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http://espn.go.com/nfl/draft2016/in...y-five-takeaways-jared-goff-pro-day-nfl-draft
Here's the first thing you need to know about quarterback pro days: JaMarcus Russell was the best one I've ever seen, and we all know how that worked out. So for talent evaluators throughout the league, Jared Goff's pro day on Friday won't be a huge part of the grading process, but it was just another opportunity to see how he handles the little things. Is he working on it? That's really what you want to answer.
I was on hand to see how the No. 2 QB on my board handled the spotlight. Here are my top five takeaways.
1. Testing his small hands. At the combine, Goff's hands measured 9 inches, which is on the lower portion of the acceptable range. That's a red flag for evaluators just because only 22 quarterbacks from 2008-15 -- or less than 10 percent of those at the combine during that span -- had hands that measured 9 inches or less. The two most notable QBs were Jimmy Clausen and Ryan Tannehill. Small hands, generally speaking, can equate to poor ball security.
On Friday, Goff's hands stretched ever so slightly to 9 1/8 inches, and Pep Hamilton -- the QB coach for the Cleveland Browns, who own the No. 2 overall pick -- put them to the test. He had Goff throw about a half-dozen deep outs after dousing the ball with water. Goff looked great doing that. This will continue happening during the Cal QB's individual workouts with teams, but evaluators will also factor in what they're seen on tape. I watched Goff play in the rain against Oregon this season, and he didn't have much trouble with ball security.
2. Looks comfortable in his drops. From the film that I've watched, Cal's offense under Goff was almost 100 percent shotgun-based. Throughout the postseason process, Goff has worked on his five- and seven-step drops from under center. On Friday, he looked more comfortable with his timing and more at ease overall than he did at the combine. Goff's foot quickness in his drops was really good, and on the vast majority of his throws, he got the ball out early. That's a good sign for his development.
Marcus Mariota. The farther into this process we get, the more Goff reminds me of Mariota as a prospect. They both have terrific intangibles and football intelligence, both were groomed in spread offenses, both showed great accuracy and a smooth release on tape, both have skinnier frames, which raised durability concerns, and both were the No. 2 QB on my board. Yes, Goff needs to be developed, just like Mariota did coming out of Oregon, but he has the skill set to eventually develop into a good starter in this league.
4. Arm strength not an issue. I heard some people say that Goff doesn't have the strongest arm, but after his performance Friday, there's just no issue in my mind. Between how smooth and quick his release is and his ability to drive the ball outside the numbers, Goff has the physical tools to make all the throws at the next level. He showed really good zip on deep outs and heaved the ball 60-65 yards in the air on a couple of bombs. Tom Brady had less arm strength than Goff coming out, which is an important reminder that prospects on the skinnier side can continue to improve in this area as they increase their lower body strength.
5. He was all business. I've been to a lot of pro days, particularly with quarterbacks, where it seems like guys are just trying to build their brand. Goff took a very ho-hum approach, much like Andrew Luck a few years ago and Mariota last year. This was a no-frills environment, with the exception of the ESPN and NFL Network cameras there to capture it live. Teams are always looking to see how top prospects carry themselves. Some prefer to soak up the spotlight and turn their pro days into a scene, but Goff was all business, which was refreshing.
Here's the first thing you need to know about quarterback pro days: JaMarcus Russell was the best one I've ever seen, and we all know how that worked out. So for talent evaluators throughout the league, Jared Goff's pro day on Friday won't be a huge part of the grading process, but it was just another opportunity to see how he handles the little things. Is he working on it? That's really what you want to answer.
I was on hand to see how the No. 2 QB on my board handled the spotlight. Here are my top five takeaways.
1. Testing his small hands. At the combine, Goff's hands measured 9 inches, which is on the lower portion of the acceptable range. That's a red flag for evaluators just because only 22 quarterbacks from 2008-15 -- or less than 10 percent of those at the combine during that span -- had hands that measured 9 inches or less. The two most notable QBs were Jimmy Clausen and Ryan Tannehill. Small hands, generally speaking, can equate to poor ball security.
On Friday, Goff's hands stretched ever so slightly to 9 1/8 inches, and Pep Hamilton -- the QB coach for the Cleveland Browns, who own the No. 2 overall pick -- put them to the test. He had Goff throw about a half-dozen deep outs after dousing the ball with water. Goff looked great doing that. This will continue happening during the Cal QB's individual workouts with teams, but evaluators will also factor in what they're seen on tape. I watched Goff play in the rain against Oregon this season, and he didn't have much trouble with ball security.
2. Looks comfortable in his drops. From the film that I've watched, Cal's offense under Goff was almost 100 percent shotgun-based. Throughout the postseason process, Goff has worked on his five- and seven-step drops from under center. On Friday, he looked more comfortable with his timing and more at ease overall than he did at the combine. Goff's foot quickness in his drops was really good, and on the vast majority of his throws, he got the ball out early. That's a good sign for his development.
Marcus Mariota. The farther into this process we get, the more Goff reminds me of Mariota as a prospect. They both have terrific intangibles and football intelligence, both were groomed in spread offenses, both showed great accuracy and a smooth release on tape, both have skinnier frames, which raised durability concerns, and both were the No. 2 QB on my board. Yes, Goff needs to be developed, just like Mariota did coming out of Oregon, but he has the skill set to eventually develop into a good starter in this league.
4. Arm strength not an issue. I heard some people say that Goff doesn't have the strongest arm, but after his performance Friday, there's just no issue in my mind. Between how smooth and quick his release is and his ability to drive the ball outside the numbers, Goff has the physical tools to make all the throws at the next level. He showed really good zip on deep outs and heaved the ball 60-65 yards in the air on a couple of bombs. Tom Brady had less arm strength than Goff coming out, which is an important reminder that prospects on the skinnier side can continue to improve in this area as they increase their lower body strength.
5. He was all business. I've been to a lot of pro days, particularly with quarterbacks, where it seems like guys are just trying to build their brand. Goff took a very ho-hum approach, much like Andrew Luck a few years ago and Mariota last year. This was a no-frills environment, with the exception of the ESPN and NFL Network cameras there to capture it live. Teams are always looking to see how top prospects carry themselves. Some prefer to soak up the spotlight and turn their pro days into a scene, but Goff was all business, which was refreshing.
