Top NFL QB Prospects for 2018

[Augie]

I heard Daniel Jeremiah on Sirius a little while ago (I enjoy listening to him), and he was higher on Mayfield than I expected. Likes his throwing motion and says he’s more Russell Wilson than Drew Brees. I’ve only seen Mayfield once, and that was against Rudolph with the score resembling a slow basketball game, so I’m not sure what to take away from THAT. 

[Buffalo Barbarian]

21 hours ago, 26CornerBlitz said:

 

 

Just shoot me, stay in Sam

[GunnerBill]

17 hours ago, YoloinOhio said:

 

 

I absolutely agree with this.  I don't see the Johnny Football comparisons at all beyond the obvious height issue.  Manziel made his hay in college outside of the pocket, on broken plays and Mike Evans circus catches.  I don't know if people remember this but there was a pretty long argument on this board about whether Manziel was making Evans a first rounder or Evans was making Manziel a first rounder.  I thought it was absurd at the time because to me it was obvious (Evans was the guy I wanted the Bills to draft in 2014).  

 

Mayfield can play from the pocket in a way Manziel never could.  Do I worry about a QB who is 5ft11 (listed at 6ft1 but he is NEVER 6ft1) playing from the pocket in the NFL?  Yes, I do.... but I think the accuracy is there, I think the decision making is there and there is no doubt the arm is there.  The one thing that has concerned me a little on my two full game viewings of Mayfield so far is that I haven't seen him asked to run many staple NFL concepts.  I'm pretty clear he is a 1st rounder though at this stage.  

[JohnC]

3 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

I absolutely agree with this.  I don't see the Johnny Football comparisons at all beyond the obvious height issue.  Manziel made his hay in college outside of the pocket, on broken plays and Mike Evans circus catches.  I don't know if people remember this but there was a pretty long argument on this board about whether Manziel was making Evans a first rounder or Evans was making Manziel a first rounder.  I thought it was absurd at the time because to me it was obvious (Evans was the guy I wanted the Bills to draft in 2014).  

 

Mayfield can play from the pocket in a way Manziel never could.  Do I worry about a QB who is 5ft11 (listed at 6ft1 but he is NEVER 6ft1) playing from the pocket in the NFL?  Yes, I do.... but I think the accuracy is there, I think the decision making is there and there is no doubt the arm is there. The one thing that has concerned me a little on my two full game viewings of Mayfield so far is that I haven't seen him asked to run many staple NFL concepts. I'm pretty clear he is a 1st rounder though at this stage.  

I don't know what pro concept Mayfield can't execute well. He is not a pure pocket passer but that doesn't bother me. Smart and flexible OCs adapt the game to the qb's assets instead of adhering to a philosophy. Does anyone doubt that the past three Buffalo OCs had to adjust their calls to Taylor's unique talents? 

 

From what I have seen of Mayfield he is the most dynamic qb in the field. That doesn't mean that the other qbs with different attributes are better or not. They are different qbs with different styles who need to be handled properly to maximize their utility. There are a menu of good qb prospects in this draft. Because of our collection of picks the Bills are in a good position to address a major need. Dithering is not a solution---it is a problem that has plagued this faltering franchise. 

[26CornerBlitz]

 

Smile @JohnC

[GunnerBill]

1 minute ago, JohnC said:

I don't know what pro concept Mayfield can't execute well. 

 

Nor do I.  My point is I don't know how many NFL concepts the Oklahoma offense includes, but I haven't seen many.  Mayfield is a good decision maker, which encourages me that he may be able to adjust comfortably to more pro-concept style reads and route combinations.... just that in the two full games I have watched I haven't seen much of it in their offense.  That does make some of the projections difficult.  But I like Mayfield and my grade on him is trending in the right direction.  

[JohnC]

4 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Nor do I.  My point is I don't know how many NFL concepts the Oklahoma offense includes, but I haven't seen many.  Mayfield is a good decision maker, which encourages me that he may be able to adjust comfortably to more pro-concept style reads and route combinations.... just that in the two full games I have watched I haven't seen much of it in their offense.  That does make some of the projections difficult.  But I like Mayfield and my grade on him is trending in the right direction.  

He's got the accuracy that Taylor will never have. What I really like about Mayfield is that he uses the whole field and his ball placement is superb. When watching him he is a galvanizing player. He is far from being a prototypical pro qb. However, any scout that evaluates him with those outdated prototypical standards should be banished to the ash heaps of antiquity. 

[thebandit27]

18 hours ago, Augie said:

I heard Daniel Jeremiah on Sirius a little while ago (I enjoy listening to him), and he was higher on Mayfield than I expected. Likes his throwing motion and says he’s more Russell Wilson than Drew Brees. I’ve only seen Mayfield once, and that was against Rudolph with the score resembling a slow basketball game, so I’m not sure what to take away from THAT. 

 

Doesn't surprise me at all--DJ and I tend to come down on the same side of the fence with many prospects, and Mayfield has been my QB1 for this class for the better part of a year.

 

I think Rosen will be the first QB off the board come April, and maybe the only R1 QB when all is said and done, but I think Mayfield will surprise folks with where he's drafted.  Of course, if his Senior Bowl measurements are a big disappointment (say, he comes in under 6'0" tall and with a hand size below 9"), then he'll probably plummet.

[Augie]

23 minutes ago, thebandit27 said:

 

Doesn't surprise me at all--DJ and I tend to come down on the same side of the fence with many prospects, and Mayfield has been my QB1 for this class for the better part of a year.

 

I think Rosen will be the first QB off the board come April, and maybe the only R1 QB when all is said and done, but I think Mayfield will surprise folks with where he's drafted.  Of course, if his Senior Bowl measurements are a big disappointment (say, he comes in under 6'0" tall and with a hand size below 9"), then he'll probably plummet.

 

I’m not saying it’s not real (at all), but sometimes I’ll hold my thumb and forefinger about two inches apart, and wonder how that can make  so much of a difference in evaluation and performance. It’s just.....hard to fathom that so little could mean so much. Where does he get picked at 5’11-3/4”? How about 6’2”? 

[thebandit27]

1 hour ago, Augie said:

 

I’m not saying it’s not real (at all), but sometimes I’ll hold my thumb and forefinger about two inches apart, and wonder how that can make  so much of a difference in evaluation and performance. It’s just.....hard to fathom that so little could mean so much. Where does he get picked at 5’11-3/4”? How about 6’2”? 

 

Oh I agree--I have a few friends in the scouting community, and one of them says that when he submits his reports, he adds his own box titled "can he play?"

 

For me, I don't care one lick if Mayfield comes in under 6'0".  The hand size thing is something to watch for, but unless he's woefully small in that department, he's not dropping on my board.

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[Woodman19]

I'm surprised there isn't more talk about Clayton Thorson.  He has NFL size, tools and is a McDermott type of character who may declare if he can continue his good season.  This is exactly the type of QB prospect that fits our likely draft position, offensive system and the culture that's being built. 

 

Good mechanics, strong arm, accurate and intelligent with solid athleticism.  Likely to require a year of development time though.

[Laughing Coffin]

I don't think Beane wants to sit at our draft position at get the 4th or 5th QB drafted.  That's a recipe for disaster if the past is any indicator.  IF we identify OUR GUY in this draft, be it rosen, darnold, jackson, mayfield, etc. we will do what is necessary to trade up to get him.

[Watkins101]

On 11/8/2017 at 3:20 PM, 26CornerBlitz said:

 

Isnt taking too long to throw one of our big problems with Taylor?

[26CornerBlitz]

2 minutes ago, Watkins101 said:

Isnt taking too long to throw one of our big problems with Taylor?

 

That's both a yes and a no.

[H2o]

1 hour ago, Laughing Coffin said:

I don't think Beane wants to sit at our draft position at get the 4th or 5th QB drafted.  That's a recipe for disaster if the past is any indicator.  IF we identify OUR GUY in this draft, be it rosen, darnold, jackson, mayfield, etc. we will do what is necessary to trade up to get him.

I really think Darnold returns for another year to try and repair his stock. Jackson is not a QB, he is a more athletic version of EJ Manuel who's NFL position is likely WR. The top 3 QB's will be Rosen, Mayfield, and Allen imo with Falk and Rudolph being in that 2nd tier. This class looks a lot weaker than it did about 6 months ago. Another guy to watch is Ryan Finley from NC State. Very accurate and seems to process info well. Very good on the intermediate timing routes. Seems like a good WC fit. 

[thebandit27]

45 minutes ago, Watkins101 said:

Isnt taking too long to throw one of our big problems with Taylor?

 

Yes, but the real question isn't how long he takes to throw, it's whether or not he can speed things up in the pros.

 

That was the big question with Carson Wentz--who had a long time-to-throw even at the FCS level--and so far he's looked like he can adapt.

[The Now Moment]

Josh Allen reminds me of a young Brett Favre, has an absolute gun of an arm.  Can throw off his back foot...you name it, he can throw it.  Doesn't make the best decisions as he has a terrible cast around him.  Should be considered a high draft pick and placed on the bench to learn for the first year.  Athletic and has an arm.  If he has good interviews, I wouldn't be surprised to see him drafted high by a team that doesn't need to throw him into the fire immediately.

[H2o]

1 minute ago, Buffalo30 said:

Josh Allen reminds me of a young Brett Favre, has an absolute gun of an arm.  Can throw off his back foot...you name it, he can throw it.  Doesn't make the best decisions as he has a terrible cast around him.  Should be considered a high draft pick and placed on the bench to learn for the first year.  Athletic and has an arm.  If he has good interviews, I wouldn't be surprised to see him drafted high by a team that doesn't need to throw him into the fire immediately.

A lot of what I heard going into this year was he is a better version of Patrick Mahomes. 

[C.Biscuit97]

26 minutes ago, H2o said:

A lot of what I heard going into this year was he is a better version of Patrick Mahomes. 

He’s not. He’s one of the most overrated qbs in a long time.  It feels like mcShay has some deal with his agent to pimp him.  I get losing players around you.  But he is struggling in the WAC.  

 

And i gotta say I am switching my opinion on Baker.  He might be as big of a d bag as I thought.  I still would rather have Rosen or Rudolph but I could get with a backup plan of Baker sitting behind TT for a year.  Not close to my favorite scenario but I won’t hate it.  I’m not 100% convince on his nfl talent but he’s a gamer and I think his team loved him.

[The Now Moment]

1 hour ago, H2o said:

A lot of what I heard going into this year was he is a better version of Patrick Mahomes. 

The lack of talent around him has put him in a terrible situation this year.  But he has all the tools and hasn't been a problem off the field.  Might not get the top QB type grade but with the right coaching and given some time to develop, I think he would be a solid franchise QB in this league at the very least.

[C.Biscuit97]

52 minutes ago, Buffalo30 said:

The lack of talent around him has put him in a terrible situation this year.  But he has all the tools and hasn't been a problem off the field.  Might not get the top QB type grade but with the right coaching and given some time to develop, I think he would be a solid franchise QB in this league at the very least.

How many of those guys actually develop?  I get this if you’re at a power conference school.  But Allen should be putting up much bigger numbers in the WAC.  You’re not going to play in perfect situations in the nfl.

[The Now Moment]

4 minutes ago, C.Biscuit97 said:

How many of those guys actually develop?  I get this if you’re at a power conference school.  But Allen should be putting up much bigger numbers in the WAC.  You’re not going to play in perfect situations in the nfl.

I think our situation is a good one for a player like him though.  We have a good deal of talent on offense and with all sorts of cap and draft picks this year, I think that will only increase.  He doesn't have to sit the entire season, David Carr started as the third string QB and then was thrust into the lineup after injuries.  I think the kid has what it takes with the right kind of people around him.  I think that McDermott is the type of guy that I'd want as the Head Coach with a young QB.  He seems to be able to boost players confidence even when they don't play well.  I just think the kid has the highest potential in this draft class with his arm talent and mobility.  I think the only reason people are having doubts is because he isn't at a power conference and that shouldn't hurt him because if you really watch the games, he's running for his life behind the oline and has terrible options to throw to.  With the right situation and development, yeah I think he can be the guy.

[JohnC]

5 minutes ago, Buffalo30 said:

I think our situation is a good one for a player like him though.  We have a good deal of talent on offense and with all sorts of cap and draft picks this year, I think that will only increase.  He doesn't have to sit the entire season, David Carr started as the third string QB and then was thrust into the lineup after injuries.  I think the kid has what it takes with the right kind of people around him.  I think that McDermott is the type of guy that I'd want as the Head Coach with a young QB.  He seems to be able to boost players confidence even when they don't play well.  I just think the kid has the highest potential in this draft class with his arm talent and mobility.  I think the only reason people are having doubts is because he isn't at a power conference and that shouldn't hurt him because if you really watch the games, he's running for his life behind the oline and has terrible options to throw to.  With the right situation and development, yeah I think he can be the guy.

I'm open-minded regarding qb prospects. But for me the issue isn't so much physical attributes as it is actual production. Mayfield has played in big games such as at Ohio State and at Oklahoma State. In each game he was the most dynamic player on the field full of talented players. What has intrigued me as much as his production on the field is watching how the other players respond to him and he responds to them. That type of charisma can't be faked. You either have it or not. 

 

My impression of his as a player and person is that he is not the type of player that requires a long time to get acclimated to the more challenging pro game. My impression that he is resilient enough and confident enough to handle the tribulations that are part of the learning process. I like him a lot yet am still open-minded on other prospects. 

[Solomon Grundy]

26 minutes ago, JohnC said:

I'm open-minded regarding qb prospects. But for me the issue isn't so much physical attributes as it is actual production. Mayfield has played in big games such as at Ohio State and at Oklahoma State. In each game he was the most dynamic player on the field full of talented players. What has intrigued me as much as his production on the field is watching how the other players respond to him and he responds to them. That type of charisma can't be faked. You either have it or not. 

 

My impression of his as a player and person is that he is not the type of player that requires a long time to get acclimated to the more challenging pro game. My impression that he is resilient enough and confident enough to handle the tribulations that are part of the learning process. I like him a lot yet am still open-minded on other prospects. 

Mayfield and Lamar Jackson passes the "eyeball test"

[The Now Moment]

35 minutes ago, JohnC said:

I'm open-minded regarding qb prospects. But for me the issue isn't so much physical attributes as it is actual production. Mayfield has played in big games such as at Ohio State and at Oklahoma State. In each game he was the most dynamic player on the field full of talented players. What has intrigued me as much as his production on the field is watching how the other players respond to him and he responds to them. That type of charisma can't be faked. You either have it or not. 

 

My impression of his as a player and person is that he is not the type of player that requires a long time to get acclimated to the more challenging pro game. My impression that he is resilient enough and confident enough to handle the tribulations that are part of the learning process. I like him a lot yet am still open-minded on other prospects. 

I just have a difficult time with his height.  The NFL has some huge players, I wonder how he will do trying to look over and around guys that are 6'5".  To me, with the bigger faster players at every position, a big armed QB is needed for a passing attack.  Josh Allen has made some Aaron Rodgers type throws in his college career and had a game winning drive a few games ago. I just think some team will fall in love with him and his abilities as a 6'5" 240 lb QB with a rocket arm and Andrew Luck type mobility.  

[Apocalypse Nuts]

Just my two cents:

 

I'm a big Oklahoma fan, lived there the year they beat FSU for the championship and the atmosphere around the entire state was ELECTRIC!  I've been skeptical about Mayfield due to his size, but he seems to always see the whole field, and that's having those pretty big OU linemen in front of him all the time.  He always knows where he's going with the ball.

 

What I like most is how accurate his throws are short and intermediate.  His quick passes to the RB's are beauty.  IMHO Tyrod has a nicer long ball.  The guy can just flick it and it goes 50+ yards.  But Mayfield seems to react quicker and gets the ball out faster no matter what the route is.  Shows great anticipation, knowledge of a very complicated offense, etc.

 

He's really impressed me this year with less talent in the WR corps on OU.  The guy is just a gamer though.  Reminds me more of Favre than anyone in recent memory.  Love his competitiveness.  I'll be very disappointed if Beane doesn't do what it takes to get him early.  He can sit for a year or two behind TT and learn the pro game.

 

What a dream it would be to have Mayfield starting in a year or two and TT as the backup (dream). 

[Laughing Coffin]

21 minutes ago, Buffalo30 said:

I just have a difficult time with his height.  The NFL has some huge players, I wonder how he will do trying to look over and around guys that are 6'5".  To me, with the bigger faster players at every position, a big armed QB is needed for a passing attack.  Josh Allen has made some Aaron Rodgers type throws in his college career and had a game winning drive a few games ago. I just think some team will fall in love with him and his abilities as a 6'5" 240 lb QB with a rocket arm and Andrew Luck type mobility.  

 

Agreed.  Teams will scheme to keep mayfield in the pocket and make him throw through 6’5” + DL with their hands up in windows.  it’s just not feasible.  

 

I too think Allen will impress in the individual workouts enough for a team to think they can coach him up

[The Now Moment]

2 hours ago, Mr Beavers said:

Just my two cents:

 

I'm a big Oklahoma fan, lived there the year they beat FSU for the championship and the atmosphere around the entire state was ELECTRIC!  I've been skeptical about Mayfield due to his size, but he seems to always see the whole field, and that's having those pretty big OU linemen in front of him all the time.  He always knows where he's going with the ball.

 

What I like most is how accurate his throws are short and intermediate.  His quick passes to the RB's are beauty.  IMHO Tyrod has a nicer long ball.  The guy can just flick it and it goes 50+ yards.  But Mayfield seems to react quicker and gets the ball out faster no matter what the route is.  Shows great anticipation, knowledge of a very complicated offense, etc.

 

He's really impressed me this year with less talent in the WR corps on OU.  The guy is just a gamer though.  Reminds me more of Favre than anyone in recent memory.  Love his competitiveness.  I'll be very disappointed if Beane doesn't do what it takes to get him early.  He can sit for a year or two behind TT and learn the pro game.

 

What a dream it would be to have Mayfield starting in a year or two and TT as the backup (dream). 

I don't think he has the arm to be compared to Favre.

[GunnerBill]

I could not be more against Josh Allen if he had stolen my car keys. 

 

His two games against legitimate competition this year he stunk. And it wasn't because of talent around him.... he was wildly inaccurate and made atrocious decisions. 

 

If the Bills draft him early I will smash my head against the closest wall. 

Edited November 11, 2017 by GunnerBill

[Buffalo Barbarian]

On 11/9/2017 at 3:01 PM, 26CornerBlitz said:

 

 

I will be shocked. We all see the arm but the results have NOT been there.

13 hours ago, JohnC said:

I'm open-minded regarding qb prospects. But for me the issue isn't so much physical attributes as it is actual production. Mayfield has played in big games such as at Ohio State and at Oklahoma State. In each game he was the most dynamic player on the field full of talented players. What has intrigued me as much as his production on the field is watching how the other players respond to him and he responds to them. That type of charisma can't be faked. You either have it or not. 

 

My impression of his as a player and person is that he is not the type of player that requires a long time to get acclimated to the more challenging pro game. My impression that he is resilient enough and confident enough to handle the tribulations that are part of the learning process. I like him a lot yet am still open-minded on other prospects. 

 

Agreed, he's not my favorite but neither was Russel Wilson and id take that dude in a minute.

[Buffalo Barbarian]

12 hours ago, Buffalo30 said:

I just have a difficult time with his height.  The NFL has some huge players, I wonder how he will do trying to look over and around guys that are 6'5".  To me, with the bigger faster players at every position, a big armed QB is needed for a passing attack.  Josh Allen has made some Aaron Rodgers type throws in his college career and had a game winning drive a few games ago. I just think some team will fall in love with him and his abilities as a 6'5" 240 lb QB with a rocket arm and Andrew Luck type mobility.  

 

I would trade for Luck in a heartbeat. He has been screwed by his former GM with no team around him.

 

He would be a perfect fit here with what we want to do, it would be like NFL Stanford.

[Billsfansinceday1]

11 minutes ago, Buffalo Barbarian said:

 

I would trade for Luck in a heartbeat. He has been screwed by his former GM with no team around him.

 

He would be a perfect fit here with what we want to do, it would be like NFL Stanford.

I am wondering if Luck, Cousins and Alex Smith are going to be available next year.  There are quite a few teams that would benefit from having them as their QB and that would have a dramatic effect on the draft status of some of these promising young QBs.

 

I would have no objection to having Luck in a Bills uniform.

[GunnerBill]

10 hours ago, Buffalo30 said:

I don't think he has the arm to be compared to Favre.

 

Mayfield has plenty of arm. Don't worry about that. 

[Buffalo Barbarian]

8 minutes ago, Billsfansinceday1 said:

I am wondering if Luck, Cousins and Alex Smith are going to be available next year.  There are quite a few teams that would benefit from having them as their QB and that would have a dramatic effect on the draft status of some of these promising young QBs.

 

I would have no objection to having Luck in a Bills uniform.

 

I'd take all those guys; Luck, Smith then Cousins.

[OldTimeAFLGuy]

UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen has reportedly cleared concussion protocol and is in line to start the Bruins' home game Saturday night against Arizona State at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.  

 

Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times provided the status update Friday.

 

Rosen originally suffered the injury during UCLA's 44-23 loss to Washington on Oct. 28. He missed last week's 48-17 blowout defeat at the hands of Utah while recovering from the concussion.

[H2o]

15 hours ago, the skycap said:

Mayfield and Lamar Jackson passes the "eyeball test"

Lamar Jackson? No thanks. The guy is a heck of an athlete, a Heisman winner, but I don't see him making it at QB in the NFL. The games I have seen, especially this year when he was supposed to be an "improved passer", he is still all over the place. One throw a dime and the next you're like htf did he miss that guy. His mechanics aren't that great as far as his footwork either. He's like a Troy Smith, Calvin Pryor type of QB. He will probably end up a WR at the next level. I sure as hell don't want the Bills to waste a pick on him in hopes he will be our future QB.  

[Solomon Grundy]

4 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

I could not be more against Josh Allen if he had stolen my car keys. 

 

His two games against legitimate competition this year he stunk. And it wasn't because of talent around him.... he was wildly inaccurate and made atrocious decisions. 

 

If the Bills draft him early I will smash my head against the closest wall. 

Don't worry Gunner, the mocks don't have the Bills drafting a QB next year

19 minutes ago, H2o said:

Lamar Jackson? No thanks. The guy is a heck of an athlete, a Heisman winner, but I don't see him making it at QB in the NFL. The games I have seen, especially this year when he was supposed to be an "improved passer", he is still all over the place. One throw a dime and the next you're like htf did he miss that guy. His mechanics aren't that great as far as his footwork either. He's like a Troy Smith, Calvin Pryor type of QB. He will probably end up a WR at the next level. I sure as hell don't want the Bills to waste a pick on him in hopes he will be our future QB.  

He's a bigger version of Tyrod Taylor. His production, in college is equal to if not better than Baker Mayfield and every QB expert says he has developed as a passer. The Bills need a type of QB who can put offense on his back and produce and Mayfield and Jackson are the only two who I've seen do it consistently 

[H2o]

7 minutes ago, the skycap said:

Don't worry Gunner, the mocks don't have the Bills drafting a QB next year

He's a bigger version of Tyrod Taylor. His production, in college is equal to if not better than Baker Mayfield and every QB expert says he has developed as a passer. The Bills need a type of QB who can put offense on his back and produce and Mayfield and Jackson are the only two who I've seen do it consistently 

I would take a chance on Mayfield because I have seen him make his throws consistently, reading the whole field. He also seems to embrace big moments. The guys is a QB who is athletic enough to run if he has to. Jackson is too erratic and is more of an athlete playing the QB position imo. He reminds me of Kaepernick. 

[The Now Moment]

2 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Mayfield has plenty of arm. Don't worry about that. 

He's got a noodle compared to Favre.  But almost everyone does compared to him so...I just prefer Josh Allen's height, arm strength (actually comparable to Favre as he throws heaters through small windows.  If you really dive into the tape, you see some really great things from Allen and just how terrible his supporting cast is.  If Mayfield doesn't have the best tight end in college football and all the other support he has on that Oklahoma team...he's not even considered a draft pick.  Josh Allen is still considered a high pick with scarecrows for lineman.  That's just my opinion though.