You can be good against the blitz in college but bad in the pros and visa versa as most of the time you are not running the same schemes you ran in college and/or going against the same type of defenses.
Nor do college quarterbacks ever really have the jurisdiction to alter plays at the line or call out the protection. It's all done from the sidelines with those stupid hand signals and cards. It's a big reason why every opinion banging the "processing speed" card as a positive for one and a negative for another is rendered useless when the slate is reset in the pros. It's not like NFL passers are routinely getting to their fourth and fifth reads. They do pre determine what they'd like to do with the ball before the play in junction with their receivers based on alignment and leverage. That doesn't mean it doesn't change when the ball is snapped of course. That's why it's tough to really take an analysis on processing speed seriously when it's pretty much a different game and it's a terribly hard 'skill' to project. Eli Manning made countless boneheaded decisions and he was a magician at the line just like his brother who didn't make those boneheaded throws.
I think the Darnold/Wilson comparisons are apt in that they were/are both top QB prospects. I think if they were in same draft Wilson would rank ahead of Darnold due to decision making, experience & deep ball accuracy. I still think Darnold was a very good QB prospect that was given zero help from the organization that drafted him. Not only did they not give him any help they hindered his development. We can only hope that if Wilson is the pick or Fields for that matter who is also a very good Qb prospect the Jets do a much better job helping them reach their potential.
Folks act like Fields is coming from the Wishbone and there’s not enough there to project him as a passer.
Doesn't the bold imply that there are certain innate differences in how different guys process information post snap, and that it's not the sort of thing that can be learned/improved? I agree it's super hard to scout, though. I think that's the main reason evaluating QB prospects is so difficult.
Did anyone project Darnold to be a zero between the ears? The guy looks absolutely baffled when he drops back to pass. He can't handle a blitz and his pocket awareness is extremely suspect (TBF that could be from all the pressure he's faced.) But I've seen too much tape where he simply doesn't see the open receiver because he is locked on to his first read. I've also seen him look at a wide open guy and choose to try to force it in to a guy double covered. He just doesn't strike me as bright when it comes to the QB position.
I’m not sure if Wilson would have been ranked ahead. Wilson is benefiting from both past recent underdrafted players a la Mahomes & Allen & overdrafted players like Darnold. I think they all build on each other. You couldn’t tell the Kipers & McShays of the world that Darnold wasn’t the best QB in the 2018 class. They are still willing to die on that hill til this day. It’s funny to make fun & discredit them but their narratives influence perception. I don’t think Wilson is considered at 2 years prior.
It is an interesting theory, unfortunately, I think you will be disappointed like I was when Barkley went to the Giants and we took Sam. I don't think I will be disappointed as he is an absolute beast but #2 seems high all the same lol
Thanks for that. Not only did they say he can read the field, they said his comparison was Andrew Luck. Let me ask you. Did you agree with that when it came out? Of course you didn't.
I called him Ryan Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick is probably one of the most “mentally” sharp players in the NFL. That hasn’t excused him from making some of the dumbest mistakes at times.
Yes, I agree that he was a little picky. He's obviously trying to counter the accusation that he's just a Wilson Fan Boi, but he did make some good points too. That said, no one is claiming that Zach is perfect. NONE of these QBs are, even the "sainted" Lawrence. Nor was Peyton Manning or Andrew Luck perfect. There is NO way to completely guarantee that a college player will successfully make the transition to the pros. Not only do they play different systems, the talent around them and that they play against is so much different that NFL talent, you can only make educated projections and expect to make a lot of mistakes. This is why the attempt by Wilson haters to discount his stats because of who he played is so weak - how many good-great QBs played on "weak" teams in "weak" conferences, and yet they still succeeded? Using "strength of schedule" is particularly error-prone. Getting back to your point about two "experts" disagreeing on the same tape, this is why you need to check out a lot of different opinions, and you can't just take one guys tweet or article and say "See? That proves X, Y, or Z". I'll continue to weigh all the reputable evidence I can find, and remain open to changing my mind. So far, Wilson remains my #1, but Fields would be fine as Plan B.
They didn't account for his lack of awareness and adjusting on the fly. Andrew Luck got sacked a lot but he never saw ghosts
That's an interesting take, and the first I've heard of it, but it makes sense. It doesn't mean that Wilson isn't able to process quickly, or that he doesn't. But after watching the O'Sullivan break down I see where Wilson is pre-determining his decision. At least he can read a defense pre-snap and react to it.
He probably can do more with that Harvard degree. Probably will open a investment firm and trade securities or crypto
