ARLINGTON- The 2018 NFL Draft features solid depth at the quarterback position. There are plenty of good choices whether teams are looking for immediate starter, short-term projects, long-term projects needing a lot of development time, or a really good backup in case of an injury. One of the underrated quarterbacks in this class is Toledo’s Logan Woodside.
Logan Woodside- Toledo
The game film proves Woodside may not be the super athletic quarterback that fans dream of but he has excellent accuracy which is the most important trait for all quarterbacks. He needs to develop his accuracy under duress. Woodside isn’t ready to start but can be a reliable backup. He shows some ability to make difficult throws towards the sidelines and throws deep passes with good touch.
Mike White- Western Kentucky
White has the same skill set that Ben Roethlisberger has. He has escape ability and a cannon arm that all scouts and coaches must take a good look at. He is an extremely gifted athlete like Roethlisberger, Carson Wentz and Cam Newton. He is extremely calm under pressure. His footwork is also outstanding. He might be better than Wyoming’s Josh Allen at some point with enough development. White would be a perfect fit for a team that has a quarterback that will likely retire soon.
Kyle Lauletta- Richmond
Lauletta, like White, has excellent quarterback mechanics. He shows proper footwork and consistently moves himself to be in the direction he throws the ball. He won’t shift his body in the opposite direction that he throws to, which is normally an issue for upcoming rookie quarterbacks. Lauletta has nice touch passes and throws short passes with the right amount strength and velocity. He is not afraid to run when a play looks dead so he will need to learn to slide in the NFL to avoid big hits. He also uses his shoulders to plow through defenders. This could be a concern since NFL defenders typically have more size and hitting power. It’s great that he wants more yards when he runs but he may not get away with that in the NFL.
Riley Ferguson- Memphis
Ferguson is another dual threat quarterback like White, Allen, and Lamar Jackson. He is a decent athlete with great escape ability. He can slip past blitzing defenders with relative ease. Ferguson’s arm strength is undeniable as well his deep pass ball placement. He only threw 15 interceptions during his collegiate career. Scouts will look closely at his durability since he was injured during practice when he was on the Tennessee Volunteers.
Luke Falk- Washington State
Falk is strictly a pocket passer so don’t expect him to show dual threat ability. He has good ball placement for the most part but needs to avoid throwing passes too low. Falk isn’t super athletic but shows really good pocket presence. He may need to increase his arm strength slightly but he isn’t a weak, noodle arm quarterback.
JT Barrett- Ohio State
Barrett is definitely a dual threat quarterback. He has great arm strength and can fit passes into tight spaces. One major flaw Barrett has is his mechanics. He sometimes shifts his body awkwardly and shows odd footwork at times. He has good deep pass ability but this skill needs some fine tuning in order to be excellent. He is a late round projection and a definite project. Will he succeed at quarterback unlike former Buckeye Terrelle Pryor, who is an excellent receiver. Will Barrett face the same uncertainty as Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson?