Mayock's Look At The Draft: Quarterback
For the 12th straight year, NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock breaks down each position in the draft for the Daily News.
Mayock's Look At The Draft: Quarterback
Paul Domowitch, Daily News NFL Columnist
For the 12th straight year, NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock will break down each of the positions in the draft for the Daily News, providing his assessment of the best player at each position, as well as his top riser and sleeper. Mayock, 54, resides in Newtown Square and is a graduate of the Haverford School. He was a tenth-round pick of the Steelers in 1981 and played two seasons with the Giants (1982-83). I’ll run his assessments in the days leading up to the April 25 draft, starting today with the quarterbacks:
QUARTERBACKS
THE BEST
Geno Smith, West Virginia (6-2, 218)
40-time: 4.59
Hands: 9 1/4 inches
Round Projection: 1
Mayock: "He has all of the components of a franchise quarterback, but is not consistent enough on tape for me. He doesn’t have very good pocket awareness. He had something like 32 fumbles at West Virginia.
"He has no awareness of the rush surrounding him. I don’t sense a feel in the pocket to slide and move at all. I don’t sense an internal clock when he’s standing inside his own five-yard line. Common sense things I’d love to see and don’t.
"His deep-ball accuracy is erratic. I mean really erratic. Guys wide open (that he missed). Six to eight touchdowns that he threw away this year. He played horribly in the Bowl game in the snow (Pinstripe Bowl) and he also played poorly in the cold and wind at Iowa State. I’m not sure what that means other than it disturbs me. For me, there’s a bunch of different red flags, and it doesn’t add up to a top-10 quarterback. Or even top 20."
THE RISER
Tyler Bray, Tennessee (6-6, 232)
40-time: 5.05
Hands: 9 1/4 inches
Round Projection: 2-3
Mayock: "I think people are starting to recognize his arm talent and are digging deeper into what kind of kid he is, which was the knock. He’s got big-time arm talent. There’s no way he’ll get out of the third round, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he went in the second."
THE SLEEPER
Sean Renfree, Duke (6-3, 219)
40-time: 4.76
Hands: 9 inches
Round Projection: 5-6
Mayock: "He hurt his shoulder on the last snap of their bowl game and might not even get drafted. But he’s got the best anticipation and time of any quarterback in this draft. Part of it is because he’s got an average arm and has to. (Duke head coach) David Cutliffe told me that Sean approaches the game with a work ethic and passion similar to Peyton Manning’s."
Started with Sonny Jurgensen for Norm Snead....no Geno— Robert Garber- Geno Smith at 4 = another stupid decision by stupid decision makers. Trade down, trade down, trade down.— TrollXterminator
- Milner is weak, he scares no one.— TrollXterminator
- If we can't get Star at 4-may go to Raiders at 3-but if we can't get him-move down to 10 or 12 and get the OT. Move Todd to guard and put the fireman on the bench. Fix the o-line and run the ball with authority.— kingofpoker
- Please do not draft Smith. Please.— CrustyMacD
- They will NOT take Smith at #4...they may trade down and take him, along with another 2nd round pick or whatever...Chip isn't a dip wit like Howie.— BirdinParadise
- Mayock called it when he said Kaepernick was a good bet, but he couldn't be more wrong about Tennessee's Tyler Bray. I've watched him play a lot in the SEC. He is not good. Extremely inconsistent and not all that accurate, couple that with blazing 5.05 forty and you've got yourself a great QB. Kaepernick, at least had a nice forty time, so you knew he could run away when things got hot. Tyler Bray will not make it in the NFL. Guaranteed.— 1983ufgator
- The difference with the collegiate ranks and professional ranks is consistency. A good professional franchise QB has to be consistent in his production and most of these QB prospects lack consistency. It is what separates playoff teams from the bottom dwellers. Whether it is consistency with their accuracy on the deep ball or just hitting the open WR, a good professional has to hit his target accurately and consistently. Chip Kelly as a long time collegiate coach may not grasp this concept. Some coaches feel that they can coach the talent up, but when you consider the amount of first time new money these young athletes are receiving and their lifestyle changes with becoming a professional athlete, there can be too many distractions that inhibit concentration and skill improvement.
- Hey Troll, you're clearly an idiot if you think Milliner is weak. Wow, what scintillating insight. He's a stud, clear and simple - like your brain. All Milliner did at Alabama was earn freshman All-SEC, SEC first-team and first-team All-American as a junior. Oh yeah and, by the way, Alabama did pretty well while he was there winning national championships in 2011 and 2012. But you're right Milliner is weak and slow too - he only ran a 4.37 forty at the combine.— 1983ufgator
- Respectfully disagree. Not Star.
In the new 3-4 defense, Sopoaga will be the NT, and Cox will be one of the two DEs. In the 3-4, Star would be a DE at 6-3 311, and he is now considered middle 1st round.
Floyd, at 6-3 303, is the top 3-4 DE in the draft and is considered a top-4 pick. In the 3-4, the Eagles second DE spot is open. If he is there at #4, and the Eagles go DE at that pick - bet on Floyd, not Star.
Assuming no more free agent signings before the Draft, the Eagles Board will show 1) OT Joeckel, 2) OT Fisher, 3) 3-4 DE Floyd, 4) 3-4 OLB Jordan. Obviously 1 of these 4 will fall to #4. If a team takes QB Geno Smith at #2 or #3, then two of these four will drop to the Eagles for their choosing.
We all know that the "Eagles interest in QB Smith" was smoke, for this very reason - so that a team will take him at #2 or #3 and then two of the Eagles Board list of four will drop to the Eagles.
The 2 OTs are at the top because of the need to protect the Eagles QB as Herremans is moved back to guard to stabilize the offensive line. If either drop to the 4th pick, the Eagles will grab him.
— PhillyTeams
