2016 NFL Draft: Taking a look at North Dakota State QB Carson Wentz against South Dakota state, and what traits he shows off for the NFL…
North Dakota State QB Carson Wentz is the top quarterback in the 2016 NFL Draft (according to me) even though he might not be the most NFL-ready of the crop coming in. Playing at North Dakota State, there will be a jump in speed of course, but much of what Wentz did at NDSU already shows that he’s more than capable of running an NFL offense efficiently from the start, even if he needs to be eased into things.
For a full scouting report on Wentz, CLICK HERE.
Instead of breaking down the whole body of work, I want to just look at one game of Wentz’s from this past season against South Dakota State.
You’re going to see a lot from Wentz in this tape, but let’s take a look at the cliff notes version of what I observed.
- Wentz consistently does a good job of setting a wide base with his feet. He uses his core to whip the ball into tight spaces as needed, and the wide base extended to offseason training where his footwork has been impressive the more it gets dissected.
- He’s running plays with a lot of diversity — NDSU used the option offense, they spread it out from the shotgun, but they also use pro-style concepts and Wentz is well-versed at taking snaps from under center. NFL teams are certain to be pleased with that aspect of his game.
- We all know that Wentz is athletic, but his running style reminds me of Andrew Luck. Please don’t take that the wrong way. I’m not saying Wentz is the greatest QB prospect ever, but when he runs, he has good agility, quickness, and he lowers his shoulder, sometimes to the point that you cringe because you don’t want your QB getting hurt, but I see a little bit of that.
- Wentz takes advantage of what the defense is giving him. When SDSU plays soft coverage, he’s dumping the ball off quickly. When SDSU is pressing, he’s buying time if need be or finding favorable matchups downfield.
- Throwing a deep out on the run (~9:00) you can see why Wentz is one of the most coveted players in the draft right here. No matter what level of play, when your QB rolls out to the right and makes a throw deep to the sideline that is on the money, that’s going to raise eyebrows. Beautiful pass.
- In all, you get to see a little of everything from Wentz in this game — arm strength, mobility, different offensive packages, and his natural ability to carry the football. Impressive tape from an impressive prospect.
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