By J.T.
Photo Credit- Canes World
At Draft 412, the NFL draft talk never ends. We will keep you ready for the next set of gridiron stars—from today and all the way until draft night 2024. We will bring you mock drafts, player profiles, individual team needs, and everything else you may need related to the 2024 NFL Draft.
Today’s Spotlight - University of Miami (FL), Quarterback, Tyler Van Dyke
Name- Tyler Van Dyke
Pos- Quarterback
Team- Miami,Fla
HT/WT- 6’4” 224 lbs.
Born- 3/1/2001
Home – Glastonbury, CT
Tyler Van Dyke was a consensus four-star prospect by ESPN, Rivals, and 247Sports. ESPN ranked him as the #2 pro-style quarterback in the country coming out of Suffield Academy in Connecticut. In his last two varsity seasons he totaled 4,600 yards passing and 39 touchdowns. He chose Miami over many other offers including Pitt, Michigan and UCLA.
In 2020 as a true freshman he saw action in two games on his way to taking a redshirt.
Van Dyke dazzled in 2021, his first season as a starting quarterback, earning ACC Rookie of the Year. He saw action in 10 games with 9 of them as starts. He finished the season throwing for 2,931 yards and 25 touchdowns with only 6 interceptions. He ended the year throwing for 300 yards and at least 3 touchdowns in the last 6 games.
Last season Van Dyke missed parts of 6 games due to injury. He played in 9 games and threw for 1,835 yards with 10 touchdowns.The nagging shoulder injury kept him from putting up similar numbers to what he accomplished in 2021.
Tyler Van Dyke has a big body with the ability to be mobile when needed. He throws with professional velocity from different arm angles and can do this while on the move. He is blessed with a quick release and has soft touch when the throw calls for it. He has an NFL arm that can make any throw in the playbook.
Van Dyke displays the ability to lead receivers and give them their best chance at making a play. He feels pressure in the pocket and can judge when it is time to roll out or run and keeps his eyes downfield.
On the downside, his shaky mechanics and backpedaling nee to be improved and he tends to put too much air on sideline passes, allowing defensive backs to react and make plays on the ball. His decision making late in games at times have been spotty, leading to unwarranted turnovers. And he has a habit of throwing off his back foot which causes accuracy problems. He can take too long with progressions leading to inexcusable pressure.
Watching video of Tyler Van Dyke in 2021 reminded Draft 412 of another Miami quarterback, Miami (OH) Ben Roethlisberger. The way Van Dyke was able to get outside the pocket, throw on the run, and occasionally take off for chunks of yards was vintage “Big Ben”.
Strengths
Arm strength
Leading receivers
Mobility
Eyes downfield
Weaknesses
Lower body mechanics
Long progressions
Late game decisions
Final Analysis
Tyler Van Dyke had a phenomenal season in 2021 and injuries and lack of consistency plagued him in 2022. If he can get back to what he did in 2021, Miami is going to be a force to be reckoned with and Van Dyke will soar up draft charts.
Draft 412 Draft Prediction - 2nd round with a chance