2016 NFL Draft: QB Jared Goff

QB Jared Goff– California

Pro:

• Highly productive college quarterback as a 3 year starter.
• Good size and decent athleticism
• Strong arm, with a quick release, does well with quick timing routes.
• Shows really strong deep ball accuracy.
• Displays good footwork
• When given good protection, Goff performs at a high level

Cons:

• Has had some turnover issues in his career, between interceptions and fumbles.
• Takes more sacks than he should, didn’t always get rid of the ball in time.
• When under pressure will force the ball at times into bad spots or rush off target throws.
• Comes from a spread offense that had a higher percentage of screens and one read throws that helped bolster his numbers.
• Spent the vast majority of his time in shotgun, and he has almost no experience under center.
• Both the center exchange and his drops from center are potential problem areas.

Overview:

Goff is a really good quarterback prospect, and with the exception of the concern of how he works from under center, he should be ready to start from day one. His biggest concerns are how he handles pressure and how he can cut down on the negative plays (sacks and turnovers) that plagued him in college. The good news is he has the tools to improve in these areas and become a more efficient quarterback.

He’s athletic enough where he’s not a statue in the pocket and he should be able to buy more time with some work on recognizing quick pressure. Goff also has a quick release that should help him get rid of the ball quickly once he can get a better feel for the pocket collapsing. Once he establishes that understanding of how to handle pressure, he should be able to significantly reduce the sacks and turnovers. When that is accomplished he has the makings of being a really good quarterback at the next level.

His arm is good and he does a nice job of hitting receivers in stride and having strong ball placement, even on intermediate and deeper throws. There are some consistency issues, but those can be improved upon with time.

Overall he is battling Wentz for the top QB spot in this class and a lot will come down to preference. Goff is probably more of a sure thing to produce, particularly early in his career but Wentz has probably the highest upside of the two.