Jarrett Stidham NFL Draft 2019: Scouting Report for New England Patriots' Pick

Todd Kirkland/Associated Press

STRENGTHS

—Beautiful touch on the deep ball with ideal loft and the velocity to drop passes in a bucket.

—Mobile in and out of the pocket. Can make throws rolling to both his left and right with good accuracy.

—Releases the ball quickly with a high release point to limit swats.

—Has shown the ability to take over games and lead his team to victory, like he did against Alabama in 2017.

—Adequate but not amazing arm strength; can make field-side throws with anticipation.

—Well-built, compact player with enough agility and athleticism to get outside the pocket and make throws.

—Tough, no-bull quarterback who battled behind one of the nation's worst offensive lines in 2018.

WEAKNESSES

—2017 and 2018 tape looked like two different quarterbacks; didn't take the next step in his development as expected.

—Did not trust his linemen to pick up blitzes, which led to sacks, poor pre-snap reads and taking his eyes off his receivers.

—Puts himself in harm's way when scrambling and often tries to play the hero. Are his 2018 issues correctable or will this be a David Carr-type problem going forward?

—Hesitates to unleash the ball, looked afraid to disappoint or fail as Auburn's season fell apart.

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OVERALL

As a collective, we loved Stidham's 2017 tape. However, he looked like a completely different quarterback in 2018. In 2017, Stidham looked like a lock to be a first-round quarterback, but at times in 2018, he looked like a fourth-round guy. Will the right coaches be able to restore Stidham and get his confidence and play back on track? If so, he has the talent to be a successful NFL quarterback.

GRADE: 6.75 (ROUND 2 - FUTURE STARTER)

PRO COMPARISON: Derek Carr