An In-Depth Look at the New York Jets' Most Intriguing Selection, Bryce Petty

Leonard Williams has All-Pro potential. Devin Smith should add a dangerous deep threat to the offense. Lorenzo Mauldin is a high-effort pass-rusher with a fantastic story. But the New York Jets' most intriguing selection in the 2015 NFL draft was undoubtedly Bryce Petty. 

The Jets traded up one spot in the fourth round to select the former Baylor quarterback with the 103rd overall pick, and the move was certainly one of the biggest stories of the final day of the draft weekend. 

Fans, scouts and experts have both praised and criticized Petty, making him one of the most polarizing prospects in this year's class. 

With that said, let's take an in-depth look at Gang Green's newest signal-caller. 

Background

Petty excelled through different levels of Texas football, as he was a star signal-caller at Midlothian High School. He was a dual threat under center, and he was ranked as the No. 2 quarterback prospect in the state by The Dallas Morning News after his senior season. 

After choosing to stay in-state and play with Baylor, Petty made very little impact in his first three years at Waco. He was redshirted as a true freshman, and then he watched Robert Griffin III claim the Heisman Trophy as a third-stringer in 2011. As a sophomore, he became the team's backup and completed just seven passes as the Bears finished with a disappointing eight victories.

Petty burst onto the scene as a junior, becoming one of the most prolific passers in the country. He threw for 4,200 yards and 32 touchdowns while tossing just three interceptions in 13 games. Petty led the Bears to their first Big 12 title and the Fiesta Bowl, and he was named the 2013 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year for his performance. Under Petty, Baylor's offense was as unstoppable as any in the country. The team failed to score fewer than 30 points only once, and it topped the 60-point mark six times. 

The Texas native continued his brilliance in his senior season, as he led the Bears to their second consecutive Big 12 title and a Cotton Bowl appearance. He tossed for 3,855 yards and 29 touchdowns, while the Bears failed to top the 40-point mark just three times all year. If the Baylor defense performed at a higher level, there is no reason why Petty couldn't have won a national championship. 

After an astonishing final two years in Waco, Petty became eligible for the draft, and he was the fifth quarterback off the board after the likes of Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota, Garrett Grayson and Sean Mannion. 

Scouting Report

Petty is coming off of an incredible collegiate career and has the physical tools to be a solid NFL starter, but he has a long way to go in order to make an impact. 

Petty was a star at Baylor, but the Bears offense was a simple one-read system in which the quarterback wasn't asked to diagnose defenses. There are plenty of quarterbacks who dominated in those kinds of offenses at the collegiate level but went on to struggle in the NFL. At times, Petty struggled to read and react to coverages, especially when his primary target wasn't open. He also showed little composure when under pressure in the pocket, and it often led him to make a mistake. Petty also didn't improve much—if at all—in his senior campaign, although he did deal with a back issue throughout the season. 

Petty is also often lauded for his arm strength, but as CBS Sports' Dane Brugler points out, the 23-year-old "tests a lot of vertical throws with a lot of bucket tosses, but he doesn't throw for a high percentage downfield and often throws up passes that can be best categorized as 50-50 balls." 

To put it simply, there a lot of flaws to work out of Petty's game before he can be considered a viable NFL quarterback. 

However, he has some terrific physical tools and intangibles. At 6'3'' and 230 pounds, he has the ideal size for a passer at the next level, and he boasts terrific mobility both in and out of the pocket. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com states that "scouts label him ultra-competitive, tough and smart" and his "arm strength is NFL-starter quality." Petty is also a proven winner, and he can make any throw when he gets into a groove. His release and technique are also well-developed. 

It's hard to get a good read on Petty because of the system he played in at Baylor. As one AFC North area scout told Zierlein, "My grade is a projection based on what I think he can do rather than what he did this year. I think his back was a bigger problem for him than people realize."

Fit in New York

Petty won't even come close to winning the starting job this season. In fact, it will probably be a couple years before he is even considered for the role. 

The Baylor product needs time to adjust to the NFL, as he must learn a much more complicated playbook and the ability to read and react to complex coverages. Much of Petty's development will fall into the hands of New York's coaching staff, particularly new quarterbacks coach Kevin Patullo. 

In terms of how Petty might adjust to new offensive coordinator Chan Gailey's scheme, that is tough to project. However, the 63-year-old has worked with a slew of different quarterbacks over his career, and he is far from married to a system. Petty's transition will be a lot easier under Gailey than it would have been under Marty Mornhinweg, who ran a much more complicated offensive system in New York. 

Petty should also benefit from initially being behind Ryan Fitzpatrick on the depth chart. Fitzpatrick is far from a top-notch NFL starter, but he has managed to put together a pretty successful NFL career largely because of his smarts both on and off the field. Fitzpatrick could certainly aid the fourth-round selection's progress, as he also likes to work out of the shotgun formation. 

Petty probably won't see the field this regular season, but he should get some significant experience in training camp and the preseason. It will be interesting to see how New York splits up the snaps at quarterback this offseason among the rookie, Geno Smith and Fitzpatrick. 

When (and if) his time comes, Petty should have some talented weapons at his disposal. Brandon Marshall could be gone by that point, but Eric Decker, Devin Smith and athletic tight end Jace Amaro should all still be wearing Green and White. 

Ultimately, Petty's future could hinge on Geno Smith's performance this season. If the former West Virginia star can make strides and emerge as a solid signal-caller, he could hold down the starting job and prevent Petty from moving up the depth chart. 

Conclusion

The Jets obviously wanted Petty, as they gave up a pick in order to trade up to snag him. General manager Mike Maccagnan and Co. likely view the Baylor quarterback as an option they can develop and ultimately lean on if the Geno Smith experiment continues to fail. 

Petty is a talented signal-caller with solid physical tools and top-notch intangibles, but he is very much a question mark at this point. 

Under the right guidance, Petty could make the necessary adjustments and become a viable starting-caliber quarterback. But he could just as easily struggle to adapt his game and end up being a waste of a pick. 

Petty has both a very high ceiling and a very low floor, making him the most intriguing selection in Gang Green's 2015 draft class.