2019 NFL Draft: Tyree Jackson has long journeyman career ahead

Tyree Jackson reaches rare company as an exceedingly tall quarterback in the 2019 NFL draft. The big question is does that matter?

Position: QB

School: Buffalo

Year: Senior

Height: 6’7

Weight: 245 lbs

STRENGTHS:

• Size can be an obvious advantage. Sees the field easily with no obstructions and has the kind of body where it may take more than one defender to get him down.
• The processor is pretty quick. Under pressure frequently but is still able to get the ball out at times to his receivers for positive plays.
• While not a pure runner in any sense, he moves well for his size and can extend plays with his feet. He’ll be especially dangerous in short yardage situations.
• Doesn’t appear to lack arm strength. Can throw the out pass with velocity and seems to get the ball down the field without much trouble.

This is everything that makes scouts intrigued by Jackson. He takes the snap and is pressured off the right side almost immediately. He feels it, steps up into the pocket and bails out to his right, keeping his eyes down the field. While on the run he fires an absolutely perfect pass to a well-covered target for a touchdown. That play demonstrates his processor, his arm strength, and his ability to improvise on the fly.

• Feet are better than one might think. They move well from within the pocket, helping him sidestep pass rushers and also being in proper place during a lot of his throws.
• Understands how to go through progressions and isn’t afraid to check it down to his running backs when nothing is there.
• Does a good job of consistently getting the ball out fast in the face of a blitz. The clock in his head moves with good speed.

WEAKNESSES:

• His delivery is going to give QB coaches nightmares. The arm motion is slow and elongated and lacks any sort of smoothness to it.
• Accuracy is maddening. He can throw some really nice passes and then all of sudden completely short hop or airmail others. Ball placement is inconsistent.
• Doesn’t excel at putting air under the ball. Throws a lot of line drives and this makes it easier for defenses to intercept him.
• Decision-making can be erratic. One play that’s covered he’ll wisely just throw it out of bounds and the next play he’ll wing it into thick coverage and get picked off.
• Despite being as big as he is, he gives up on a lot of his runs a bit too easily. Doesn’t seem to enjoy taking contact a lot, which is puzzling.
• For a guy who has arm strength, his deep ball is terrible. Any time he tries to genuinely cut it loose, the ball almost always overshoots the target (by a lot).

Pro Comparison: Brock Osweiler

The benefits for Osweiler were obvious enough from his solid arm strength and massive size. Evaluating the field was easy for him. He also was able to move well enough when needed and could uncork some impressive plays from time to time. However, his accuracy was never reliable, especially down the field and he too often got caught trying to make a play rather than living for the next one. Yet that didn’t stop teams from trying again and again with him.

Projection: 4th round

Jackson has more than enough talent to be a starter in the NFL. What teams don’t know is whether he can develop the sort of consistency to be one. For every good play he delivered at Buffalo, there were a handful of cringe-worthy ones. He’s going to be a developmental pick that starts as a backup but one team may have hopes of becoming a starter down the road. Typically those players go early on Day 3.