Carson Wentz, QB, North Dakota State: 2016 NFL Draft Scouting Report

It’s not often you find a quarterback who has won multiple, consecutive National Championships in the NFL Draft.

While he wasn’t playing on the big stage, Carson Wentz was building a name for himself at North Dakota State University as a pro-style quarterback. A two year starter, Wentz was on four championship teams with the Bison and won the championship game MVP in back to back years.

While he entered this draft process as a virtual unknown, a strong week at the Senior Bowl bolstered his stock and launched him into first round conversation.

Was his elevated stock the product of being one of the only true quarterbacks with starting potential at that event?

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Measurables

Height: 6’5

Weight: 233 lbs

Hand Width: 10”

Arm Length: 32.38”

Wing Span: 78”

Strengths

There is a lot to like in Carson Wentz’s game. He displays great arm strength, an ability to command the pocket, and enough athleticism to become elusive in the running game if need be. His ball placement and the tight throws he consistently makes are also a plus. The ball placement especially has been a great improvement over his college career.

You can’t forget his size either. He has the prototypical quarterback “look” with his height and weight. He also has long legs and sets a wide, balanced base for his throws.

Wentz is also a smart quarterback who reads through his progressions and is patient enough to not make too many bad decisions. That will greatly help in his transition to the next level.

I noted his athleticism and elusiveness earlier, but I wanted to note it for this game against Weber State. Wentz runs a quarterback draw in for a touchdown and shows off his underrated mobility and sideline awareness early in the game.

Weaknesses

Deep ball accuracy is something Wentz can still improve on. He has the arm strength to get it down field, but he has a tendency to overthrow his receivers too much. That could be on his receivers not being crisp in their route running and being on a lower level of talent.

Ball placement is generally solid, but it too can become inconsistent for Wentz.

Ball protection is something else he needs to improve after fumbling 10 times over his two years as a starter. Getting the ball out quicker and not being overly patient will help that.

In 2014 he threw 10 interceptions and was on pace to surpass that in 2015 prior to his injury. The interceptions aren’t as bad of a problem as the fumbles, but they are certainly something to note.

Health will be something else to look at with Wentz. He broke his wrist in 2015 and missed the majority of his season. While he did return for the championship game and performed decent, NFL teams will certainly want to examine him further.

Finally, the competition level is obviously a big footnote here. Guys like Joe Flacco have pulled off the jump, but can Wentz? All indications are good, but you never know with quarterbacks. I believe if you can play and make the throws, you have a chance.

Final Thoughts

Carson Wentz has put himself in the conversation for being the second quarterback taken in this springs NFL Draft. With teams such as Philadelphia, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Dallas all evaluating the quarterback position, Wentz could become the hottest name in Chicago.

He currently sits at number two on my quarterback big board behind Jared Goff and ahead of Paxton Lynch.

It will be a wait and see game concerning if he can translate his game to the next level, which is a worlds away from the opponents he’s used to. He has the physical traits and personality to be a starting NFL quarterback, but can he make that jump in competition? I believe he ultimately can and if the right team comes along with the number two pick, he is a candidate to be taken behind Jared Goff.