Top QBs In The 2019 NFL Draft

1. Oklahoma QB Kyler Murray – Junior – 5-10, 207 – N/A
Murray is one of the most intriguing players in the draft. The 2018 Heisman Trophy winner led the Sooners to the college football playoffs in his first full season as starter and displayed explosiveness, a strong arm and the ability to escape pressure and make things happen with his feet. Murray completed 69 percent of his passes (260-of-367) for 4,361 yards with 43 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. He also added 1,001 (7.2 avg.) yards on the ground with another 12 scores. The Cardinals have to the No. 1 overall pick and there has been plenty of buzz that they could take Murray despite drafting quarterback Josh Rosen in the first round last season.

2. Ohio State QB Dwayne Haskins – Junior – 6-3, 231 – 5.03
Haskins has NFL arm talent but sometimes trusts it too much. And as a one-year starter at Ohio State, he is still learning to read defenses. With that said, all of the tools to be successful in the NFL are there. His mobility is just functional, he isn’t Murray or Lamar Jackson, but Haskins has a pocket savvy, size and an above-average arm – traits that NFL teams love. There are very few things mechanically that an NFL team will need to work on, especially in his throwing motion that can sling a ball 50 yards with just a flick of the wrist. In his one season as the starter under center, Haskins completed 373-of-533 passes for 4,831 yards with 50 touchdowns and eight interceptions. The former Maryland Player-of-the-Year also contributed 108 yards on the ground with four touchdown runs.

3. Missouri QB Drew Lock – Senior – 6-4, 228 – 4.69
No one looks more like an NFL quarterback than Lock, who has the prototypical size that NFL teams covet. Lock also has an NFL arm, and can make all the throws required in an NFL offensive system, especially the deep ball. The biggest issue is accuracy at times, and he also a lack of touch. Lock, who had a nice showing at the Senior Bowl, tends to throw fastballs on short passes, and isn’t exceptional at leading his receivers which can prevent yards after catch. His intelligence and arm strength mask some of his deficiencies and most feel his can improve on some of the mechanical flaws, such as low trajectory at times that can lead to batted passes at the line of scrimmage. A four-year starter for the Tigers, Lock completed 883-of-1553 passes (56.9) for 12,193 yards to go along with 99 touchdowns and 39 interceptions over his career at Missouri.

Duke QB Daniel Jones – Photo by: Getty Images

4. Duke QB Daniel Jones – Junior – 6-5, 221 – 4.81
Jones, like Lock, fits the physical profile of what NFL teams want and mechanics-wise, Jones could be the most sound all the quarterbacks coming out. But some scouts still have questions about his arm strength and aren’t sold on his ability to translate into a franchise quarterback. No one will question his football I.Q., and his three-year starting and playing for head coach David Cutcliffe doesn’t hurt either, as Cutcliffe coached both the Manning brothers – Eli and Peyton – in college. While no one will predict Jones’ future to be as successful as the Manning brothers, he does sense outside pressure well, has a good touch on the deep ball and his accuracy on intermediate throws is a strength. For his career with the Blue Devils, Jones completed 764-of-1275 passes for 8,201 yards with 52 touchdowns and 29 interceptions.

5. West Virginia QB Will Grier – Senior – 6-2, 217 – 4.84
Grier, a former Gator, most certainly benefited from the high-octane system employed by West Virginia with part of his success (3,864 yards passing, 38 touchdowns as a senior) being attributed to the offense played in Morgantown. But Grier was a perfect fit for that system, and if he ends up in the right offense in the NFL he can also thrive. Grier is gritty, a natural leader and has the confidence needed to succeed. He will need to learn the difference between confidence and cockiness at the next level, however, as he lacks elite arm strength. Grier also tends to freelance at times and his mechanics get sloppy. While is a good athlete, he isn’t Patrick Mahomes or even Baker Mayfield for that matter.

Buffalo QB Tyree Jackson – Photo by: Getty Images

6. Buffalo Tyree Jackson – Junior – 6-7, 249 – 4.59
Jackson is a project and the chance of him being ready to play in his first season is slim. However, no one can say where his ceiling is, and that will intrigue a number of teams, possibly including the Buccaneers. Jackson is a mountain of a man with a cannon for an arm and nearly impossible to being down with just one guy. But despite a good showing at the Senior Bowl, his game is raw and will take time to develop. A career completion percentage of just 55.8 tells you there is plenty of work and learning to be done before he is ready to step in and lead an NFL team. As a three-year starter for Buffalo, Jackson completed 533-of-955 passes for 6,999 yards, with 49 touchdowns and 24 interceptions. Jackson also added 758 yards and 16 rushing scores.

7. North Carolina State QB Ryan Finley – Senior – 6-4, 213 – Senior
There is a lot to like when NFL scouts turn on Finley’s tape, and some have him rated as the third-best prospect in this draft. Finely was productive as a starter for the Wolfpack, and his strengths are his mechanics, poise and leadership. But unfortunately, there are some flaws in his game which cause some to question where he fits in at the next level. Finley doesn’t possess an overly strong arm, struggled a times with interceptions in the red zone and has a slight frame, particularly his lower body. While some see him as a productive NFL starter, others see a Mike Glennon-type career backup. During his career, which began at Boise State, Finley passed for 11,147 yards on 938-of-12,461 attempts with 63 touchdowns and 30 interceptions.

8. Auburn QB Jarrett Stidham – Junior – 6-2, 218 – 4.81
Many thought Stidham was poised for a breakout 2018 season after an impressive 2017 campaign but the former Baylor transfer regressed to a degree, and now many wonder where he goes from here. Stidham’s yards, completions and completion percentage all dropped his junior season and he didn’t seem to play with the same confidence he did for the Tigers in 2017. Strengths include his football I.Q, decent size and arm strength and movement in the pocket. His weaknesses are ball placement, happy feet in the pocket when pressured, and indecisiveness at times. His career, including his time at Baylor, saw Stidham complete 545-of-848 passes for 7,217 yards with 48 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Stidham added nine career rushing touchdowns on 211 attempts.

9. Boise State QB Brett Rypien – Senior – 6-2, 210 – 4.91
Voted the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year, Rypien had an outstanding senior season throwing for 3,705 yards and 30 touchdowns and completing 67.3 percent of his passes. Smart and efficient in college, Rypien’s drawbacks are his size and small hands, which led to a number of fumbles at times during his time at Boise State. Rypien could develop into a serviceable backup perhaps, and most feel that is where is ceiling is at. A lack of mobility doesn’t help Rypien’s case in the eyes of NFL talent evaluators. In his four seasons under center for the Broncos, Rypien completed 1,035-of-1,617 passes for 13,578 yards with 90 touchdowns and 29 interceptions.

10. Northwestern QB Clayton Thorson – Senior – 6-4, 224 – N/A
Thorson had a solid career at Northwestern but never really had a breakout season finishing with a career 58.4 completion percentage. Scouts like his size and fundamentals but his touchdown to interception ratio (61:45) was one of the worst in college football over the last four years. To his defense, Thorson never really has any elite athletes to help him out. Thorson was good around the goal line with his feet, rushing for 27 career touchdowns, but wasn’t particularly good with escapability when pressured.

BEST OF THE REST

11. Vanderbilt QB Kyle Shurmur – Senior – 6-4, 230 – 4.91
The son of Giants coach Pat Shurmer, Kyle Shurmur plays the game with a coach’s mindset. Unfortunately, his physical limitations make him a later-round draft pick. Despite having good size, Shurmur doesn’t have elite arm talent and doesn’t have the velocity to fit balls in tight windows on downfield throws. Still, he could make a team as a backup and will grasp a team’s playbook fairly easily. He also showed improvement all three seasons where he was as stater, culminating in finishing his senior season competing 63 percent of his passes for 3,130 yards with 24 touchdowns and just six interceptions.

12. Central Connecticut State Jacob Dolegala – Senior – 6-6, 236 – N/A
While few college football fans have heard of Dolegala, he has created a bit of a buzz in the scouting world with his size and production at small Connecticut State. Obviously, his level of competition he played against camp doesn’t compare to most of the quarterback in this year’s draft class, but he could be a later round selection and a developmental player who could eventually earn an opportunity in the league. During his four-year career at Connecticut State he completed 654 passes for 8,129 yards with 48 touchdowns and 29 interceptions. His ability to escape pressure and use his legs was evidenced by his 452 rushing yards and 18 scores on the ground.

13. Penn State QB Trace McSorley – Senior – 6-0, 202 – 4.57
A three-year start for the Nittany Lions, McSorley was the unquestioned leader who was extremely productive in Happy Valley despite being just a three-star recruit coming out of high school. He regressed a bit as a senior and his size and frame are negatives when projected him as a quarterback in the NFL. McSorley was a dual-threat quarterback for Penn State amassing 1,697 yards on the ground with 30 scores.

14. Mississippi State QB Nick Fitzgerald – Senior – 6-5, 226 – 4.64
Just looking at Fitzgerald you can see an NFL quarterback. Watching him throw the ball and with his arm strength you also can see an NFL quarterback. But when you watch the tape there are more questions than answers, and you see a college quarterback. The system in which he played didn’t always help him out, as Fitzgerald’s passing numbers regressed for three straight seasons for the Bulldogs. Fitzgerald is an athlete, proven by the fact he ended up setting an SEC record for most rushing yards by a quarterback with 3,607 after adding 1,121 yards on the ground his senior year to go along with 13 touchdowns.

15. Washington State QB Gardner Minshew – Senior – 6-1, 225 – 4.97
Minshew put up fantastic numbers as a senior in his only year playing for Washington State and coach Mike Leach. So good in fact he was the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year after passing for 4,779 yards, completing 70 percent of his passes and tossing 38 touchdowns to just nine interceptions. The question was how much of it was Minshew and how much was it a product of the system? Minshew doesn’t have prototypical size or arm strength but was well liked and respected by his Cougar teammates despite just playing for one season. He did not fare well at the Senior Bowl.

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