Senior Bowl: Evaluating Carr, Garoppolo
January, 22, 2014
Jimmy Garoppolo and Derek Carr each have shown tantalizing flashes of talent at the Senior Bowl.
MOBILE, Ala. -- Quarterback play tends to be the focus of many NFL draft discussions, and the six at the 2014 Senior Bowl have certainly garnered their fair share of attention.
Some of these guys are relatively well-known commodities, and in the cases of Clemson's Tajh Boyd, Miami's Stephen Morris and Virginia Tech's Logan Thomas, their performances so far this week haven't significantly varied from what we expected coming in.
Boyd's best day of practice was Tuesday, when he wasn't great, but was more consistent throwing the ball than Morris and Thomas. But the bottom line with him is that he's a shorter QB who continues to struggle to see the field, go through his progressions and anticipate throws.
Morris measured as surprisingly small (just 6-foot-1, 208 pounds), and while he makes some throws that kind of keep you intrigued, he still needs a lot of work with his consistency.
Thomas is the most intriguing of all the QBs here in terms of his developmental potential, given his big arm (he makes a lot of “wow” throws) and 6-5, 250-pound frame, and he showed some improvement throughout the week. But his footwork is still all over the place and a team that drafts him is going to have to be very patient with him.
The two guys who are gaining a little more buzz, and perhaps carrying more varying opinions about them among NFL scouts, are Fresno State's Derek Carr and Eastern Illinois' Jimmy Garoppolo. As we wrote on Monday, this year's QB class isn't as deep as we expected it would be, and there's a question as to either of these guys could potentially emerge in that second tier of QBs behind UCF's Blake Bortles, Louisville's Teddy Bridgewater and Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel.
Let's take a look at what each of these guys does well, including how they've performed in Mobile, and what the remaining questions are about them as prospects. They certainly have scouts intrigued. But will they be deemed worthy of a high draft pick?
Carr: When Carr doesn't have to deal with pressure, he can be a very effective quarterback. He has pretty quick feet and can be very accurate on short and intermediate throws. That's why it isn't surprising that he's performed well this week in Mobile, as he isn't facing any fear of pressure in the drills. He has shown well in practices, doing exactly what you'd want to see out of him.
But the problem we're seeing when we watch Carr on tape is that his mechanics and throwing accuracy fail when pressure is a threat. We've studied seven tapes of him over a two-season span, and we've seen him consistently have trouble dealing with the pass rush. Additionally, his footwork can be sloppy at times, and he has some significant work to do on his lower-body mechanics.
In our experience, unless there's a specific reason for struggles while in college (and Carr had an ideal situation at Fresno State, with a good offensive coaching staff and skill-position players around him), performances at all-star games like the Senior Bowl should never trump what stands out about a player on tape. Which is why, even as he shines this week in Mobile, we have some concerns about Carr's game.
Garoppolo: Having come from a small school, there's a lot less known about Garoppolo, but he certainly has NFL scouts intrigued. We saw him at the East-West Shrine Game, and he stood out as the best QB there. We've watched only two tapes on him so far, but we liked what we've seen. He's light on his feet, has sound mechanics and a quick release. And while he doesn't have a big-time arm, his arm strength is adequate and he can make all the NFL throws.
He ha flashed anticipation as a passer this week in Mobile, but what has really stood out is his ability to marry his feet with his eyes, making him always ready to get the ball out as he goes through his progressions. He underwhelmed us on Wednesday after good showings Monday and Tuesday, but there are reasons to excuse that a bit, seeing as how he's in the midst of his second consecutive week of All-Star game practices, which can drain on you both physically and mentally. (A quarterback make a ton of throws at these events.)
The bottom line for us is that we're excited to study Garoppolo further (in particular, we'll be looking to see how he fares throwing the ball in bad-weather games, given his small hand size), but the limited amount we've seen so far makes us think that he could be a potential NFL starter. If teams end up feeling the same about him -- or Carr -- that could go a long way toward shaping the second tier of QBs in this draft.
Players not to lose sight of during the workout process
The Senior Bowl represents the last time in the draft process that we will see actual football being played –- from here on out, there will be a lot of focus on individual pro day workouts, interviews and the NFL combine.
The following four guys aren’t likely to do well when it comes to their measurements, but teams should continue to keep them in mind and remind themselves of how good they look on the field and on tape. Each stands out more as a football player than he will as an athlete.
Linebacker Chris Borland doesn't have prototypical size, but his instincts make him effective.
LB Chris Borland, Wisconsin: His measureables are lacking for the position, as he’s short (5-11⅜) and has really short arms (28⅞). Those are both big concerns for a linebacker, given the importance of being able to take on and get off of blocks. But as we’ve seen throughout his career with the Badgers, and in practices this week, Borland’s instincts allow him to overcome his lack of size. He appears to diagnose plays earlier than most other linebackers, and he takes really good angles as well.
The best comparison for him is Zach Thomas, who always jumped out for his intensity level and instincts, not just in the run game but also in coverage and as a blitzer (he had a knack for knowing when the crease would open and hitting it at the right time, like a running back). Borland has shown some of those similar qualities on tape and in practice this week, and while he’s not an elite athlete by any stretch, he’s quick and instinctive enough to hold up in coverage. And he packs a punch as a hitter. We think he belongs as a second- or third-round pick, ideally as a 4-3 middle linebacker.
OT Jack Mewhort, Ohio State: He isn’t an elite athlete, and he has less-than-ideal length (33-inch arms) and is on the lighter side (306 pounds) for a right tackle prospect. He’s not an overwhelming run blocker or the most athletic pass blocker, but he hasn’t been beat once here in Mobile. His footwork and hand placement have been impressive, and he frustrated defensive line prospects James Gayle (Virginia Tech) and William Clarke (West Virginia) in 1-on-1 drills.
Simply put: He’s a better football player than he is an athlete, and while he might not wow you on tape, he consistently gets the job done.
DT Will Sutton, Arizona State: At 6-foot, 315 pounds, he isn’t going to win any Mr. Universe contests, and his body type will likely be a concern for NFL teams. Even if he loses some weight between now and the draft, his height could be an issue, as it will for Pittsburgh’s Aaron Donald. But teams can’t forget about how well he performs on the field. He has a quick-first step for his size and he can disrupt running plays in the backfield, plus his girth and low center of gravity make it tougher for taller offensive linemen to get under him and move him off the ball, as we’ve seen in practices this week.
If NFL teams looking for a 3-technique defensive tackle can throw out his measurements and just watch the tape, they’ll see a guy who can make an impact early.
WR Jalen Saunders, Oklahoma: He’s small at 5-9, 170 pounds, has small hands, and he might not run a great 40 time (our best guess is he’ll run in the 4.5 range, which is good but not an elite time you might want to see from a smaller receiver like Saunders). But this guy plays faster than his times will indicate. He’s got really good feel as a route runner with the quickness and suddenness to separate, and he has caught the ball really well this week. He was productive as a receiver both at Fresno State and after he transferred to Oklahoma, and he’s a proven returner, which provides added versatility. Teams might be a little turned off by his slight frame and lack of elite speed, but we think his overall instincts at the position along with his quickness make him a guy who could end up being a pretty good no. 3 or no. 4 receiver in the NFL as a Day 2 or Day 3 prospect.