Scouting Reports: QB Patrick Mahomes II

2017 NFL Draft Scouting Reports:

Patrick Mahomes II, Texas Tech

6’2”, 225 lbs.

Pros:

• Cannon for an arm, with the best natural arm talent in this draft class that can easily make all the throws.
• Has elite velocity that can zip throws into tight windows giving his receivers a chance to make a play.
• Has the arm strength to make quality throws even when he can’t set his feet properly.
• Excels when the play breaks down and is constantly looking down field when scrambling to buy time.
• Good runner capable of picking up first downs, and deadly in the red zone with over 20 rushing TDs the past two seasons combined.
• Above-average athlete, who can buy plenty of time when the pocket disintegrates.
• Shows good touch on his passes that can help allow his receivers to make plays after getting the ball in their hands.
• Good bloodlines as his dad was a long time MLB pitcher, which should also help from a mental standpoint as to how to prepare at a professional level.

Cons:

• Relies too much on his big arm, that he hasn’t developed good footwork in his drops, or a willingness to reset his feet.
• Will forget to set his feet properly even when not rushed, costing him some easy throws.
• Forces throws in tight coverage at times foregoing easier throws or throwing it away. Didn’t get burned too much doing this in college, but the NFL can be a different story.
• Can be late recognizing pressure, which has led to extra sacks and some off target throws.
• Very inconsistent game-to-game and even play-to-play, would at times look to be an elite prospect and other times looked like he needed a lot of development.
• Production inflated not only due to the offense, but the easier Big 12 schedule.
• Will have to develop a lot as a drop back passer and from under center. Though all the top QBs will have this issue, Mahomes might take a little longer to reach his upside.

Overall:

Mahomes probably has the highest upside in this class, and if he puts it all together he has a chance of being a truly elite gun-slinger QB in the mold of a Brett Favre/Ben Roethlisberger. The concern with Mahomes is he’s got a lower floor than you typically want from a high first round quarterback, and there are real concerns about how quickly he can develop.

While all spread quarterbacks have a period of adjustment as they work on their drop backs from center, taking snaps from center and even turning their back to the defense (among other things), Air Raid QBs typically have had a tougher transition. It can vary from quarterback to quarterback, but it is a concern for Mahomes. The biggest concern though for Mahomes is his decision making combined with his willingness to throw with poor mechanics from-time-to-time. He has both the positives and negatives of your typical gunslinger, and while at times his fearlessness is a major benefit, it also puts him in a lot of potentially negative situations. It is likely that he will have some high interception totals early in his career, as he looks to find more of balance for his gunslinger approach.

Mahomes has elite potential as his arm talent is simply special, but teams will need to be patient with him. Mahomes’ touch and ability to fit the ball into tight windows is extremely impressive, especially considering how often he does so without setting his feet properly and throwing from the proper position. If he can refine his mechanics and footwork, he has the potential to be a top 10 if not top 5 quarterback.