J.T. Barrett, QB, Ohio State: 2018 NFL Draft Scouting Report

J.T. Barrett hasn’t gotten much respect going into the 2018 NFL draft season. Does his scouting report indicate that’s a mistake?

Position:  QB

School:  Ohio State

Year:  Senior

Height:  6’1″

Weight:  225 lbs

STRENGTHS:

• Plenty athletic. A good quarterback for running heavy run-pass option offense due to his considerable mobility as a runner.
• Tough. Barrett endured his fair share of hits both as a passer and runner for the Buckeyes. He battled through all of it to stay on the field.
• Highly productive as a starter and protected the football well. Finished his past two seasons with 59 touchdown passes and just 16 interceptions.
• If he doesn’t have a future as a QB, that’s fine. He’ll have one as a running back. Barrett showcased speed and power while rushing for 3,263 yards and 43 touchdowns in his college career.
• Does a good job of selling play fakes and pump fakes. Also has shown an ability to manipulate coverages with his eyes, allowing receivers to find a window.
• If the offense features a moving pocket that gives him open throwing lanes he’s shown he can execute it at a high level.

WEAKNESSES:

• Not ideal in terms of height at 6’1″. Might have trouble delivering accurate passes from the pocket with his vision lanes obstructed.
• Never played in a traditional offense under center in his career. This will likely slow his progress unless he lands on a team with heavy spread-option concepts.
• Has a tendency to hold the ball too long. Indicates a slow mental processor. Doesn’t have to go to second or third reads too often. NFL speeds will shock him.
• Average arm strength. Wasn’t asked to go down the field a lot at school. Often underthrew a lot of his receivers whenever he went deep.
• Inconsistent accuracy. Tends to pull the string too much on a lot of his throws, clearly trying to aim the ball instead of just cutting it loose.

This play encompasses much of what’s wrong with Barrett. He drops back on the snap and surveys the fields. It takes too much time, allowing pressure to set in. Then when he delivers the pass it’s late and behind the receiver, leading to a tip drill and interception. These are all things that NFL defenses take advantage of to eat quarterbacks alive.

• Not the best field vision. Tends to miss guys who are open, holding too long for one receiver or another to beat their coverage. Leads to a lot of unnecessary pressures.
• Saves a lot of his worst performances for big games. Penn State, Clemson, and Iowa are all well-coached defensive teams and exposed his lack of passing prowess.

Pro Comparison:  Tajh Boyd

The body types and playing styles are almost identical. Boyd, like Barrett, was immensely successful from a statistical standpoint during his run at Clemson. A true dual-threat quarterback who used a good scheme and his own athletic prowess to give defenses fits. At the end of the day though he was a limited pure passer who lacked true touch and arm strength. That’s ultimately what relegated him to backup in the NFL.

Projection:  6th round

The unfortunate reality is Barrett just doesn’t look like a starting quarterback in the NFL. He could make a quality backup on a team like the Panthers or Eagles who utilize a lot of RPO offense. His future though may lay in his willingness to switch positions. Barrett could most definitely make it as a running back. He’s got the body type, athleticism, speed, and toughness. It’s whether he’d be willing to accept such a thing.