Top 10 Quarterbacks in the 2020 NFL Draft: No. 9 Shea Patterson
By John Newman
Film Analysis
Patterson entered the Senior Bowl in Mobile last month essentially an afterthought in the 2020 NFL Draft. He was expected to be a back-up or practice squad player in the NFL, relegated for the later rounds of the draft. On the second day of Senior Bowl practices, Patterson looked inconsistent and appeared to be destined for an unremarkable quarterbacking career.
But according to PFF, Patterson showed the second-best performance of any offensive player on the third day of practices, earning an 85.6 grade. During the actual Senior Bowl itself, Patterson threw a 75-yard touchdown, which can only help his case with scouts and general managers.
Once again, Patterson showed he is capable of making good plays at times. In the NFL, inconsistency won’t guarantee him a spot on an active roster. But it may be enough for a general manager to take a chance and see if he is able to develop.
At 6-foot-1 204 pounds, Patterson is fast dropping back, his long legs creating separation quickly. Patterson has been a dual-threat quarterback since his high school days, and he showcases his speed whenever he opts to run the ball himself.
https://twitter.com/ESPNCFB/status/1051267016764592128
Patterson had five touchdowns last season when rushing, according to Sports-Reference.com, using his rushing abilities well in the red-zone.
Patterson’s biggest issue has always been consistency, which makes him a tough quarterback to mock in the 2020 NFL Draft. Patterson can make really beautiful back-shoulder fade passes…sometimes. He can make vertical passes into tight windows…sometimes.
Patterson is also liable to throw an absolute dud, 10 yards behind a receiver. It indicates that he has not been properly taught how to read a defense. A few bad passes can be blamed on miscommunication. But the bad passes Patterson has put on film indicates a deeper problem.
Patterson has the arm strength to get the ball down the field. But some plays he overthrows the receiver so badly, it reflects on his ability to be a quarterback at the next level.
There is an argument to be made that Patterson is a far better quarterback than his draft stock would indicate. Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy made a good point on Patterson’s behalf on Adam Schefter’s podcast a few days ago:
“He’s a guy who has had four different (offensive) coordinators over his time at Ole Miss and Michigan and really, finally, during the final month of November down the stretch, he threw for 1,000 yards in his last three games and really played his way in,” Nagy said.
While only playing for two seasons in Ann Arbor, Patterson was able to break Tom Brady’s college passing yardage record with 5,428 yards this past season, according to the team’s website.
Patterson has plenty of detractors online and in the college football community. But Patterson has put enough on tape to show that, in the right circumstance, he could be a quality quarterback at the next level. He is not a finished product and would need a year or two of development before he could serve as a backup somewhere.
His ability to run and throw the ball deep shows he is athletic and capable of so much more than he has so far. While he may need more work on his mental processing of the game than any other quarterback on this list, this is something that can be taught at the next level.