2019 NFL Draft: Why Iowa QB Nate Stanley needs to return to school

Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Nate Stanley has shown consistent progression over the past two seasons, but he needs to return to school in 2019.

Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Nate Stanley is among the top three quarterbacks in Todd McShay’s 2019 NFL Draft rankings. Just a junior for the Hawkeyes, Stanley is under no pressure to leave for the NFL, and despite his progression over the past two seasons, is the NFL really the best option right now?

There are a number of factors that seem to indicate Stanley should resist the temptation to leave school early and bolt for the NFL, despite the number of teams looking for quarterbacks annually.

Let’s explore those reasons.

The most important reason Stanley needs to return to Iowa is evident in the way he currently processes the game. While Stanley can work well from the pocket and make some plays on the move, it’s clear at this point that his processing speed is not up to NFL standards.

Again, he’s showing signs of progression in this area, but he’s not where he needs to be in terms of the game slowing down for him. That may not happen for a couple more years, but it certainly isn’t likely to happen if a team over-drafts him in 2019 and expects too much of him.

There are some players in college football who simply cannot afford the luxury of returning to school, even if their processing speed is not where it needs to be.

Stanley is in a great situation at Iowa with a stable coaching staff led by Kirk and Brian Ferentz, disciples of the great Bill Belichick. Iowa has a longstanding reputation for being one of the most disciplined and well-coached teams in college football, and also for their ability to develop underrated or unheralded prospects.

That is exactly the same way the Patriots operate, and more of that New England DNA has worked its way into the Iowa program since Brian Ferentz spent four years with the team and in 2017 became Iowa’s offensive coordinator.

It’s no coincidence Ferentz’s charge over the Iowa offense has paralleled Stanley’s success since the start of the 2017 season.

To circle back to the original point, Stanley has a stable coaching staff with both Kirk and Brian Ferentz, and a lot of NFL Draft risers around college football don’t have that luxury. There are constantly coaches changing positions, looking for other opportunities, and that lack of stability can hinder a quarterback’s development.

Stanley is already running a pro style offense at Iowa and playing in one of the toughest conferences in college football in the Big Ten, which when all combined together makes one big reason for him to stay in school. No matter how the rest of this season goes, what Stanley has put on tape is not that of a number one draft pick.

He looks right now like a player with the tools to be a day two selection, so if he were drafted in 2019 by an NFL team, he would be abandoning the chance to continue working as the starting quarterback with essentially an NFL coaching staff on a daily basis for a year.

This is a major reason why you don’t see many Iowa players declare early for the NFL Draft. They understand the value of the development they are getting and it doesn’t always just get better at the next level.

Stanley has a chance to further ascend on 2020 NFL Draft boards if he returns to school and proves that the game can slow down for him even more. He’s got all of the physical tools NFL teams want, and his production is starting to match those physical tools more and more.

With time will come consistency, more opportunities to shine in big games, and the chance to continue developing in an innovative pro-style offense led by a disciple of one of the most well-run teams in the NFL today.

Unless Stanley is worried about getting hurt at Iowa in 2019, the reasons for him returning to school far outweigh leaving early for the NFL Draft.