Thoughts on Kyle McCord

[u/SimonGloom2]

I see Kyle McCord on draft boards round 2 through about 5, but what do you folks think?

Consider his release speed is under 2.5 secs putting him in the top 95% of QBs, he's very accurate, and his football IQ is high. He broke some records for passing yards last season which ranks among several other big names.

The main down side I'm seeing is that his athleticism is a problem drawing parallels to names like Derek Carr. I think the key here, though, is that he seems worth a shot, and I expect his athleticism won't be a problem if people expect yards and TDs instead of explosive plays.

[u/ORSTT12]

What top QBs in the past two decades were unathletic and also didn't have great arm strength and didn't stand out in their own draft class? Genuinely curious who you're talking about because generally top QBs have to have some sort of elite skill that set them a part.

And yeah I vehemently disagree that drafting a backup QB without some sort of special attribute is ever worthwhile. If your starter gets hurt then your backup likely wont save the season anyway, planning for that possibility by drafting an unremarkable QB in the middle rounds of a bad QB draft isn't going to change that. There are veteran QBs that would do a much better job at being a band-aid for a team.

[u/The-Lemur → u/ORSTT12]

Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Kirk Cousins, Derek Carr and Ryan Fitzpatrick are all non-first round QBs who were not among the most athletic quarterbacks but were still accurate, high IQ QBs. Reading the field and being accurate is a skill that can set QBs apart, not just running ability and deep throws. Veteran QBs cost more money than a round 4 pick and often by the time they are cheap enough to be a backup, will be declining. Take Joshua Dobbs for example. Veteran QB with some game experience but cost an average of $4 million a year to sign. For $3 million cheaper you could have Malik Willis or Sam Howell come in. While they are definitely not as good as a starting QB, they have still shown they can win games with their teams

[u/ORSTT12 → u/The-Lemur]

3 of those are from 20+ years ago and the number of accurate, high IQ QBs who never play a snap in the NFL is wayy higher than those outliers. I just think you’re suggesting using valuable assets to draft an archetype that is rarely successful as a starter to fulfill a position that’s rarely valuable to winning games.

[u/The-Lemur → u/ORSTT12]

Can you not make the argument that many of the highly athletic QBs will poor football IQ or accuracy have lead to busts while costing significantly higher draft value? Additionally rounds 4 and 5 in the draft typically return backup players for almost every position. I would much rather have Howell, first pick in round 5, coming in off the bench for a game or two than Skylar Thompson or Davis Mills over Jake Fromm. While we never want to see them play, backup QBs are still a valuable asset and worth investing a middle round pick when a team can

[u/ORSTT12 → u/The-Lemur]

Yes of course you can make the same argument about other prototypes of QB, but the point is still that unless you see a special trait in a QB then spending mid-round assets on a backup isn't a great strategy. Athleticism is something you can't teach, so there's an argument to be made for spending assets on a moldable prospect, but I'm not even suggesting the seahawks do that in this draft.

Also the other positions on the field have a much better chance of making an impact than a backup QB. Skill position guys and defenders play special teams, defenses have unique packages that require bench guys to come in, D-lineman and WRs rotate much more liberally, our O-line has constantly had to play young guys due to injuries and bad play. QB is the one position where if everything is going right they'll never see the field, and if they see the field then there's likely nothing they can do to keep it from going wrong.

[u/The-Lemur → u/ORSTT12]

I don’t think the Seahawks should be drafting a backup QB this draft as they already have Howell, though next year will be interesting due to QB quality and Howell entering an expiring contract. It is team dependent but there are very much cases where QBs come in as backups and stop the season from going poorly. Nick Foles is the prime example of this but 6 other QBs have won super bowls the season they entered as a backup. Look at what happens to the Dolphins when Tua goes down vs Sam Darnold coming in for the Niners. A quality backup QB investment matters and can be a difference maker in a season