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2014 Senior Bowl Quarterbacks

Walt12 mins


By Walt – @walterfootball
Jan. 26, 2014



2014 Senior Bowl Quarterbacks

The Senior Bowl tends to have a big impact on where players are drafted, given that NFL general managers are getting a close look at these prospects for the first time. This is especially magnified for quarterbacks. Philip Rivers, Joe Flacco and E.J. Manuel all enjoyed outstanding Senior Bowl performances in the past and had improved their draft stock as a result. Conversely, those who performed poorly or skipped the game entirely found themselves dropping on big boards. Geno Smith is a perfect example of this. A.J. McCarron will also be penalized as a result.

I’m going to take a look at how each of the quarterbacks performed in the Senior Bowl and what each of their draft range is. This will be followed by a poll at the bottom of the article.

Derek Carr, Fresno State
This week was huge for Derek Carr. Some of his detractors believed that he was merely a product of the system at Fresno State. He would be able to silence those critics with a strong showing in Mobile.

Carr had a nice week of practice, but didn’t perform well in the game. He completed 7-of-11 attempts, but for only 45 yards. As the numbers would indicate, he dinked and dunked for the most part. The coaches dialed up a long pass to Oklahoma wideout Jalen Saunders, but Carr settled for the short pass instead, which turned out to be a minimal gain. Carr was also nearly picked by Nebraska cornerback Stanley Jean-Baptiste and had an errant deep pass to Cody Hoffman. He nearly connected on a long throw to Alabama receiver Kevin Norwood, but Norwood inexplicably stopped his route. Daniel Jeremiah joked that Norwood didn’t expect the ball to get there because he was so used to the weak-armed McCarron lofting passes to him.

Carr, who met with the Vikings – go here to check out all of the NFL Draft Prospect Team Meetings – has a chance to be chosen No. 8 overall, but it’s more likely that he’ll be selected atop Round 2. That’s what I have happening in my 2014 NFL Mock Draft.

2014 NFL Draft Projection: 1st-2nd Round




Jimmy Garoppolo, Eastern Illinois
The next quarterback in for the South team was Jimmy Garoppolo. He stood out as the top signal-caller at the East-West Shrine Game and was invited to Mobile because of an injury to another quarterback.

Garoppolo, who also had a nice showing in practice, started out with an impressive throw. He made a very nice 12-yard strike after rolling out left and squaring his shoulders. Unfortunately, the rest of the afternoon was a disappointment, as he finished 6-of-12 for just 32 yards. He made some mistakes, like throwing high and behind his tight end in the red zone and then overshooting BYU receiver Cody Hoffman in the end zone. Garoppolo was also nearly picked on a deep pass to Norwood.

There’s some potential with Garoppolo, but he has a long way to go. I could see some team pulling the trigger on him at the end of the second day.

2014 NFL Draft Projection: 3rd Round

David Fales, San Jose State
David Fales posted the best numbers of all the quarterbacks at the Senior Bowl, going 6-of-7 for 104 yards, one touchdown and an interception. However, those stats are misleading. Fales’ score, a 24-yarder, was to Norwood, who was inexplicably wide open. The pick was underthrown, thanks to interior pressure by Aaron Donald. Fales also took a sack by Michael Sam because he held on to the ball too long.

Having said that, Fales tossed a perfect deep ball to Jordan Matthews for 33 yards to save his evening. He also showed some nice mobility to avoid a pair of potential sacks.

Fales will likely be chosen early on Day 3. He underachieved for the most part in 2013, and he didn’t do enough in Mobile to rehab his draft stock.

2014 NFL Draft Projection: 4th-5th Round




Tajh Boyd, Clemson
There have been conflicting projections for Tajh Boyd. Some say he’s a second-day prospect, while Tony Pauline reported that one scout deemed the Clemson quarterback undraftable. Meanwhile, Boyd told us the Raiders were interested in him.

Boyd had the most to gain out of all the quarterbacks not named David Carr, but he disappointed, finishing 7-of-16 for 31 yards and an interception. He was as terrible as those numbers indicate. Two of his passes were tipped at the line of scrimmage, which won’t do anything to quell concerns about his height. His pick was brutal, as he put way too much air under the ball on a deep shot. LSU safety Craig Loston snatched an easy interception.

I can’t help but think Boyd played himself out of second-round consideration. He may still go in the third round, as he does have a decent amount of potential with his mobility and arm strength, but he hurt himself in Mobile.

2014 NFL Draft Projection: 3rd Round

Logan Thomas, Virginia Tech
Speaking of quarterbacks with potential, Logan Thomas has the talent to be a first-round pick, but he has never been able to put it all together. He’s played like a UDFA at times over the past couple of years, but Daniel Jeremiah said that he’s talked to some people who believe that Thomas will be chosen in the second round, based on upside alone.

Perhaps Jeremiah’s sources will have a change of heart after Thomas’ Senior Bowl performance. Thomas completed 4-of-5 attempts, but for only 18 yards. That, however, doesn’t tell the whole story. Thomas was sacked FIVE TIMES in four drives. Auburn pass-rusher Dee Ford made his life miserable in the first half, while Princeton’s Caraun Reid and BYU’s Kyle Van Noy got to him after intermission. Thomas’ offensive line did let him down – Baylor’s Cyril Richardson continued to disappoint – but Thomas simply processed things slowly and couldn’t get rid of the ball quickly enough.

I’d love to see what a quarterback guru like Jim Harbaugh could do with Thomas, but the fact remains that the Virginia Tech product is nowhere close to being ready to start. He needs two years at the very least. That’s why he’ll be chosen in Rounds 3-4 rather than the second frame.

2014 NFL Draft Projection: 3rd-4th Round




Stephen Morris, Miami
Stephen Morris had the most mixed performance of all the signal-callers in Mobile. He started off poorly, failing to complete his first four passes, which included missing a wide-open tight end on an overthrow. He then got into a rhythm, but telegraphed an interception right to Auburn cornerback Chris Davis. After that, Morris fired an underthrown deep pass, but did a good job of leading his team down the field for a touchdown (scored on the ground by Wisconsin running back James White). Morris was the only North quarterback to receive a fifth drive, but he wasted it with another pick.

Morris finished 10-of-18 for 89 yards and the two interceptions. As with Logan Thomas, he has physical talent, but hasn’t been able to put it together yet. However, he doesn’t have as much potential as Thomas, which is why he’ll probably be chosen early on Day 3.

2014 NFL Draft Projection: 4th-5th Round


2014 Senior Bowl Home
2014 Senior Bowl Recap
Senior Bowl 2014 NFL Mock Draft
2014 Senior Bowl Quarterbacks Report
Interview with Aaron Donald at 2014 Senior Bowl
Interview with Kyle Van Noy at 2014 Senior Bowl
Interview with Derek Carr at 2014 Senior Bowl
Interview with Jared Abbrederis at 2014 Senior Bowl
2014 Senior Bowl: Thursday's Rumor Mill
Interview with Zack Martin at 2014 Senior Bowl
2014 Senior Bowl: Wednesday's Rumor Mill
Interview with Gabe Jackson at 2014 Senior Bowl
2014 Senior Bowl Wednesday's South Practice Report
2014 Senior Bowl Wednesday's South Prospect Meetings
2014 Senior Bowl Wednesday's North Practice Report
2014 Senior Bowl Wednesday's North Prospect Meetings
Interview with Logan Thomas at 2014 Senior Bowl
Interview with Ra'Shede Hageman at 2014 Senior Bowl
2014 Senior Bowl: Tuesday's Rumor Mill
2014 Senior Bowl Tuesday's South Practice Report
2014 Senior Bowl Tuesday's South Prospect Meetings
2014 Senior Bowl Tuesday's North Practice Report
2014 Senior Bowl Tuesday's North Prospect Meetings
Interview with Tajh Boyd at 2014 Senior Bowl
2014 Senior Bowl Monday's North Practice Report
2014 Senior Bowl Monday's South Practice Report
2014 Senior Bowl Monday's North Prospect Meetings
2014 Senior Bowl Monday's North and South Prospect Meetings
2014 Senior Bowl: Monday's Rumor Mill
2014 Senior Bowl Weigh-In Analysis
2014 Senior Bowl Weigh-In: Quarterbacks
2014 Senior Bowl Weigh-In: Running Backs
2014 Senior Bowl Weigh-In: Wide Receivers
2014 Senior Bowl Weigh-In: Tight Ends
2014 Senior Bowl Weigh-In: Offensive Linemen
2014 Senior Bowl Weigh-In: Defensive Linemen
2014 Senior Bowl Weigh-In: Linebackers
2014 Senior Bowl Weigh-In: Defensive Backs











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