Christian Hackenberg can’t overcome the Penn State offensive line woes. Cardale Jones was benched in the team’s narrow victory over Northern Illinois. Connor Cook remains a successful game manager, but he has doubters about his first-round worthiness.
But not all hope is lost for quarterback-needy teams in the 2016 NFL Draft. California junior quarterback Jared Goff, building off a strong sophomore campaign, has vaulted himself into NFL scouting relevance with an impressive win over Texas.
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While bulk limitations and offensive simplicity are two reasons to maybe slow down Goff’s impending hype as the 2016 class’s top quarterback, he’s already earned respect as a pocket passer from NFL evaluators, with the Pac-12 schedule about to start.
Between zones
The California offense is heavily weighted in the screen game, using bubble, slip and quick screens to consistently stretch defenses horizontally and force defensive backs to play closer to the line of scrimmage.
This reliance on the screen game is what sets up Goff for more difficult, more impressive downfield throws between Cover 2 levels on the perimeter and Cover 3 splits in the seam. Goff offers plus velocity to finish throws between defenders, but also places passes consistently away from defenders where only his receiver can make the catch — especially in jump ball situations.
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On third down below, Goff drops from a shotgun set, reading a loose Cover 2 defense that’s preventing against the underneath routes under seven yards. Goff times the throw as the flag route breaks between the three-defender gap in the zone for a third-down completion.
In muddled pocket
Trusting their defensive backs on the perimeter, Texas opted to send pressure on Goff with some frequency. One of Goff’s better traits, especially relevant for NFL evaluation, is his poise and control in the pocket. Goff does an excellent job anticipating pressure pre-snap (despite one sack strip later in the game) and keeping his feet active and balanced as he progresses.
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Similar to Eli Manning and Sam Bradford in that sense, Goff doesn’t slow his feet and remain stationary as he times his throws. That foot activity allows him to stay balanced and in position to maintain high velocity even in a “muddled” pocket, where his room to work is minimal and collapsing.
While only sending five rushers, the play below sees Goff dealing with both edges being closed in and interior pressure from the three-technique. Goff keeps his feet active, stays strong and tall despite minimal room around him, and finishes the throw in the seam to a wide-open receiver.
On touch passes
While some evaluators still praise arm strength as a crucial part of a quarterback’s evaluation, many scouts wisely focus more on velocity control and touch as an indicator for downfield throws. Goff offers both ample velocity and the natural throwing motion to take speed off passes for touch and jump ball throws.
While he sets his feet well, Goff does have a tendency to fade away on his throws, an issue that doesn’t have immediate ramifications but may lead to floating passes and hanging touch throws that NFL corners can attack.
Goff’s touch on the perimeter against Texas allowed him to take advantage of one-on-one opportunities for his receivers. As in the play below, Goff sets his feet and releases the ball smoothly and without drastically changing his throwing motion, allowing enough loft and distance to give his receiver (junior Kenny Lawler) the perfect opportunity to finish in air in the red-zone. Goff’s red-zone placement is one of his best qualities.
Is Goff a first-rounder?
With other quarterbacks around the country failing to seize the opportunity, Jared Goff’s hype as the nation’s best draft-eligible quarterback will begin to build. And for good reason: he offers ample arm strength, velocity control on the perimeter, finishing ability in the pocket, and already a signature victory in a close game over Texas.
Goff’s player comparison, mostly thanks to his arm talent, velocity control and active feet, falls somewhere between Sam Bradford and Eli Manning. Both players are former first-round picks and merit high praise for Goff.
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But Goff isn’t without concerns, especially at this point in the draft process. His offense utilizes plenty of screen passes and pre-determined reads, two issues that forced Derek Carr into the second round in the 2014 draft. Along with that, his lack of bulk and prior shoulder injury will draw concerns toward his injury proneness. More importantly, now is the time for excitement but also tempered expectations until Goff goes through the rigors of the Pac-12 schedule, a conference that boasts plenty of athletic talent.
Is Goff the best quarterback in the 2016 draft process? It’s a question that’s not worth answering at this point, but it’s one that may remain throughout the “draft season” in January through May.
Goff boasts the talent to be in the discussion, even drawing comparisons to two former first-overall picks. There’s far too much ahead for the junior passer before he’s to be crowned 2016’s best. But his impressive victory over Texas sets the stage for Goff to become a respected quarterback prospect.