The “pro ready” term has become wildly misplaced through the NFL Draft universe, especially in this class. It has lost its true meaning. There was a time where “pro ready” was saved for players who showed proficiency in complex (for the college level, at least) offenses and handled adversity without stumbling. That is not the case now.
By: Derrik Klassen
With spread quarterbacks becoming more and more prevalent, “pro ready” has become a blanket statement for any quarterback that does not look like a spread quarterback. Carson Wentz is the most baffling case of a quarterback being labeled as “pro ready” in quite some time. On the surface, the statement doesn’t seem wild, but it does not take much to see that he is not any more ready than other passers in this class.
Wentz’s “pro style” label roots primarily in two factors: North Dakota State operated under center more often than most college programs, and Wentz has the prototypical size and tools to be an NFL quarterback. While running an offense under center does feel more like the pro game at first glance, North Dakota State’s passing concepts were not any more complex than, say, Memphis’ offense or Oregon’s offense. The Bison based their passing offense around quick outs, four verticals, boot-action rollouts and high-low concepts near the boundary.
A lot of Wentz’s read were as simple as anyone else’s, yet he showed more trouble getting through other top passers like Paxton Lynch, Connor Cook, Jared Goff and even Vernon Adams. Wentz constantly stops his feet in the pocket and locks onto a receiver, waiting for them to get open. Not only is this cuing the defense in on throws early, but it takes away from how well the quarterback can make and react to post-snap reads.
Another thing to consider about Wentz going under center so often is that it’s not as common to see in the NFL as many seem to believe. According to Pro Football Focus, NFL offenses were operating out of shotgun/pistol formations just over 75% of the time by 2014. Passers really don’t need to have much experience under center in college with how unpopular it is becoming in the NFL.
Wentz’s tools are a largely overblown trait, too. Wentz does have a nice frame, measuring in at about 6’5”, 237 pounds at the NFL Combine, and has a strong arm that he occasionally makes great use of. He is also an impressive athlete who has proven to be more than capable of evading and outrunning some defenders in order to pick up a few yards on his own. Though, all of these flashy tools become less valuable when they are seldom put to use.
For one, his frame and height does little more for him than theoretically protect him from torso/lower body injuries. Wentz’s arm and athleticism often go underutilized, too. Wentz fits an impressive throw from time to time, but it would be expected that someone with his caliber of arm would make impressive throws down the field more often than he does.
To that same note, Wentz should be able to maneuver the pocket better than he does. He has more than enough athleticism to do it. Yet, despite that, he rarely showed the ability to make quick adjustments in the pocket to avoid pressure. Instead, he tended to want to bail immediately and take plays into his own hands by running the ball.
Being “pro ready”, in the modern sense, should be more about being able to handle pressure very well. Plays never go as they are drawn up in the NFL and being able to keep calm during those instances is critical. Quarterbacks need to thrive in chaos and, when possible, turn chaotic situations into a big play for one’s offense. Wentz struggled in that department, for the most part. He seldom made big plays in the face of pressure. There are a few other passers in the class who can, though.
Lynch, Adams and Cook all have a good sense for chaos. Cook is more prone to mistakes than the other two, but it’s not too tough to live with when there are plenty of times where he makes critical throws in the midst of chaos. He has a career littered with clutch throws, stunning downfield placement and a sense of control when the game is on the line.
He will be more of a roller coaster than Lynch and Adams, but his big plays redeem many of his errors. Lynch and Adams, on the other hand, live for chaos. Adams tries to create sometimes, in fact, knowing that the play at hand is not going to go the way he wants before it has even begun. The two maneuver the pocket well and understand when to bail. They understand that not every throw needs to be completed from the pocket, it just needs to be completed. Having a rusher barrel down at them does not phase them. They know where to move, when to do it and how to complete the play afterward. That is pro readiness. That is not Carson Wentz.
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