2015 NFL Draft: Chris Bonner Scouting Report
As a whole, the quarterback class for the 2015 NFL Draft is underwhelming. Teams will be looking for sleepers to draft in the later rounds of the draft and players they can target as free agents after the draft. One of those sleeper quarterbacks is Colorado State-Pueblo quarterback Chris Bonner.
STRENGTHS
Chris Bonner is a huge quarterback prospect at 6’7″ and 235 pounds. Bonner usually looks like the biggest player on the field against CSU-Pueblo’s Division II opponents.
Chris Bonner has very good arm strength and is extremely capable of throwing lasers to every level of the passing game. Bonner might have the best arm in this class, based purely on arm strength.His height allows him to see over the offensive line and oncoming rushers with ease.
Bonner also has excellent pocket mobility for a quarterback his size. He’s not going to blow you away on the 40 yard dash, but he can keep plays alive within the pocket to give his receivers more time downfield.
When Bonner has time and a pocket to set his feet and throw, he can be deadly accurate with his passes. His accuracy is still inconsistent, but when he’s in rhythm he can fit the ball into tight windows due to his arm strength.
Chris Bonner’s arm strength really shines when he throws the ball downfield. Throwing the ball deep doesn’t take too much effort and with a quick flick of his wrist he can send the ball throttling through the air.
WEAKNESSES
Chris Bonner needs to work on his accuracy and touch. Too many times Bonner will gun the ball over the head of his receivers. On passes that need arc, he has shown the tendency to throw bullets to his receivers. Bonner could also stand to improve his footwork which be a bit shaky at times.
Bonner’s redzone accuracy is shaky at best. He misses on passes to the endzone, usually too high for his targets. Bonner needs to work on his accuracy in the redzone because he’ll come up empty against NFL teams more often than not.
Another area of concern for Bonner is the level of competition he played against at CSU-Pueblo. NFL defenses are obviously much bigger, stronger, faster, and more complex than Division II defenses. Bonner isn’t ready to play from day one and is a long term project.
DRAFT STOCK
Chris Bonner is just oozing with potential. He shows flashes on tape and his physical skills will make any team fall in love. However, he hasn’t played against good competition and he’ll need time to sit on the bench and learn from a veteran.
Look for Bonner to go late in the draft (6th-7th round), or possibly even go undrafted.
PLAYER COMPARISON
Ryan Mallett, Houston Texans