Houston Texans Tidbits: Mike Mayock Talks Quarterbacks Heading to the NFL Combine
SOTT Staff
Yesterday at 11:34 PM
NFL Network Analyst Mike Mayock discussed prospects heading to the 2016 NFL Combine and we highlight some of the discussion on the quarterbacks heading to Indianapolis.
With all of the attention pointed to the quarterbacks for the Houston Texans, the NFL Combine is jumping to the forefront on the NFL landscape this coming week. NFL Network's Analyst Mike Mayock talked about prospects during the NFL draft and we picked some key tidbits concerning the quarterbacks that are headed to the NFL Combine.
On Penn State's Christian Hackenberg
“I don't care how tough you are or how good you are, if you get hit enough, it's going to affect you. Look at Christian Hackenberg at Penn State.”
On Mid-Round Quarterbacks
“When you start talking about third, fourth, fifth round, middle-round quarterbacks, one of the big questions this year with GMs around the league is, okay, who's the next Kirk Cousins? Who's that next middle-round that can get you to the playoffs, if he needed to start down the road?”
Wildcards at the Quarterback Position
"Then I have two wild cards, and the wild cards from me are Christian Hackenberg from Penn State and
Cardale Jones from Ohio State, both of whom have a ton of talent, big, good-looking kids, but their tape is poor. So they're going to be wild cards as to who -- because they have the upside of being from -- from a skills perspective, they have starter skills, but their tape is poor.”
Mayock on Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch
“The next guy up is Paxton Lynch and you'd better do your homework on him. He's 6'7", reminds me of Joe Flacco coming out of Delaware. He's a great athlete for 6'7". He'll surprise you with his athletic ability.”
- He's got a big arm, but he's a year or two away from playing.
On Stanford’s Kevin Hogan
“Hogan is probably the most ready intellectually of any of those quarterbacks. I mean, at Stanford, from a pass protection, in a run scheme, change at the line of scrimmage, what they ask him to do, it's probably as close to what you're going to see in the NFL as any of them. So he's going to come in and pick it up very quickly, and he's the type of kid that made a lot of headway from his sophomore year to his senior year.”
Mayock Comparing North Dakota State's Carson Wentz to the Colts’ Andrew Luck
"When I look at him, I see a kid that's as athletic or more athletic than Andrew Luck. He's bigger than Andrew Luck. He's got arm strength comparable to Andrew Luck. He just doesn't have the experience that Andrew Luck has at a high level that Andrew has coming out of college."
"I see a ceiling for this kid similar to Andrew Luck. That's why I believe in this kid so much. But it's going to take a little bit of time. His character apparently is off the charts. That's what I was told by everybody surrounding the Senior Bowl that had any dealings with him. Smart, tough, loves the game."
- 23 starts and 20-3 as a starter.
- Division I-AA competition.
- Lacks experience that Luck had coming out of college.
Mayock on California's Jared Goff
“Regarding Goff, polished, great in the pocket, finds lanes to throw, really good arm. Not elite, but a really good arm, very accurate with a quick release. Most ready to play quarterback in the draft today.”
- Lean and Needs to Add Weight.
Mayock on Michigan State's Connor Cook
"I think he's a complicated question, and I'll start with the premise that I think he's one of the four quarterbacks that has the physical talent to be a first-round draft pick."
- Never been over a 60% completion. Mayock points out Michigan State throws the ball vertrical aggressively.
- Likes his toughness as a QB in the pocket.
- Some teams and GMs it does not matter he was not a captain, others teams it matters.
- Mayock questions why he did not go to the Senior Bowl.
Based on Mayock’s conference call, this is what his quarterback ranks appear to look like.
1. Carson Wentz, North Dakota State
2. Jared Goff, California
3. Paxton Lynch, Memphis
4. Connor Cook, Michigan State
Wild Cards: Christian Hackenberg, Penn State and Cardale Jones, Ohio State
6. Kevin Hogan, Stanford
7. Brandon Allen, Arkansas
8. Dak Prescott, Mississippi State
9. Jacoby Brissett, North Carolina State
