2019 NFL Draft: Daniel Jones and Rich Gannon are Clones

Duke isn’t known for being a strong football school, but quarterback Daniel Jones has a great chance to change that in the 2019 NFL draft.

Position: QB

School: Duke

Year: Junior

Height: 6’5

Weight: 215 lbs

STRENGTHS:

• Big body with lots of strength that allows him to still make solid throws even when a defender appears to have him sacked.
• Among the most polished fundamentals in the class. He stands in the pocket and goes through his progressions, showcasing a tight, compact delivery of the ball.
• Quick processor. He not only reads the entire field, but he can also do it on time to a point where he identifies the open man and gets the ball out fast.
• Not lacking in the arm department. The ball comes off his hand with plenty of heat, able to drive it down the field at all levels without too much loft under it.

This is where Jones tends to thrive. He keeps his mechanics tight in the pocket and reads the zone coverage by the defense, so he knows there’ll be a window between the corner and safety along the sideline. He fires the ball on a frozen rope right through that opening to his streaking receiver who goes in untouched for a touchdown. Those are the types of throws that Jones does really well.

• Deep accuracy is encouraging. When he decides to cut it loose, the ball tends to be right where the receiver can get it down the field.
• Plenty athletic for his size. Not just somebody who can maneuver in the pocket. He’s fully capable of tucking the ball and running for 1st downs if necessary.
• Handles the blitz well. Displays the calm and diagnostic skill to read where it’s coming from and unload the ball in that direction to the hot receiver.
• Short memory when it comes to making mistakes. He’ll throw interceptions and fumble from time to time, but he never gets gun shy on the next series.

WEAKNESSES:

• Feet tend to get a bit too happy when he feels like the defense is getting too close with their pressure. Has to learn to keep calm under those conditions.
• Sometimes doesn’t sense the pressure well. Can hold the ball a bit too long in the pocket waiting for a receiver to come open, leading to a sack.
• Though he’s strong enough to throw under pressure, he tends to try getting the ball out rather than just take the sack. This has led to some bad decisions and interceptions.
• His ball placement starts to get off-kilter when he’s frequently pressured. Even when he has a clean pocket if he’s been hit or hurried a lot the ball isn’t consistently on target.
• Despite the bigger body, there will be questions about whether he can withstand the rigors of the NFL having suffered a number of injuries as the starter.

Pro Comparison:  Rich Gannon

It took Gannon a long time to get his shot in the NFL because, like Jones, he came out of a school that wasn’t known for being a football power in Delaware. However, it soon became clear he could play top level football. His mix of strong, accurate passing, intelligence and mobility propelled him to becoming a four-time Pro Bowler and league MVP in 2002. The scary part is Jones can do many of the same things and is two inches taller and 5-10 lbs heavier.

Projection:  1st round

Quarterbacks like Jones are hard to find these days. Ones who are already developed and polished to play at the NFL level. One can credit Duke head coach David Cutcliffe for this. The same man who turned Peyton Manning and Eli Manning into top pro prospects years ago. That background along with his obvious array of physical talents will make Jones a top target in what has become a rather underwhelming quarterback class.