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With the college football and NFL regular seasons winding to a close, it’s time again to shift focus towards the NFL Draft. With that in mind, I’ll be focusing some time into my specifics of positional evaluation across the board over the winter: what to watch, where to look and the mental thought process to help you maximize the most of your scouting efforts in 2016.
– Kyle Crabbs, Director of Scouting at NDT Scouting –



Quarterback play: it’s a bear to process. There’s no way around it. The amount of detail, levels, outside influence and variables at play on any single snap can all attribute to the net result of offensive reps. But it doesn’t have to be as foreign as speaking Mandarin! The more concrete and consistent your though process can become on a snap by snap basis, the more you will continue to develop a consistency about how you are interpreting the game. Quarterback evaluation in probably the most complex and detail oriented position on the field, it requires both very micro and macro viewpoints of the fine details of the Quarterback’s actions and thoughts (micro) and the larger chess match at play from both the offense and defense (macro). To assist in consistency and regularity with the interpretation of what you’re watching, I’ve put together a mental checklist of what to watch (and when to watch it) for each Quarterback you come across in 2016.



To help with the volume of checkpoints included, I have divided these points of interest into four separate areas of the play: Pre-Snap, During Pass Drop, At Top of Drop and After Release. In part one of this two part series, I’ll be exploring what to look for in the first two scenarios of QB play: Pre-Snap and During Pass Drop cues and how to interpret them.
Pre-Snap – Items of interest before the play begins

Defensive Front: How many defenders are on the line of scrimmage? Odd or even front? Is it a pressure look? Defensive alignments can dictate adjustments at the LOS, hot reads against pressure or create a responsibility by the Quarterback in protection schemes.
Secondary Alignment: Press coverage or off coverage? How many defensive backs are on the field? Single high safety or a two deep look? Are defenders aligned on inside or outside shade on the boundary? Are defensive backs rotating down or out of the box shortly prior to snap? These things all help identify defensive play calls and will continue to dictate primary read, route adjustments and increase mental processing abilities after the snap.
Personnel: Both offensive and defensive. Nickel, Dime, Base packages? 10, 11, 21, 22 personnel? Meant to act as a marker of play trends and ability to process situational football. How often does the Quarterback play under center and how often does he have the advantage of a deeper platform out of the shotgun prior to the snap?
Adjustment Control: Does the Quarterback appear to have control of the offense? Can he audible routes, protections or entire plays? Is he verbal in identifying key defenders across the LOS prior to getting under center? These items all suggest a high quality grasp on a system and when paired with consistent positive play results act as a marker for potential success.
Score, Time Down/Distance and Area of the Field: Self explanatory. A 8 yard completion on 3rd and 9 or 1st and 10 are two totally different marks of success, especially if one comes inside of 2 minutes or inside the opposing 20 yard line. Game awareness is critical on each and every play, it’s paramount to running a successful offense. If Quarterbacks are asked to stay aware of it, you should be too.

During Drop – Items of interest as the Quarterback drops onto throwing platform

Step Timing/Efficiency – You can usually get a gauge of what area of the field a play is meant to attack depending on the steps out of receiving the snap. Rock and throw, 3 step (1 big and 2 little), 5 step (3 big and 2 little), 5 step and a hitch, 7 step, etc. are all different levels of the field and are meant to be used in unison with specific routes and reads and protections. Look for how even weight is kept in drops, how quickly the feet move and how consistently the ball is delivered to deeper areas of the field when paired with deeper drops.
Eye Location/Movement – We all know defenders follow eyes in zone coverage. Does the Quarterback spend too much time gazing in one direction before release to that target? Is he capable of shifting eyes across the field of play during his drops? If getting a favorable pre-snap read on a quick hitting throw, not moving the eyes may not necessarily be a bad thing. But you better be right in interpretation of coverage.
Play Speed – How quickly does the game appear? Is there a certain pace (controlled but efficient) played with or do does the player act or appear rushed or frantic (or on the other hand a bit TOO lethargic). Either end of the spectrum will be problematic.
Ball Security – Where is the ball behind held? Does it allow for a quick, efficient release if needing to get out quickly? Is it exposed to spare limbs or pass rushers sneaking by? Fumbles are turnovers too, protect that football in the pocket!
Mental Processing – So you’re given a two high safety, press man coverage base package look against 21 personnel before the snap with seven defenders in the box. Great, but what happens when the boundary corners bail off of the LOS at the snap, the FS shifts to the middle of the field and that Strong Safety buzzes down to attack the pocket and now you’re facing a Cover 3 blitz package? How capable does the transition take place from “primary read” to “not an option” and how well does the Quarterback move to the next target?
Blitz ID – Building off of the previous thought, sometimes defenses bring more defenders than the opposing offense can block. Does the QB identify blitzes well? Does he immediately look to fill the vacant space left from a blitzer with the ball? Does he show an ability to beat a free runner with either his feet or an altered release angle?
Route Combinations – What kind of plays is the offense running? Are these half field combinations translatable to a play by play offense in the NFL? Stick, Flood, Verticals, Spot, Smash, etc. are all various combinations at play and the more frequently a passer proves to correctly execute, the more he should be commended in your evaluation.

Of course, there are additional items of interest in these two areas of the game for Quarterback evaluation. Hopefully this can serve as an informative and insightful launching point for whomever falls under your microscope. Check back again later this week for Part II of the Mental Checklist: Quarterback Play series, where I’ll detail what to look for At Top of Drop and After Release!

http://draftbreakdown.com/mental-checkl ... ay-part-i/