2012 NFL Draft: Robert Griffin III Takes a Step Back vs. Rice

Robert Griffin III's opening game performance put him on the NFL Draft radar.  He has always been an electrifying talent but was mainly overlooked as an NFL quarterback prospect. 

However, after the TCU game, many evaluators started to take notice. In my initial evaluation, I felt Griffin showed a ton of potential.

He has surprisingly good accuracy and ball placement and can stretch the field with good deep touch. His ability to manage the offense is also very impressive.

To say Griffin regressed this past weekend is tricky. He finished the game going 21-27, with 359 passing yards, and five touchdowns. Those stats are great, actually a bit unbelievable.  However, evaluating players for the NFL Draft is not about looking solely at the stat sheet. 

Griffin struggled in some areas, where he previously had improved.

In the first week of the season, Griffin had a good balanced presence in the pocket. This wasn't the case against Rice. He looked stiff, lacking the proper knee bend. This impacted his throwing motion, and he made several flat-footed passes.

Griffin's accuracy and ball placement also regressed. He may have completed 77 percent of his passes, but the ball placement was less than ideal. On more than a few occasions, the receivers bailed Griffin out by making terrific catches.

Griffin's completion percentage is also deceptive because of the overwhelming number of wide receiver screens utilized by Baylor.

He continued to struggle making post-snap reads. Rather, the location of many throws was determined prior to the snap.  When his first read was covered, Griffin turned to his physical abilities, often vacating a safe pocket.

Griffin still remains an intriguing prospect. One questionable performance doesn't significantly hurt his draft stock. Griffin's athletic ability will keep him in the discussion.

He remains a much improved passer but now needs to show more consistency as the season progresses.