Scout's view: A preseason report card for first-round QBs and more
Daniel Kelly spent four years in pro scouting with the New York Jets. He is the published author of the book "Whatever It Takes," the story of a fan making it into the NFL.
With the NFL preseason in the books, here's my assessment of three first-round rookie quarterbacks and two other rookie QBs who caught my eye. Titans rookie QB Will Levis, a second-round pick (No. 33 overall), was excluded because he hasn't played the past two games due to injury.
1. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers | first round (first overall)
GAMES GRADED: New York Jets. New York Giants, Detroit | GRADE: B
Young's preseason stat line — 14-of-24 (58%) for 129 yards and one TD — won't wow anyone. But he didn't throw an interception and had no disrupted passes — a helluva accomplishment. He already seems to have adjusted to the speed of the NFL game, a phenomenal sign.
Young impressed me most with his extraordinary pocket awareness. He moved around fluidly and remained downfield-focused but still cognizant of the pass rush. The only knocks are his tendency to lock in with targets and spotty downfield ball placement. He showed a slight improvement in these areas against Detroit.
2. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans | first round (second overall)
GAMES GRADED: New England, Miami, New Orleans | GRADE: B-minus
After a bad debut against New England, which included an ugly interception, Stroud rebounded against Miami and New Orleans. All told, he went 11-of-20 (55%) for 89 yards, one TD and one interception in limited action. In the past two games, he looked much more poised and his ball placement improved slightly. When he missed, it wasn't by much.
3. Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts | first round (fourth overall)
GAMES GRADED: Buffalo, Philadelphia | GRADE: D
Remaining true to his pre-draft billing, Richardson showed off athleticism and a big but raw arm, but he looked rough when it came to the finer points of passing. In the preseason, he went 13-of-29 (45%) for 145 yards, no TDs and one interception.
Richardson has awkward throwing mechanics and relies more heavily on his natural arm strength than a traditional balanced throwing motion. Using a narrow base, he aimed and steered the ball while torquing his upper body into throws. The result was hit-and-miss downfield ball placement that included an awful interception against Buffalo and several dangerous-looking passes against Philadelphia (two were negated by penalty).
One big positive: Richardson rushed for 45 yards on seven carries (6.4 avg).
4. Aidan O'Connell, Las Vegas Raiders | fourth round (135th overall)
GAMES GRADED: San Francisco, Los Angeles Rams, Dallas | GRADE: A
The striking positive about the former Purdue star is how aggressively and successfully he drove the ball into intermediate-to-deep route levels. He also demonstrated smooth ball handling and pocket maturity beyond his years while remaining downfield-focused and still aware of the pass rush. O'Connell's ball placement has mostly been on point. In the preseason, he went 43-of-62 for 482 yards (69%) with three TDs and zero interceptions. He looks ready for the backup role and could start in a pinch.
5. Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Cleveland Browns | fifth round (140th overall)
GAMES GRADED: Philadelphia, New York Jets, Washington, Kansas City | GRADE: C+
The former UCLA star showed off his natural ability and resilience. He went 37-for-58 (63%) for 440 yards passing and two TDs and did not throw an interception. DTR must resolve inconsistent ball placement and improve his timing with receivers. To his credit, he is poised and has demonstrated the kind of athleticism that fits the offensive system. The Browns traded backup Josh Dobbs to Arizona, so they clearly liked DTR's potential and his ability to serve as Deshaun Watson's No. 2.
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