Scouting Report : QB North Carolina, Mitch Trubisky

This  year I am starting the offseason by doing scouting reports through each tier of every position. I obviously won't be able to get through every player like Matt Miller can as I'm limited in my film resources, but I will try my best to get quite a few players done at each position.  In my reports I will  go over strengths, weaknesses, how a player will project to the NFL and where I think they SHOULD go, and where I think they will go.  I've already finished QBs, CB, and almost WR.  I hope to have everyone done a couple weeks before the draft and April in general. Lets get started.

When scouting QBs I look for tools and intangibles.  I don't care about experience as much or competition. If you can make NFL throws then you can make the throws. I want to see natural pocket awareness. If you display natural QB aspects to me, then you can be rated highly by me. This is why I loved Wentz last year. He played against lesser competition, but he made NFL throw after NFL throw in a pro offense, with accuracy.  I take completion percentage pretty seriously. If you're sub 60%, then your inaccurate most likely. Some guys have receivers who drop balls, but that should never be the reason you're under 60%.  Now if you're 59% I'll look into it. But I like to see minimum 63%.  For me, I do need to see arm strength. It is not the be all end all, but if you have average arm strength it limits your ability in the NFL and means you must excel elsewhere. An example in the NFL right now would be Cousins. I loved him coming out and still like him, but his arm strength can hinder him. In clutch moments he can't stick in the deep out route, that's vital. 

THE GOOD

Mitch Trubisky is my clear cut #1 QB this year without a doubt, and for many reasons.  He has prototype size and arm strength. Against FSU he flicks a ball 50 yards effortlessly off his back foot.  He has an Andrew Luck level athleticism and build.  He has very smooth mechanics, his upper body and lower body are consistently in sync. This  shows he worked hard even while not a starter to progress his mechanics over his college career. He can make every NFL throw in the books, from a deep post to throwing lasers on deep out routes.  He has consistent ball placement to all levels of the field. Against stout competition against FSU he picked them apart. He knows where not to go consistently, and makes very good decisions. He throws well on the move, and he keeps his eyes downfield.  He has great pocket awareness which includes a quick mental clock and a toughness to step into throws.  In the redzone he knows where to put throws based on receiver positioning and when to put zip on a throw and not to.  I also like that this offense ran through him, defenses knew they weren't running the ball and he still carved people up.  Despite an inconsistent pass blocking oline, he also showed he can evade inside and outside the pocket, as well as climb the pocket when needed to while keeping two hands on the ball.  I don't care that he only played one year, he proved in a year he can sling it, and has some of the smoothest mechanics in the class.

THE BAD

There isn't much to say here, but no one is perfect.  He does only have one year, be it a small negative.  He has a tendency to stick to a read sometimes, but it never really hurts him.  I need to watch his bowl game tape, as he threw three interceptions and was never a turnover machine during the regular season.  He likes to throw to his main target and it'd be nice to see him spread it around more, but what QB doesn't like throwing to their most reliable.  My biggest question is how much weather affects his game.  Against Virginia in a monsoon, he struggles to grip the ball, and in turn, trusts his arm for hard throws with less grip. I wonder if he has smaller hands, but still this doesn't worry me all that much since most QBs wouldn't play well in a monsoon.  Heres the tape anyway:

Overview

Trubisky to me is a day 1 starter with a high floor and high ceiling. I believe he will be a solid starter from day 1 and has a high ceiling due to his great tools to become a star QB.  I don't mind his one year experience as a starter at all because he shows he can make every throw in the book and wins from the pocket like a true NFL quarterback. I know Myles Garrett is a beast, but teams at the top of the draft such as the browns really have to consider Mitch Trubisky.