C.J. Beathard, Quarterback, Iowa scouting report — 2017 NFL Draft

2017 NFL Draft: Scouting report and analysis for Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback C.J. Beathard, who is coming off of a down senior season…

As an NFL Draft enthusiast and talent evaluator, I have no problem admitting I was a bit over-zealous on certain prospects. For Iowa quarterback C.J. Beathard, I am pretty certain I had purchased all of his stock, and then some…

Less than a year ago, I wrote that Beathard could be the best senior quarterback in all of college football coming into the 2016 season. Here’s what I wrote at the time…

"So why is Beathard the best senior QB in this draft? Am I basing this off of one throw? Absolutely not. The entire body of work speaks for itself, though Beathard still has a lot to prove this season.– Sayre Bedinger (2016)"

It was a bold prediction, and I whiffed on it. However, at this point in the process, I think some are coming around to the fact that when healthy, Beathard has some really interesting skills to work with and could be a sleeper in this year’s draft.

Beathard came onto the scene for the Hawkeyes in relief duty and became a sort of co-starter as a sophomore, but it was clear he was the Hawkeyes’ best option under center.

By the time he was a junior, Beathard was a full-time starter for the Hawkeyes and looked like — as I wrote — a future NFL starter. Beathard’s junior season was excellent despite not putting up great numbers, as he displayed dual-threat abilities, toughness, arm strength, poise in big situations, and an ability to close out games.

As a senior, Beathard battled injuries and also had to deal with an injury to his most trusted target in the passing game, wide receiver Matt Vandeberg.

With no Vandeberg as a security blanket and the most predictable run-run-pass offense you can pretty much always expect from the Iowa Hawkeyes, Beathard’s beat up body just couldn’t produce at a similar level it did the year prior.

Strengths

One of the things I’ve always loved about C.J. Beathard is his toughness. He would undoubtedly have coaches holding their breath every time he took off running because he then had to play through injuries, which clearly affected his approach.

Still, Beathard has some natural playmaking ability when the pocket breaks down and can move the sticks with his feet and also make some plays on the run.

Beathard’s arm strength isn’t a question for me, as he has shown himself capable of making throws to all levels of the field.

Because of his extensive experience at Iowa, Beathard also has extensive experience operating a pro-style offense. Though boring at times, the Hawkeyes’ offense will have Beathard prepared for an NFL playbook and he will have advanced footwork and technique in his drops.

Beathard also has the coveted experience under center not many young college quarterbacks get nowadays…

As mentioned before, I love Beathard’s poise and willingness to put the team on his back at times. He will take risks (and sometimes get burned) but those were few and far between because of Iowa’s conservative nature offensively.

Weaknesses

Durability has been mentioned as a concern for Beathard, and that’s mainly due to his playing style. He scratches and claws for every yard, especially when he turns into a runner. He will sacrifice his body for the first down, and he has paid the price physically.

Beathard showed he can go through progressions, but at times he would hold the ball far too long and take unnecessary sacks. His accuracy was erratic and he sometimes made irrational decisions with the ball when the pocket started to break down.

Sometimes would just chuck the ball downfield and hope for the best, resulting in a really poor completion percentage on balls thrown 20 or more yards downfield.

His completion percentage went down in 2016 compared to 2015 despite his pass attempts also decreasing. He also doubled his interception total of five in 2015 and ran for just two scores compared to six the year prior.

Final Thoughts

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Beathard’s inconsistency will make him a day three draft selection, but he has tools that are worth drafting and developing. He takes a professional approach to the game and I think based on his 2015 tape, this is a guy that could wind up someday being a starter in the NFL.

I said back then that he reminded me of a healthy Tony Romo with his playmaking ability outside the pocket, and of course his willingness to sacrifice his body for the betterment of the team, even at the expense of himself.

Beathard’s experience, arm talent, and deceptive athleticism will be skills that NFL teams will be overjoyed to develop initially as a backup quarterback, but this kid has the potential to be a starter down the line.