2020 NFL Draft: Iowa QB Nate Stanley scouting report

Nate Stanley is flying under the radar as a late-round 2020 NFL Draft QB option to keep an eye on.

During his time as a Hawkeye, Nathan Stanley was never viewed as a “top guy”. He was vastly overshadowed by his fellow signal-callers in Big Ten, and never got the respect he should’ve garnered.

Lucky for Stanley, it appears leaving Iowa City will be the best thing for his career as a football player. Though his time at Iowa helped developed him into a solid player, transitioning to the pro game that is better suited for his playstyle will work wonders for his career going forward as he enters the 2020 NFL Draft.

Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 243 pounds
Year: Senior

In-Depth Breakdown

Accuracy: Stanley was largely inconsistent when it came to accuracy, but there was more good than bad. It’s evident he has a large arm. but had the tendency to overuse it at the expense of his mechanics. Ten to fifteen-yard throws are his bread and butter, and he is best throwing towards the sideline. His deep accuracy varied quite a bit and was often unable to time such routes.

The thing that hampered his accuracy was the amount of “touch” he put on his balls. Rather than use his cannon of an arm, he would try to loft balls to receivers, which often allowed time for defensive backs to recover and force an incompletion. Sometimes he doesn’t flip his hips enough to his intended target, also hurting his overall accuracy.

Progressions and Decision Making: The main concern in this sector is that he can lock in on his first read for too long. He rarely, if ever, goes beyond his second read. He has issues with determining the best course of action on a certain play. Two men could be open but struggle to make the throw that will net the team the most yards.

For an overall conservative quarterback, he suffers from fairly bad mental lapses with the ball. He has a tendency of getting his wide receiver “killed” by not properly diagnosing the defense.

Pocket Presence: He’s inept in feeling pressure in the pocket. This lack of acknowledgment means he is prone to taking large hits and being stripped of the football. He has a good drop back and has good footwork while in the pocket.

When he is flushed out of the pocket, he does a good job of keeping his eyes downfield and trying to extend the play. When he was able to see pressure, he didn’t panic mechanically, but he didn’t always make the right decision on the field, which allude back to his lapses in judgment.

Throw Accuracy Short: 6/10

Throw Accuracy Mid Distance: 6.75/10

Throw Accuracy Deep: 5.25/10

Throw Power: 6.5/8

Throw on the Run: 5/8

It Factor: 3.5/8

Ceiling: 4.5/10

Progressions: 5/12

Ball Placement: 5.5/12

Decision Making: 5.5/10

Injury Risk: 4/4

Pocket Presence: 4/8

Final Film Grade: 56.9 (QB9)

Overall, I think there is something inside of Nate Stanely. He didn’t have a great offensive line to work with during his last year at Iowa, and being under constant duress clearly affected his growth as a passer. With coaching, there is no doubt in my mind Stanley could be a solid long-term backup in this league.

It would be beneficial to Stanley if he was able to work with someone that helped work on his timely passing, and shied away from the finesse throwing style he currently has today. There is enough arm talent, and mechanical prowess that I saw on tape that would make me at least attempt to take a chance on him.

If he were still on the board in the last few rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft, I would seriously consider taking Nate Stanley and developing into my team’s backup quarterback.