2015 NFL Draft: Bryce Petty Could Sneak Into 1st Round

Jan 1, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Baylor Bears quarterback Bryce Petty (14) passes against the Michigan State Spartans in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium. The Spartans defeated the Bears 42-41. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

With all the talk about Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, it’s been easy for fans and experts to put the rest of the quarterback class on the backburner heading towards the 2015 NFL draft.  One name in particular could prove the biggest surprise of all in Bryce Petty out of Baylor.

The buzz has been quietly building for him since the end of the 2014 college season.  Though he lost the Cotton Bowl to Michigan State, he did complete his second-straight bowl appearance in which he put up at least 350 yards passing, completed at least 63% of his passes and put up at least four touchdowns and 41 points while losing.

He has all the tools of pro quarterback from the arm strength to the throwing motion to the mobility to the poise and consistency in big games.  Granted, he’s not perfect.  Petty has several mechanical issues in his lower half that often lead to poor passes and bad interceptions.  Such is the reality of playing in a spread offense where such things aren’t as big a priority.  The thing is those problems are coachable and Petty has a reputation for being a hard worker.

It hasn’t changed the fact that over the past few months Petty has positioned himself with a lot of momentum after strong showings at the scouting combine and his pro day.  His game tape, workouts and scouting reports are all positive.  Not only could he be the guy to unseat Brett Hundley as the third best quarterback in this class, nobody should feel any sense of surprise if a team decides to get aggressive and lock him up as early as the bottom of the 1st round.