2016 NFL Draft: Vernon Adams Jr. hot takes

2016 NFL Draft: Examining the large discrepancy of hype surrounding Oregon Ducks QB Vernon Adams Jr., a polarizing QB prospect…

So, what do you make of Vernon Adams Jr., the polarizing Oregon Ducks quarterback who had to follow up the great career of Marcus Mariota?

There’s plenty to like, plenty to dislike, and plenty to argue about.

I guess that’s what we’re here for.

I don’t know if I can give any firm answers to you in regards to the questions you have about this guy, but I know I have some hot takes prepared, fresh out of the oven. Enjoy…

Adams is everything we’d hoped Johnny could be…

Johnny Manziel won a Heisman Trophy. He was sensational for the better part of two years of college ball. Vernon Adams hasn’t accomplished the things Manziel was able to at Texas A&M, but when I watched him play, I couldn’t help but be reminded at times of the backyard style we saw from Manziel at A&M.

Anytime you read pro comps on Adams, you’re probably going to see the name Russell Wilson more than likely, but I don’t think that’s anywhere near close to the kind of player he is. A few things…

A. Russell Wilson is also a baseball player, which is reflected in his naturally strong arm.

Adams doesn’t necessarily have that. He is able to make all the throws, but he doesn’t have the natural zip that Wilson puts on his passes. Wilson is also one of the best deep ball passers in the league today, and I don’t know if I necessarily get the impression that Adams has that potential immediately.

B. Wilson also played in a traditional pro-style offense in college, and while the NFL is implementing plenty of spread concepts like Oregon utilizes, the offense Adams ran doesn’t make the comparisons to Seattle’s star QB very accurate.

C. Athletically, Russell Wilson is elite. I don’t think he and Adams compare overly favorably in terms of 40-yard dash or agility drills. But both are 5-11, so I get why people want to throw around the comparison.

In my opinion, Adams is much more like Johnny Manziel than he is Russell Wilson, having played almost strictly out of the shotgun in college with a propensity to scramble and make plays with his legs. But not only could Adams make plays with his legs, he was looking to make throws. He has the same ability to twist and turn and weave his way out of trouble just like Johnny Manziel used to do, and make throws on the move that leave your jaw on the ground.

While Manziel has basically flamed out of the NFL because he’s a moron off the field, I get the impression that Adams is an incredibly driven, hard-working individual based on his quick transition from Eastern Washington to Oregon.

No one more efficient…

Numbers don’t always tell the whole story, but this is something that cannot be ignored.

Despite his numerous injuries this past season, Adams was able to lead the country in QB efficiency rating at 179.1, higher even than Brandon Doughty who completed 72 percent of his passes with 48 touchdowns.

That’s really saying something.

The Oregon offense included plenty of screens and requires receivers and backs to make plays after the catch, but Adams had a lot of plays where he made the great decision to dump the ball off to a back after going through his progressions and scanning the field. He didn’t always make the quickest decision, but Adams was able to complete 65 percent of his passes in his first year of major college ball.

He took care of the football, tossing 26 touchdowns and just six interceptions.

Adams doesn’t read the field well…

…is a load of garbage comment. When you watch Adams play, it’s evident that he has a good understanding of what’s going on before the snap, and he certainly goes through his progressions after it. So many want to call out the Oregon Ducks offense for being a ‘one-read’, typical college offense, but it’s much more complex than that.

There was extensive discussion happening before the 2015 NFL Draft about how well Marcus Mariota would or wouldn’t translate to the NFL because of the style of offense he played in at Oregon, and myths were debunked that it’s just a simplified offense that inflates the statistics of QBs or any other players in it.

We all saw this past year that Mariota can flat out play, and he has franchise QB tools.

I would venture to say Adams has them as well.

When you watch him improvise and make plays with his legs, he’s not looking to run with the football. He’s looking to extend the play (this is where the Russell Wilson comps come in) to make a throw.

Jumping to conclusions

I think the people who don’t like Adams are wrapped up in size and the assumptions they’ve made about the Oregon offense.

Those two assumptions are discrediting everything we saw Adams do as he transitioned from FCS to FBS, and to a major, major program at Oregon. It’s also discrediting everything we already know about how smaller QBs or QBs with smaller hands can play and play well in this league.

Adams’ injuries this year are also not indicative of some sort of lengthy injury history. A cheap shot from one of his former Eastern Washington teammates started a year of tough stretches of health for Adams. When he was healthy, he was playing incredibly well.

And some team is going to reap the benefits of that as he goes to the NFL. This is a player worth working with. I think so many teams are scared off by the height issue. It’s why Russell Wilson, who should have been a top 10 pick, was taken in the third round. It’s why Drew Brees, a future Hall of Famer, was picked in the 2nd.

There are always varying doubts NFL teams have about QB prospects, but height is something that really scares teams off.

Adams’ style of play isn’t traditional, but it works, and he’s really good.