2020 NFL Draft: Nate Stanley showing more signs of progression
The 2020 NFL Draft has a lot of big-name quarterback prospects, but Nate Stanley is quietly flying under the radar. He had a big game against Rutgers.
The 2020 NFL Draft is going to be a fun one as far as teams who need to bring in new quarterbacks, and one guy who has been continually flying under the radar is Iowa Hawkeyes senior Nate Stanley.
He hasn’t been perfect through two games, but Stanley is showing signs of progression from where he was last year, completing 63.8 percent of his passes so far (37-of-58) with improved accuracy to all levels of the field.
It’s not as consistent as NFL evaluators will want it just yet, but Stanley is clearly making strides and with six touchdowns and no interceptions so far in 2019, he looks like less of a game manager and more of an impact player.
Look at some of the throws he was hitting against Rutgers.
Stanley is throwing with much better anticipation than he was last season, not constantly trying to fit the ball into windows he sees too late.
He’s finding receivers and reading coverages pre-snap, and making excellent touch throws, another area he has struggled with.
These signs through two weeks are encouraging for Stanley, who now has yet another test as Iowa plays in a rivalry game against the Iowa State Cyclones, a team he has never lost to.
Stanley has a chance for a clean sweep of the Hawkeyes’ in-state rivals with two victories as a starter and one as a backup as a freshman three seasons ago.
NFL evaluators are undoubtedly paying close attention to Stanley, who has NFL size, arm strength, and better mobility than you would think based on the way he looks.
He operates a pro-style offense and has one of the league’s favorite qualities — a lot of starting experience.
Stanley has played a lot of football for really good coaches, and more than just being a cog in the machine, he appears to have taken the leap to being an actual asset for the Hawkeyes.
Next. 2020 NFL mock draft update. dark
We will continue to monitor his progress, but so far, it looks like Stanley is making a strong case to earn high marks from NFL evaluators.