real imposing, but he is tough. Against UCLA two years ago when they came back to beat them (40-37) in the Rose Bowl, they were blitzing him and he was taking shots in the face and he’s putting balls right where they have to be. Really accurate. Top-level leader. He got hurt this year (broken ankle) and missed five weeks. I think they went 1-4, and as soon as he came back they won every game and the conference championship (Mountain West). This kid has something to him. I like him better than (Taylor) Heinicke. If Sam Howell is a starter (in Washington) I like Haener better than Howell. He’s going to play for a long time, at least as a backup.” Scored 19 on the Wonderlic. Hands were 9 3/8. “You wanted to like him but he’s limited,” a fourth scout said. “Everything has to be on time. Just not a playmaker. Brock Purdy was 1,000 times better than this guy. That (Heinicke) is a good comparison. ‘Hey, get in there,’ but you keep losing.” From Danville. Calif.
7. CLAYTON TUNE, Houston (6-2 ½, 218, 4.63, 4-5): Impressive athlete with a solid 40, vertical jump of 37 ½ and a broad jump of 10-1. “Good athlete with an above-average arm,” one scout said. “He’s got some presence to him. He’s got personality and some clutch ability late in games. He’ll bring you back. He’s cleaned up some of the techniques since the season. He has to improve his accuracy (63.9%). He’s just been a streaky player. If he can even that out there’s definitely something there.” Posted 25 on the Wonderlic. Hands were 9 3/8. “Phenomenal kid,” said a second scout. “Great character. But he’s so far away mechanically. He’s tough as shit.” Finished with a passer rating of 100.4. Also ran for 1,248 and 17 TDs. “He can sling the ball,” said a third scout. “He may be a guy that rises from a No. 3 to a No. 2.” From Carrollton, Texas. Three-time captain.
8. DORIAN THOMPSON-ROBINSON, UCLA (6-1 ½, 206, 4.56, 5): Five-year starter with a record of 25-23. His 48 starts were a Bruins’ record. He rewrote the record book in Westwood. “Tough, competitive kid,” one scout said. “May turn into a decent backup because of his athletic skill set. He makes some poor decisions but he’ll do things that wow you as well.” Passer rating of 98.2, including a career-best 107.3 in 2022. Wonderlic of 18. “I will say he had a really, really good year this year,” a second scout said. “I give Chip (Kelly) a lot of the credit for that because they gave him nice, clean reads. Everything matched up. He has good arm strength. His running ability is key. I don’t think he’s an accurate enough passer to play at the next level. I say that knowing full well his completion percentage (69.6%) was really, really good this year. A lot of that was he stuck to playing to his strengths. I didn’t see him making a ton of pro throws. If he’s a backup he can run around and make something happen. He’s a smart kid and he’s played a lot of football. He won’t be shocked by anything.” Rushed for 1,826 and 28 TDs. Hands were 9 7/8. From Las Vegas.
9. AIDAN O’CONNELL, Purdue (6-3 ½, 210, no 40, 5): Sixth-year senior, three-year starter. “Smart pocket passer,” said one scout. “Accurate arm, good pocket presence, just lacked athletic ability. The game two years ago against Ohio State, he had a great game. I was holding on to that. He’s a No. 3, maybe a No. 2 just because he’s smart. A (40-yard dash) wouldn’t be good. He’s got a good agent, whoever told him not to run.” Paced the top 15 quarterbacks on the Wonderlic with 32. Hopes to become chaplain for an NFL team. Hands were 9 ¾. “He might (make it) if he goes to a West Coast team,” said a second scout. “He’s got a sense of timing. He’s tall. Good enough arm. Not very mobile. At all. He’s sort of a Mike White-type guy.” Finished with a passer rating of 96.0. A former walk-on, he rushed for minus-274 yards and two TDs. Will be 25 in September. From Long Grove, Ill.
10. MAX DUGGAN, Texas Christian (6-1 ½, 207, 4.55, 5-6): Began 2022 as the backup and ended it as runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. “He is a good college football player,” said one scout. “He’ll be like a Sam Ehlinger who plays for the Colts. You root for him. Not that big but a good athlete. Good arm strength. He’s mobile. He seemed to rally them in the fourth quarter. You’ll keep him on your team. I imagine he’ll be a coach some day.” Drove TCU to the national championship game. Finished with a passer rating of 95.4; rushed for 1,856 and 28 TDs. “More of an athlete than a quarterback,” a second scout said. “He’s gritty and will make some throws, but his accuracy (60.3%) is not very good.” Wonderlic of 19. Hands were 9 7/8. From Council Bluffs, Iowa.
11. TANNER McKEE, Stanford (6-6, 230, no 40, 5-6): After signing in 2018, he left immediately for a 21-month mission to Brazil. Backed up Davis Mills in 2020 before starting 21 games in 2021-’22. “What happened there?” one scout asked. “He just didn’t look like the same guy from 2021. He had a big game two years ago when they beat USC and ended up getting Clay Helton fired. He was back there ripping throws and he looked like a first-round guy. You turn on the stuff this year and it just wasn’t the same. His mechanics weren’t very good. Something happened. Honestly, he probably would have been better served coming back for another year, especially with the coach (Troy Taylor) coming in there. Somebody’s going to take a good shot on him and think they can really get something out of him. He’s got size and arm strength. He’s kind of how you draw them up.” Posted a passer rating of 94.0 in 2021 and just 84.9 in ’22 for a career mark of 88.6. Rushed for minus-86 and six TDs. Wonderlic of 31. Hands were 9 3/8. “If you want a statue,“ a second scout said. “When he gets four seconds to throw he is an accurate passer. Stanford had an awful season, and this guy was responsible for the season. He had decent receivers and a tight end that might have been best I saw.” From Corona, Calif.
12. STETSON BENNETT, Georgia (5-11 ½, 192, 4.63, 6-7): One of the most decorated and winningest college quarterbacks in recent times. Named MVP in all four playoff games as the Bulldogs won back-to-back national titles. “I really like to watch him because he made so many plays with so little talent,” one scout said. “Undersized, not a real strong arm, all he does is win. But off the field he is reckless. As soon as he got out of Athens, it exposed him. He got a DUI.” Led a circuitous road to the No. 1 job, including one season at a junior college and then a triumphant return to Georgia. “I’ll tell you what, the little sumbitch has the right nervous system, I’ll give him that,” a second scout said. “He wins football games but I wouldn’t trust him. Runs with the frat boys. Then he got picked up (in Dallas) for public intoxication. He f---ed up big-time. His positives are, he’s smarter than hell, he loves football and he’s got an excellent deep ball. He might have been 175 (pounds) his fall.” Finished with a passer rating of 108.6 while rushing for 530 and 14 TDs. Scored 28 on the Wonderlic. Hands were 10. From Blackshear, Ga.
13. JAREN HALL, Brigham Young (6-0, 206, 4.64, 6-7): Replaced Zach Wilson at the throttle in 2021 and had a prolific two-year run. “Not much less arm talent than Zach,” one scout said. “More mature. Character-wise, he’s all positive. You’re not going to get the crazy stories that you had with Zach. Just a different person, but he definitely has at least No. 2 quarterback traits. He can throw. Different arm slots, all that stuff.” Ran an impressive 40 and his short shuttle of 4.19 paced the quarterbacks (the top six didn’t participate at the combine or pro day). Finished with a passer rating of 110.0; rushed for 800 and nine TDs. His extensive injury history might knock him off some draft boards. “His was all system,” said a second scout. “He’s got one read and he knows where to go with the ball, and if he can get it there he’s good. But a small guy with an average arm. If it’s not on timing out of the pocket he just really struggles. No upside. Looks like he’s got enough to be a backup.” Turned 25 last month. Wonderlic of 24. Hands were 9 ½. From Spanish Fork, Utah.
OTHERS: Tyson Bagent, Shepherd; Sean Clifford, Penn State; Tommy DeVito, Illinois; Tanner Morgan, Minnesota; Malik Cunningham, Louisville; Tim DeMorat, Fordham.
THE SKINNY
UNSUNG HERO
Sean Clifford, Penn State: Fixture under center in State College for what seemed like forever. Second four-time captain in school history. Started 46 of 51 games from 2018-’22 after redshirting in ’17. Rewrote the Nittany Lions’ passing record book. Career passer rating of 97.7. He has the size (6-2, 218), the speed (4.62) and the intelligence (25 on the Wonderlic) to fight for a roster berth. “He’s going to play for 10 years,” one scout said. “He’s not really physically gifted. Makes the majority of his throws inside the numbers. But he’s smart and makes good decisions.”
SCOUTS’ NIGHTMARE
The four leading quarterbacks: Imagine the pressure. Odds are two, possibly three and maybe even all four of the top prospects will fail. Bryce Young is rather frail. C.J. Stroud doesn’t trigger. Will Levis is mechanical. Anthony Richardson might not be able to play quarterback. Whoever said picking players was an inexact science was spot on.
SCOUT TO REMEMBER
Mike Holovak: Upon Holovak’s death, at age 88, in 2008, Titans owner Bud Adams told the Houston Chronicle’s John McClain: “Mike was the quintessential football guy. It is rare when you see a person excel in all three areas of the sport: a great player in college, a successful coach and a great talent evaluator. But Mike was one of the special people.” An All-America running back at Boston College under coach Frank Leahy, he served in World War II as skipper of a PT boat in the South Pacific. After a three-year NFL playing career, he posted a 49-29-3 record as his alma mater’s head coach. When the AFL Boston Patriots were born in 1959, the franchise’s first hire was Holovak. Promoted to head coach in 1961, he led the Patriots to a 53-47-9 record over eight seasons. After serving as an NFL assistant coach, Holovak transitioned into personnel work and ultimately became a general manager of the Jets and Houston Oilers. During his 19 years with the Oilers/Titans, he oversaw drafts that included Hall of Fame guards Mike Munchak and Bruce Matthews. “Mike was always such a peaceful man who wanted to do his job and stay in the background,” Matthews told McClain. “He could find players in any round.”
QUOTE TO NOTE
AFC executive in personnel: “At the combine, the interviews are so quick (15 minutes) that sometimes kids are too busy trying to give you what they think you want to hear. Only the truly mature, comfortable ones can just be themselves.”
Tomorrow: Running Backs
Bob McGinn’s 39th Annual NFL Draft Series…
 | A guest post by
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Why isn’t anyone else writing about this? Bob is still running circles around all the other draft writers.
Seems like this article is everywhere. Just Google "CJ Stroud S2 McGinn". What with the "Packers are done with Rodgers" story, that's 2 scoops in a couple of months. Look like you've found yourself a good "up and comer" to work with there, Tyler. ;)