Jared Goff NFL Draft 2016: Scouting Report, Grade for Rams Rookie

POSITIVES

Jared Goff is one of the smartest quarterback prospects to enter the NFL in the past five seasons. In Cal's Bear Raid offense, he was tasked with reading defenses pre-snap and making line calls and audibles out of plays if those defenses gave him a different read than what was expected. Goff was also asked to read defenses post-snap, with his receivers often breaking off their routes based on the coverages they saw. Goff had to read this too, make the right decision and throw based on his read—not necessarily on which receiver was open.

While not a great athlete, Goff is mobile enough to move in the pocket or pick up yards as a runner. It's his poise in the pocket that truly stands out, though. He doesn't get rattled when there is pressure in his face or around his feet and excels at keeping his vision down the field instead of on the defenders around him. Goff is smooth in his backpedal and has a quick, fluid motion as he takes his drop steps. He stands tall in the pocket but moves with great agility when side-stepping pressure.

From an arm perspective, Goff is good enough. He's not on par with Cam Newton or Joe Flacco but compares well to players like Marcus Mariota. He had no issues throwing deep outs against Texas or Stanford and is able to thread the ball through tight windows over the middle. One of the most impressive aspects of his game is his ability to drop the ball into a bucket over defenders. He and wide receiver Kenny Lawler had great chemistry on these types of throws—particularly on fade routes into the end zone.

Goff is as close to NFL-ready as a college quarterback can be in the age of spread offenses. He has a high football IQ, started three seasons for the Bears and has all the athletic tools needed to succeed at the position.

NEGATIVES

The lack of an NFL build is concerning for Goff, who was listed at 185 pounds before his junior season at Cal. Whether his body can take the beating of an NFL career will be heavily scrutinized, especially since he has thinner legs than many teams would like.

Goff's hand size has been mentioned often, and while his mitts are considered "above the line" at nine inches, they have to be evaluated since they're right there on that line (most teams have a nine-inch cutoff mark). Teams that play in cold weather may weigh this more heavily than others.

On film, Goff was at his best when he was running the two-minute drill or in pressure situations, as these allowed him to get into a rhythm and not overthink at the line of scrimmage or in the pocket. Having played largely from the shotgun, he's spent the offseason working on playing from under center in the event his NFL offense features less shotgun.

Goff played under tremendous pressure at Cal, was sacked 81 times in three seasons and lost 11 fumbles. Coupled with his smaller hands, those fumbles could be an issue.

COMBINE RESULTS

Height: 6'4"

Weight: 215 lbs

40 Time: 4.82s

Hand Size: 9"

3-Cone: 7.17s

PRO COMPARISON: Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
FINAL GRADE: 7.20/9.00 (Round 1—Franchise QB)