Will Navy QB Malcolm Perry get a shot in the NFL?

If he was 7 to 8 inches taller, evaluators might be talking about Navy’s Malcolm Perry as a sure bet to go in the first round.

Instead, evaluators are wondering where the dynamic but small 5-foot-9, 190-pound QB fits in an NFL system.

Perry entered the national spotlight with his performance against Army, rushing for 304 yards and two touchdowns in the team’s 31-7 win. Perry is now the all-time rusher in the long-time series.

Overall, his 4,146 rushing yards is a school record. He also has 40 TDs rushing and 1,254 yards passing.

But he’ll likely see time at receiver during the East-West Shrine Game following the team’s Dec. 31 game against Kansas State in the Liberty Bowl. Perry has 470 yards receiving and 3 TDs on 22 receptions for his career. He’s also accumulated 491 kick return yards, averaging 24.6 yards.

This cut by Malcolm Perry was ABSURD

(via @CBSSports)pic.twitter.com/3vF10bSnwt

— Yahoo Sports College Football (@YahooSportsCFB) December 14, 2019

“Most NFL scouts see him as a slot receiver and returner, but there could be some run and pass packages built in for his electric skills,” Yahoo Sports NFL draft analyst Eric Edholm wrote in a feature on Perry that compared him to the Patriots’ Julian Edelman.

Edholm also notes that the relaxed Department of Defense policy makes it more likely Perry gets to play in 2020, rather than sitting out until fulfilling all his military obligations.

Last night @NavyFB Malcolm Perry became just the 4th QB in FBS history to rush for at least 300 yards in a game! 😱 https://t.co/CzdKkwTcdq

— East-West Shrine Bowl (@ShrineBowl) December 15, 2019