UNDRAFTED QUARTERBACK SIGNINGS

ARIZONA CARDINALS

Max Hall-SR-BYU *INSIGHT*

Although Hall lacks all the measurables you’d want in an NFL QB, he was very productive at BYU and deserves a real look for a roster spot.  At barely over 6’0” and 200lbs, Hall is vastly undersized and is limited in many areas.  He has subpar arm strength and will not be able to make all the throws at the next level.  However, he is a very smart QB and has great accuracy on his short throws.  Coaches may be turned off by his short temper and high opinion of himself (See Hall’s comments about Utah).  He takes the game seriously and should be able to catch on with a West Coast offense team, whether it’s the Cardinals or someone else.  By the way, he has great bloodlines – Uncle, Danny White, played QB for the Cowboys (76’-88’) and Grandfather, Wilford “Wizzer” White played HB for the Bears (51’-52’).  Will be a 25-year-old rookie.

ATLANTA FALCONS

Tim Buckley-SR-Alcorn State

DALLAS COWBOYS

Matt Nichols-SR-Eastern Washington *INSIGHT*

Nichols was definitely one of the more underrated QB prospects in this year’s draft class and I am surprised no team was willing to take a chance on him in the latter rounds.  He has a good amount of potential and could become a solid backup if given a chance to develop.  He has above-average arm strength and a quick release coaches love to see.  His accuracy is pretty consistent and maintains it even when outside the pocket.  The knock on Nichols is that he came from an FCS school where he faced inferior competition.   He will need to adjust to the speed of the NFL. Nichols also worked primarily in the shotgun, in which he was never really challenged to make difficult reads.  He has the tools, but he will require work and patience to develop into an NFL QB.

GREEN BAY PACKERS

Noah Shepard-SR-South Dakota

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

Tim Hiller-SR-Western Michigan *INSIGHT*

One of the most productive and smart QBs coming out of this year’s draft class, Hiller was at one time considered a mid-round pick.  However, it seems that teams were scared away by Hiller’s lackluster skill set and weak knees.  Hiller tore both ACLs while at Western Michigan and has limited him greatly.  His escapability is close to zero and will be strictly a pocket passer.  Although he showed toughness by playing three games with a torn ACL in 2008, he seemed to shy away from contact and could not handle a pass rush.  He has decent enough arm strength to make the throws in the NFL and is very accurate underneath.  Will have to adjust to working under center, as he operated almost exclusively out of the shotgun.   His has prototypical size for an NFL QB at 6’4” and 225lbs.  What coaches will love him for though, is his outstanding intangibles.  He was a solid leader and has extraordinary character and work ethic, graduating with a 4.0 GPA and participating in various charitable functions.  While his skills won’t wow you over, his presence in the community will.  I think it will be hard for any coach to turn down a quality guy like Hiller.

HOUSTON TEXANS

Tyler Sheehan-SR-Bowling Green

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

Trevor Harris-SR-Edinboro

MINNESOTA VIKINGS

R.J. Archer-SR-William &Mary

Ryan Perriloux-SR-Jacksonville State

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

A.J. McKenna-SR-Albany State

NEW YORK GIANTS

Dom Randolph-SR-Holy Cross

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

Joey Elliott-SR-Purdue

ST. LOUIS RAMS

Thaddeus Lewis-SR-Duke

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

Jarrett Brown-SR-West Virginia *INSIGHT*

I was very surprised to see Brown’s name still on the board at the end of the draft.  In most people’s mind, he was within the top 10 QBs in this draft.  I saw him as a mid-round draft pick, possibly sliding to the last few rounds – but I always thought he’d be drafted.  He is raw, but he did very well considering he was forced to sit behind Pat White his entire career until this last season.  At 6’3” and 225lbs he has great size for an NFL QB.  He is very athletic and is faster than what most would think when looking at him in pads; he ran a 4.5 sec 40-yard dash at the combine.  He also has an NFL-caliber arm and has the ability to put a lot of zip on the ball.  Even when outside the pocket and on the move he is able to throw with that same velocity.  There is a lot of upside here for Brown.  However, his decision-making and throwing mechanics need a lot of work.  It will be a big challenge for him to learn an NFL playbook.  His accuracy needs improvement as well.  Coaches will need to work with him to get him out of the habit of tucking the ball and running whenever the pocket starts to break down.  But, a guy as athletically gifted as Brown brings plenty of upside and should be able to wow coaches over with some of the things he can do.  I am a little worried about how he slid of the board during the draft, making me wonder if something came up during player interviews that swayed coaches away.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

Jevan Snead-JR-Mississippi *INSIGHT*

Here’s a guy who everyone was raving about after a brilliant season in 2008 and was projected within the top 5 QBs of this class at one point.  Unfortunately for Snead, his draft stock plummeted to the ground this last season after not even coming close to his 2008 numbers.  While he did lose two great players in Michael Oher and Mike Wallace, he showed no glimpses of a future NFL QB.  He has one of the best arms in this year’s crop, but trusts it way more than he should.  He is of the gunslinger mold and mentality, often getting himself in trouble by trying to fling the ball into the tiniest of holes.  He does not possess the accuracy to make those types of throws and is very erratic.  His delivery is solid and shouldn’t have a problem there.  Does not have a great deal of confidence when rushed and can accumulate as the game progresses.  Many question his understanding of the game and apparently didn’t do anything to dispel those rumors during the combine interviews.  Snead has the upside to be able to play in the NFL, but it is still in question whether he will be able to work out all the faults in his game to live up to it.  It definitely wouldn’t have hurt him to go back to school for another year, as he had little to lose.

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

Daryll Clark-SR-Penn State *INSIGHT*

I was a little surprised to see Clark go undrafted, as he flashed enough ability to warrant a late-round pick.  Clark is much like the previously mentioned Jarrett Brown of West Virginia.  He is a great athlete and can hurt you on the ground.  He has a rocket for an arm and puts a great deal of velocity behind his throws.  He is very hard to bring down because of his compactly solid build (6’1”, 235lbs) and will bull through tackles.  Clark is as competitive as they come and leaves everything on the field.  However, he needs to develop more as a decision-maker and to fine-tune his footwork.  It will take him longer than others to digest an NFL playbook and needs patience from his coaches to develop and ease into the position.  He is a long-term project that could scare some teams away, but has the upside to merit a spot on a roster.  A viable option for Clark is to contemplate switching to the RB position like former Penn State QB and current 49er Michael Robinson.