2021 NFL Draft: Tanner Morgan a rising QB prospect

Minnesota’s Tanner Morgan is a rising 2021 NFL Draft prospect.

The Minnesota Gophers football program has some legit prospects heading to the NFL in the next couple of seasons, including 2020 NFL Draft prospects Antoine Winfield Jr. and Tyler Johnson, second- and fifth-round picks respectively of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Gophers set a school record with five players picked in the 2020 NFL Draft including defenders Kamal Martin, Carter Coughlin, and Chris Williamson.

As crazy as it sounds, the 2020 draft class could merely be the tip of the iceberg for the Minnesota program, one which boasts a top wide receiver prospect for the 2021 class, Rashod Bateman.

Along with the success of those receivers comes some extra attention for the quarterback, and Minnesota has a good one in Tanner Morgan.

Morgan is one of the top prospects on the rise for the 2021 NFL Draft and is a quarterback to keep an eye on in the coming months.

Morgan’s breakout 2019 season

As just a redshirt sophomore, Morgan showed his advanced skills by setting a Minnesota school record with a 66 percent completion percentage on 318 throws.

As you would expect from a quarterback who completed 66 percent of his passes, Morgan does a very good job of putting the ball where only his receiver can get it, especially on downfield throws.

Although the short passing game is a huge part of the Minnesota offense, Morgan’s arm strength and accuracy allow this team to have a diverse attack offensively and he was extremely productive getting the ball to his receivers downfield last season.

Morgan has solid athleticism and escape-ability, and does a tremendous job making throws off-schedule and outside of the pocket. He’s got a lightning-quick release and with a 30-7 touchdown to interception ratio last season, big things should be expected heading into his third year as the starter.

It will be interesting to see how Morgan handles not having Johnson out there along with Bateman, and there will be added pressure on the players stepping into Johnson’s place within the offense, but there’s no doubt about the physical tools and progression Morgan put on display last year.

The value of the quarterback in the NFL already puts Morgan in the round one discussion based on what we’ve seen so far. If he can continue to show progression this season for the Gophers, he could very well be a lock for the first round of the 2021 Draft and a contender for QB3 behind Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields.