In the space of four days, the Eagles will have had private workouts with as many Quarterbacks. Three of those are projected to go in the first round but if you look at each player on paper, they share almost nothing in common. But a new scouting method (to me at least) developed by Kent Lee Platte of SideLionReport shows that there are some qualities that all four of these Quarterbacks share..and it’s those qualities that could become a basis of comparison for Doug Pederson and Jeffery Lurie.
Before we get into those, it’s important to understand how different each Quarterback is on the surface.
Carson Wentz:
The powerful arm of 24 year old Carson Wentz from North Dakota is the subject to a lot of media hype. In terms of a physical prototype, Wentz doesn’t come much more refined..but his game could certainly use some crafting. Most comparable to a large block of marble that needs chipping away to create something beautiful, Wentz has a tendency to panic in the pocket at the slightest hint of pressure, Wentz’s lack of experience (just over 600 passes in his College career) could come back to haunt him and leaves some question marks over his current ability.
Jared Goff:
Arguably the most complete Quarterback in this years Draft, Goff is a well-polished pocket passer. His ability to manipulate Defenses is comparable to any successful NFL Quarterback and his spatial awareness in the pocket means he is very successful in sustaining drives and making big throws when the pocket collapses around him.
Paxton Lynch:
A Quarterback who loves throwing on the run and extending plays, the tall frame of Lynch makes his athleticism even more impressive. His decision making is consistent and what he lacks in pocket awareness, Lynch makes up for in accuracy and a big arm.
Kevin Hogan:
The most NFL ready mentally of the quartet, Hogan ran Stanford’s Offense during his time as a starter. Sitting behind Andrew Luck isn’t the easiest thing in the world, but Hogan sent his team to three Rose Bowls, winning two of them. His release is sloppy and can appear to be a little flat-footed in the pocket..but his stunning accuracy and ability to read the Defense, call the shots and extend drives is second to none. Hogan is projected to go much lower in the draft, but his experience leading a team, running an Offense and pocket awareness will likely see his stock rise in the coming weeks.
As you can see, each Quarterback has vastly different strengths and weaknesses..so how are they similar?
I got in touch with Kent in regards to using his RAS system. What is RAS you ask? Well, here’s an explanation from the man himself. (full article here)
“RAS is a measurement I developed a few years ago and have been refining each season. Those who follow me on Twitter are familiar with it, but for those who are not it is a relative score that compares a player’s measurement to those of his position group and places it on a 0-10 scale. Ten combine measurements are scored this way and then the scores are averaged. This average is then run through a similar calculation to weight it statistically against all scores by players with at least 6 scores. This final number is what I have referred to as a player’s RAS, or Relative Ability Score. This 0-10 grade tells us on a relative scale how a player measured for his position. It should come as no surprise that measure well find success in the NFL, for when you look at it the other way around the best athletes are those who are more likely to measure well. Individual measurements like the 40 yard dash, the bench press, the short shuttle, have been used to project NFL success for years, with varying degrees of success. Recently, with RAS, I had a breakthrough.”
When you compare the RAS scores of the four Quarterbacks mentioned, things get interesting..
Carson Wentz leads the pack for most draftniks, and his AA is a big part of that. It shows with a 9.19 #RAS. pic.twitter.com/A3y7QB71PQ
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 30, 2016
Jared Goff, meanwhile, doesn't tend to rely on his athletic ability as much. pic.twitter.com/D9FZBFqtMf
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 30, 2016
Don't let Wentz overshadow how great of an athlete Paxton Lynch is, either. #RAS pic.twitter.com/NaazQi2YKW
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 30, 2016
His upside as a passer may not be as great as some, but Kevin Hogan definitely meets "Sneaky Athletic" category. pic.twitter.com/tSrD5oGIAs
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 30, 2016
When you look at what each drill measures and how successful each Quarterback is in those drills, the four have some very interesting similarities.
-All four Quarterbacks are taller than average.
-Whilst not quite Cam Newton, they all ran the 40 in under 4.82..(Sam Bradford was measured at 4.78)
-Three of the four Quarterbacks rank inside the top 50 when it comes to overall RAS.
– All Quarterbacks are above average in at least five of the drills
– Hogan, Goff and Lynch all possess great pocket presence whilst Wentz’s athleticism makes him very malleable into becoming just as effective at escaping pressure.
In terms of athletic ability, the four Quarterbacks that the Eagles have worked out so far aren’t worlds apart..it’s their playing style that makes them so different. The Eagles know the style of Quarterback they want to mould and if you compare these four prospects with Bradford and Daniel, the similarities run even further. But with a pro-style Offense comes a need for pocket awareness, reaction times and an ability to sustain drives.
There’s a reason the Eagles have worked out these four Quarterbacks and not the likes of Connor Cook and Christian Hackenberg. From an athletic stand point, these are four of the most ideal fits in this years draft class..and it’s only through looking at the RAS grades that you realize the drop off isn’t as big as the media makes out..meaning the Eagles could well find their perfect fit later in the draft..consider this another reason to pay close attention to Stanford’s Kevin Hogan.
photo credit: Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images
