Following the tight ends, the quarterbacks and wide receivers took the field for their testing and on-field drills. With this year’s quarterback class being among the weaker ones in the past, there wasn’t much to be excited about coming into it. But there were a few prospects that might’ve changed the minds of some NFL teams on Saturday.
Here are the quarterbacks that made themselves some money, while a couple that might’ve seen the arrow start to point down.
WINNERS
Dwayne Haskins | Ohio State
In the absence of Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray, Haskins had the chance to create separation between himself and the rest of the quarterbacks on the field Saturday.
Haskins’ day wasn’t off to the best start after failing to break the 5-second mark during the 40-yard dash.
But he showed promise the rest of the day with the on-field drills. Haskins flashed great touch on his deep balls, threw with good timing and anticipation, and the placement on some of his sideline passes was crisp.
Daniel Jones | Duke
Likely to be the third or fourth quarterback selected, Jones helped himself out on Saturday. Smooth throughout the on-field session, most of Jones displayed his nice arm where he had ideal ball placement, threw tight spirals and did a great job of leading the receivers to the high-point of their route.
Prior to showing what he was capable of on the field, the former Duke quarterback illustrated his explosiveness by amassing a 33.5-inch vertical jump and 120-inch broad jump.
Tyree Jackson | Buffalo
Jackson was already known to possess elite physical tools, but his 4.59 40-yard dash and 34-inch vertical at 6-foot-7 and 249 pounds was incredible.
If you combine that with his huge arm that was on display often, and his stock may have improved more than any other quarterback in the class. Although struggling to keep the heat on the ball down during the gauntlet drill, forcing Steve Smith to tell him to cool it, Jackson still smiled away.
Jackson’s a major work in progress due to mechanical, accuracy and decision-making issues, but his upside could see him be a steal in this year’s draft in the middle rounds.
LOSERS
Trace McSorley | Penn State
McSorley’s 4.57 in the 40-yard dash was the best among quarterbacks, and it was easy to see why his best moments of his collegiate career were when he made plays on the run.
Unfortunately, McSorley didn’t follow that up with the on-field drills. The former Penn State product failed to lead his receivers, and struggled to show the arm-strength necessary to put the ball on target.
It’s unlikely that he will have a spot on an NFL roster as a quarterback and may be better off testing with the defensive backs on Monday to see if the former safety has what it takes to fare well.
Kyler Murray | Oklahoma
After surprising many with his measurements at 5-foot-10 and 207 pounds on Thursday, Murray was on the outside looking on in after choosing not to participate in the workout drills today.
Although he is touted as the top quarterback with speculations that he can be first quarterback taken in April, it wasn’t the greatest start for the former Oklahoma product, as many would’ve wished to see if he could his testing at his new weight matched what he showed this past season.
Nonetheless, we’ll need to wait and see what Murray weighs and how well he can perform and throw at his Pro Day later next month.
