NFL Combine: Quarterbacks – What Do They Need To Prove?

Who are the best quarterbacks going into the NFL Combine, and what do they need to prove in Indianapolis?

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1. Carson Wentz, North Dakota State

Pre-Combine Draft Projection: First Round, Top Five Overall

What He Needs To Prove

– Can he keep the momentum going? He doesn’t have to blow up the Combine, but he has to hold serve and continue to look like he belongs.

– Arm strength. No one’s thinking he has a Cardale Jones gun, but the more he can rip it, the better. Again, as long as he can look the part and not take any sort of a step back, his stock isn’t going to slip.

– Make the throws on the move. He can run, and he can throw, but he needs to be smooth and his fundamentals have to be tight. This is nothing more than an exhibition compared to the Pro Day, but every throw is going to overanalyzed.

2. Jared Goff, California

Pre-Combine Draft Projection: First Round, Top Five Overall

What He Needs To Prove

– It’s part of the process – how does he look in shorts? Is there any bulk to his frame and is there any ability to add ten more pounds of good weight? He’s built almost exactly like Tony Eason, who wasn’t big enough to take a pounding back in the mid-1980s. His body isn’t a dealbreaker, but splitting hairs with a top five pick, he needs to be able to last.

– Is it the offense or the player? He’s a part of a fast passing game that hasn’t been kind over the years to Texas Tech-caliber quarterbacks who get exposed once they get to the next level. He has to look like everyone else in terms of his drops and mechanics, if not a lot better.

– Can he work from under center? How well can he move? He’s not a stick in the mud, and he’s not going to run wild, but he took a bit of a beating at times and needs to be able to move around well in the pocket and out.

3. Connor Cook, Michigan State

Pre-Combine Draft Projection: Late First Round

What He Needs To Prove

– The interview process will be front and center. His reputation has taken a bit of a beating after skipping the Senior Bowl for a variety of reasons. He has to be great in front of the GMs and scouts as a possible Face of the Franchise leader.

– Does he have any athleticism or mobility? That’s not his game, but he could be helped in a big way by being able to move a little bit. It would show a little more to his style.

– Is me maxed out? He has the tools and the skills to be an NFL starter, but is there anything to do to grow into a great one? He needs to positively surprise in some way.

4. Paxton Lynch, Memphis

Pre-Combine Draft Projection: Mid-to-Late First Round

What He Needs To Prove

– Arm strength. For his size and for his frame, he’s supposed to have a howitzer, and he just doesn’t. He’s more like an athletic smaller quarterback in a really tall body, but he needs to show off the pop on his deep throws.

– The Wonderlic Test matters. The other top quarterbacks are probably going to crush it – Lynch has to be up there with a good score.

– Be athletic. He might be a bit of a freak with his feet to go along with his size, and he has to show it. There’s a chance he could be the big buzz prospect coming out of Indianapolis based on all his physical tools.

5. Cardale Jones, Ohio State

Pre-Combine Draft Projection: Third Round

What He Needs To Prove

– Destroy every other quarterback with the arm. No one has a gun like Jones – college or pro – and he has to make everyone else in Indianapolis look ridiculous with his power passing skills.

– Get the footwork right. He needs lots of at bats, lots of seasoning, and lots of time, but the less his game needs to be broken down, obviously, the better.

– Anything he can possibly do to show that he has the potential to handle NFL life and a playbook, the better. The white board matters, the Wonderlic test matters, and the interview process really matters. Everyone knows he’s a few years away from it all possibly coming together, and in Indy he has to show he’s worth the work. If it does, he could be the best quarterback in this draft.

6. Dak Prescott, Mississippi State

Pre-Combine Draft Projection: Third Round

What He Needs To Prove

– Does he have a smooth NFL throwing motion? He’s not Tim Tebow throwing the ball, but he’s not Aaron Rodgers, either. He needs to look a bit like a pro pocket passer.

– How much work does he need on his mechanics, specifically his feet? On the plus side, he’s used to being able to take off and run, so he doesn’t always set his feet. On the bad side, he needs lots of time and pro passer coaching.

– Is he a college passer or a pro passer? College passers make things happen and throw to open targets. Pro passers read their progressions and throw to cover targets. The Combine might not help with this, but he has to be sharp to make evaluators keep pressing to see what he can become.

7. Jacoby Brissett, NC State

Pre-Combine Draft Projection: Fifth Round

What He Needs To Prove

– Crush it. Everything is in place for what the NFL scouts want in terms of size, arm strength, and athleticism. There are plenty of concerns, but on straight talent and upside, he could be the talk of the Combine if he works out as expected.

– How are the raw mechanics? How much overhauling has to be done with his delivery? It’s like he never makes the same throw twice in a row. The footwork all has to be right.

– How much of a project is he? He’s an NFL starter at some point, but how long will it take to get there? The GM interviews and the white board work will go a long way.

8. Christian Hackenberg, Penn State

Pre-Combine Draft Projection: Third Round

What He Needs To Prove

– Bring it. Everyone knows the knocks. Everyone knows the horrendous tape on him. He’s a tools guy with a boatload of upside. That has to come through in every drill.

– The interview process will be a big part of the puzzle. Is he someone you want to develop and work with to mold as the face of your franchise? He’s not going to be the easiest sell to a fan base if he’s taken in the top 50.

– Accuracy, accuracy, accuracy. He didn’t have a good line to work behind over the last few years, but now there’s no excuse. Every throw has to be decisive and sharp – make people think/realize that is was the offense, not the player.

9. Nate Sudfeld, Indiana

Pre-Combine Draft Projection: Sixth Round

What He Needs To Prove

– Can he move at all? He has the arm, and he’s going to interview great, but he has feet of clay. He can’t be brutally slow and he can’t look too lumbering.

– The individual team interviews will be the make-or-break moments for him. More of a one-read passer in the Indiana system to keep things moving, he’ll have to somehow show he can read the entire field up on the white board.

– He needs some technique work to get more into his throws, but just how off is he? How much does he need to work on his basic fundamentals?

10. Cody Kessler, USC

Pre-Combine Draft Projection: Sixth Round

What He Needs To Prove

– He has to be able to do something at a high level to overcome his lack of size and bulk. He’s going to be seen as a Case Keenum type who can hold a clipboard and fill in once in a while. That has to change with a workout on the big stage.

– He can’t miss a throw. Everything has to be decisive and crisp. He’s not going to be considered an NFL starter, but he could have a nice career and make a lot of money if he looks the part of an In Case Of Emergency Break Glass option.

– Can me make throws on the move? That’s more of a Pro Day thing, but if he can be a little bit athletic to go along with his rep as a good pocket passer, he’ll have a good weekend.

Other Quarterbacks Invited To The Combine (alphabetically)

Vernon Adams, Oregon
Brandon Allen, Arkansas
Trevone Boykin, TCU
Brandon Doughty, WKU
Jeff Driskel, Louisiana Tech
Kevin Hogan, Stanford
Joel Stave, Wisconsin
Josh Woodrum, Liberty