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Scouting Report: Bradford has an NFL caliber arm, first and foremost. He can make every throw on the field. He also has an NFL caliber head. He's a smart player who makes quick reads and good decisions on the field. He does a good job working through his progressions and shows nice touch, especially on the short and intermediate routes. Bradford is smart in the pocket, always looking to step up and extend the play with his arm. He also has a quick release and is incredibly accurate on his throws. One nice thing about Bradford's game is his ability to work of play action. Also for a player who runs out of the shotgun as much as he does, when he is asked to drop back, he shows excellent footwork. On the downside, Bradford has had to deal with a nasty shoulder injury this season, and a lot of his draft status will be on his health. Also, Bradford isn't the most athletic guy and doesn't do well when forced out of the pocket and asked to make throws. Overall he doesn't handle the pass rush very well often taking sacks he shouldn't, and not throwing the ball away. Also, without this season, it's tough to say if Bradford has a lot of upside to his game.
Draft Status: Bradford will be drafted according to the health of that surgically repaired throwing shoulder, the status of other underclassmen quarterbacks entering the draft, and what he can show in the offseason in terms of his ability to make throws on the move and does he have elite arm strength. He's almost certainly a first round pick regardless but how high or low in the round could vary greatly between now and next April.
Final Analysis: Bradford made a huge mistake by coming back this season. He was almost certainly the number one overall pick last year. Instead he came back to try and get that national title he missed last year(which is admirable) and it all went wrong after that. He was already going to struggle to get no.1 overall in 2010 even with another great season, but now, there's really no shot at it. He doesn't have a huge arm, but is the best decision maker in the draft, and easily the most accurate of the bunch. It'll really depend on his health and is the risk/reward proposition worth it?
Reminds me of: Peyton Manning, QB Indianapolis Colts-No, I don't think Bradford will end up the player Manning is. But their games are very similar. Both excellent in play action, make great reads and decisions with the football, and shows pinpoint accuracy on their throws.
Red Flags: Injuries
Scouting Report written by Curt Popejoy |
