Sam Ehlinger NFL Draft 2021: Scouting Report for Indianapolis Colts QB

HEIGHT: 6'1⅛"

WEIGHT: 220

POSITIVES

— Good, thick build for the QB position.

— Tough and moves well in the pocket. Flashes suddenness to work away from pass-rushers and tuck the ball to run. Willing to keep his eyes down the field and take a hit in the pocket or lower his shoulder with the ball in his hands.

— Universal praise for his leadership qualities.

— Can rear back and fire throws in when needed.

NEGATIVES

— Below-average height that shows up in his play because of his lack of consistent ability to operate from the pocket.

— Tries to do too much at times, which leads to ill-advised decisions. Crops up too often and needs more consistency in making sound decisions.

— Tough to a fault. Body has a lot of wear and tear from his play style.

— Just OK arm strength forces him to be an on-time operator, which he struggles to do consistently because of his long delivery and lack of anticipation.

2020 STATISTICS

10 G, 194-of-322 (60.3%), 2,566 YDS, 26 TD, 5 INT, 8 RUSHING TD

NOTES

— 2020 second-team All-Big 12

OVERALL

Sam Ehlinger plays the quarterback position with toughness, and while he is an adequate athlete, his lack of consistency and elongated mechanics limit his throwing upside. Ehlinger flashes some burst in the pocket to move away from defenders and get moving down the field, but he will try to do too much with his play that leads to some poor throws and decisions.

You appreciate Ehlinger's toughness and willingness to get dirty with the ball in his hands. He has a good build, but this play style is hard to do at the NFL level without the ability to consistently operate from the pocket. Ehlinger has adequate arm strength, but he has an elongated throwing motion and does not consistently anticipate his receivers. He is on the shorter side and needs to see his guys coming open, but NFL defenders will take advantage of this.

Overall, Ehlinger is a late-round backup QB candidate that could stick in the NFL due to his intangibles and adequate athleticism, but his lack of defining trait as a passer will be hard to overcome. 

GRADE: 6.3/10 (Round 7)

OVERALL RANK: 267/300

POSITION RANK: QB14

PRO COMPARISON: Mitchell Trubisky 

Written by B/R NFL Scout Nate Tice