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Kyle Lauletta, QB, Richmond: 2018 NFL Draft Scouting Report

By Craig Stofko

COLLEGE PARK, MD - SEPTEMBER 05: Quarterback Kyle Lauletta
COLLEGE PARK, MD - SEPTEMBER 05: Quarterback Kyle Lauletta /
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Kyle Lauletta is an early to mid-round QB prospect in the 2018 NFL Draft

Kyle Lauletta set school records at The University of Richmond with 10,465 passing yards and 73 touchdowns despite playing for four different offensive coordinators in as many years.

He followed up a record-setting career at Richmond by stealing the show at the Senior Bowl by throwing for 198 yards and three touchdowns in barely half a game. This earned him MVP honors for the Senior Bowl.

At 6-3, 215 pounds he isn’t a huge guy but has adequate size to play the position at the next level. He possesses above average athleticism and throws a nice, tight spiral.

There have been some concerns regarding his arm strength, and while Lauletta certainly doesn’t possess a cannon for an arm, I don’t believe there are many throws he won’t be able to make in the NFL.

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    • In watching his performance in the Senior Bowl, Lauletta demonstrated an ability to rifle the ball into extremely tight windows. The only evidence I saw in that particular game of inadequate arm strength was his touchdown throw to DJ Chark. It’s worth noting that Chark runs a 4.3 40 yard dash. It’s entirely possible that had Lautella had more than a couple days to practice with his Senior Bowl teammates he would have been aware of Chark’s blazing speed and put the ball out in from of him a little more.

    After not seeing anything overly alarming to validate the arm strength concerns in the Senior Bowl I reviewed a few more of his games. Again, the kid does not have a monster arm but I saw nothing that would scare me away from drafting this guy based on arm strength alone.

    To be clear, he is a developmental quarterback. He’ll need a year or two to watch and learn but, frankly, that can be said about almost every college quarterback moving up to the NFL. Plug and play rookies are few and far between at any position but almost unheard of when it comes to quarterbacks.
    To be clear, he is a developmental quarterback. He’ll need a year or two to watch and learn but, frankly, that can be said about almost every college quarterback moving up to the NFL. Plug and play rookies are few and far between at any position but almost unheard of when it comes to quarterbacks. /

    Watching Lauletta play certain things jumped out at me. Absent the arm strength of a Josh Allen, he does possess a very quick release. The quick release is an essential survival tool for NFL quarterbacks. Lauletta also impressed with his command of the game.

    In addition to his leadership, he was a two-year captain at Richmond and also captain of his league championship high school team, he plays with a high degree of confidence. He appeared to be in complete command of the offense and very comfortable with his ability to get the job done.

    In the Senior Bowl, he demonstrated that he could look off the safeties to help his receivers get open. That wasn’t a fluke. He made similar plays in every game I watched. The takeaway here is that he knows how to play the game. He’s a football smart kid.

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    Another consistent quality possessed by Kyle Lauletta is his ability to stay calm and cool under pressure. He has good feet and awareness that move him away from trouble while keeping his eyes downfield.

    Lauletta’ ability to work through his progressions was on full display on all the tape I reviewed. He doesn’t lock in on a receiver, except as a decoy to fool a defensive back. He can then snap off a throw to a receiver that he didn’t appear to be looking at, all the while resetting his feet and squaring his shoulders to the target.

    It’s possible that Lauletta’s tremendous anticipation when making throws may mask some of these alleged arm strength issues. The ball is often out of his hand before the receiver comes out of his break.

    What I saw on film was a quarterback with great anticipation that threw a nice ball with tremendous touch and accuracy. It is no wonder that CBS Sports has compared him to Jimmy Garoppolo and predicted that he will have a successful pro career.
    What I saw on film was a quarterback with great anticipation that threw a nice ball with tremendous touch and accuracy. It is no wonder that CBS Sports has compared him to Jimmy Garoppolo and predicted that he will have a successful pro career. /

    Lauletta has already been linked to the Saints as the heir apparent to Drew Brees and to the Steelers as their replacement for Ben Roethlisberger. Others have suggested that both Bill Belichick and Bruce Allen may have become enamoured by the Richmond prospect. These reports are purely conjecture at this point but as draft day draws nearer it would not be surprising if some real interest materializes.

    Mike Mayock, who possesses an elite eye for talent and never sugar coats his assessments, said that in Kyle Lauletta he sees a kid with no weaknesses. High praise indeed.

    In a year when six quarterbacks have garnered a lions share of the attention, I have Lauletta firmly entrenched as the number seven QB in this draft. In the mock drafts that I have seen he has gone anywhere from the mid-third round to the late fifth round. Personally, I’m going to be very surprised if this kid makes it out of the second round.

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    Kyle Lauletta’s leadership and football intelligence are most impressive. A review of his film will show that his dominance in the Senior Bowl was not a once in a lifetime performance. Rather, this is how the guy consistently plays the game. His fundamentals, his mechanics, and his smarts scream late second to early third round.

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