by J.T. Toth
Photo courtesy of University of Texas Athletics.
The NFL Draft talk never ends, and we are here at Draft 412 in an effort to keep you ready for the next set of gridiron stars. From today until draft night 2024, we will bring you mocks, profiles, team needs, and everything else related to the 2024 NFL Draft.
Today’s Spotlight - Texas, QB, Quinn Ewers
Name- Quinn Ewers
Pos- QB
Team- Texas
HT/WT- 6’2” 195 lbs.
Born- 3/15/2003
Home – San Antonio, TX
Quinn Ewers played football and baseball at Southlake Carroll Senior High School in Texas and was the #1 overall prospect in 2021, given a 5-star rating by both ESPN and 247Sports. Originally committed to Texas, Ewers shocked everyone and decommitted to accept an offer to Ohio State.
In one season at Ohio State, Ewers took two snaps at the end of the Michigan State game in November. In December, Ewers announced that he would be transferring to Texas and was named the Longhorns' starting quarterback upon arrival.
For the Longhorns' last season, Ewers threw for 2,177 yards with 15 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. Going into the 2023 season, Texas landed top quarterback recruit Arch Manning, but after the Orange White Game, head coach Steve Sarkisian named Ewers the starting quarterback for 2023.
Ewers has the arm strength to make all passes in any situation, anywhere on the field. He possesses NFL accuracy on all three levels of the playing field and the mobility to get outside the pocket and throw on the run. He always has his eyes set down the field even while he is on the move, locating open receivers. He does a good job of anticipating the receivers out of their breaks and can make throws before the receivers are even looking. He has a knack for changing the speed of his throws when needed, and, as all accurate passers do, leads his receivers well.
He does have a bad habit of holding the football loosely when he is outside the pocket, making him fumble prone. And at the pro level, he will need to be faster going through his reads and also has a habit of second guessing himself, which leads to sacks and unnecessary pressures. His throwing mechanics need some work as he throws from a sidearm angle at times when it is not necessary. His footwork, too, can be an issue, as he tends to throw off his backfoot, which also leads to accuracy issues. When dropping back, Ewers needs to have a better command for when to step up in the pocket instead of rolling out unnecessarily.
Quinn Ewers has the talent to be an NFL quarterback if he can pull it all together. He has a strong arm but his mechanics need to be fixed to have a chance. He throws sidearm one throw and then over the top the next with no explanation as to why he changed.
Draft 412 sees a mix of Kenny Pickett and Brock Purdy in Ewers. He has the accuracy of Pickett and the scramble and arm mechanics of Purdy.
Strengths
He can make all throws
Ball placement
Anticipation
Changes ball tempo
Weaknesses
Throwing mechanics
Blitz reads
Footwork needs improvement
Slow progressions
Final Analysis
Quinn Ewers has not even thrown 300 times yet in his college football career and needs to have himself a big season to solidify himself as a top 5 quarterback. Draft 412 would not be shocked if Ewers decided to play another season if he does not perform up to his expectations in 2023.
Prediction- 2nd or 3rd Round