How Mike Mayock Views the QB Draft Class

We’re still about three months away from the NFL draft, but after last week’s Senior Bowl, initial rankings and evaluations are beginning to take shape.

Mike Mayock spent the week in Mobile, Ala. and called the game for NFL Network. During the broadcast, he offered his thoughts on the quarterback class, saying he expects West Virginia’s Geno Smith and USC’s Matt Barkley to be first-round picks. Neither player participated in the Senior Bowl, but Mayock also offered thoughts on the six quarterback who were in attendance.

Below is a breakdown of what he had to say about each.

Mike Glennon, N.C. State (6-7, 220)

“Here’s the deal with Glennon from my perspective. Arm talent, he can make every throw. My concern, at almost 6-7, he’s only 220. He’s got to fill that frame out. I think he’ll get stronger throwing the football if he’s a 245-pounder, instead of 220. I also want to see him take control. Really not a natural leader.”

“I thought he started out not as well as I had hoped earlier in the week. I thought he played better and better, especially in the team and 7-on-7 as the week progressed. But there wasn’t really anything that I saw about his week where I pound the table and say [from an arm talent, from a leadership perspective] that this is a first-round quarterback. I have not seen that.”

“For me, Glennon’s got first-round arm talent, but I need to know a lot more about the kid. I want to know what kind of leader he is. I want to know how much tape he watches. There’s an awful lot I need to find out about this kid’s intangibles before you pull the trigger on a first-round pick at the quarterback position.

E.J. Manuel, Florida State (6-4, 237)

“What he is, I think, is walking upside. He’s got some things he’s got to clean up with footwork. But when you see him, he’s a natural thrower of the football. He’s big, he’s strong, he can run a little bit. And let’s face it, in today’s NFL, with the ability to run at that position, that adds an extra dimension.”

“It’s just a matter of consistency, and I really like the upside. I love the upside of this kid. It’s just he has to be more consistent.”

Mayock added that he’s hearing third- or fourth-round grades on Manuel.

Tyler Wilson, Arkansas (6-2, 218)

“Two years ago as a junior, I thought he had an exceptional year. Couldn’t wait to see him play as a senior. The team at Arkansas wasn’t very good, and his play was not very good. I think he got hit too much. They struggled, and I think he kind of rehabbed that image this week.”

“I think there are two quarterbacks in this game that sort of remind me of the Kirk Cousins/Andy Dalton type of quarterback. And that’s [Wilson] and also the [Ryan] Nassib kid from Syracuse. I think they’re both smart with good arm strength. They don’t overwhelm you with how physical they look. But they’re really good quarterbacks.”

Ryan Nassib, Syracuse (6-2, 223)

“Got a good arm, can rip it, smart. He’s got a little edge about him, which scouts really like.”

“Ryan Nassib had a really solid week. And to me, Ryan Nassib is the kind of kid that, a lot like an Andy Dalton, will just slowly continue to rise. As teams get to know him, they watch his tape, he can make every throw. Yeah, he’s 6-2, 223, he’s not a screamer and a yeller. But trust me, the kid can make the throws. He’s smart as can be. And when he gets in the room with the quarterbacks coaches and the OCs, they’re really going to like him.”

Zac Dysert, Miami-Ohio (6-3, 224)

“It’s hard to watch his tape in college because it’s mostly dink-and-dunk spread offense. Now, if you put the Ohio State game on, you can see some arm talent throws, which is what I wanted to see down here. From what I saw this week, again, very similar to what I saw on tape. A little bit up and down, especially from an accuracy perspective. But he’s big, he’s mobile, he’s athletic.”

“He flashes. He just doesn’t do it consistently enough, and he had a very average week during practice.”

Landry Jones, Oklahoma (6-4, 221)

“I just get frustrated because there’s some guys like he and Glennon that have first-round potential from an arm talent perspective, but you don’t see it consistently enough to bang the table.”

“I think you take a really close look at Glennon, at Landry Jones. I think they’re the next two guys that you’re looking at as far as first-round picks [after Smith and Barkley].”

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