2018 NFL Draft: Combine looms large for QBs

We’ve talked plenty in this space about the NFL Combine and how the quarterbacks headlining the 2018 NFL Draft are going to potentially be impacted by it.

While some believe the combine can be a gigantic waste of time, the executives in the NFL don’t. Some drills are less useful than others, but the medical portions along with the interviews make up a large chunk of what teams walk away with and remember when looking at their boards a few months later.

This year, the quarterbacks are going to take center stage even more so than normal. There are five who get top billing, making this one of the better quarterback classes in some time with Josh Allen, Josh Rosen, Sam Darnold, Lamar Jackson and Baker Mayfield.

So what does each man need to accomplish for teams to move them up the board? Here’s a quick look:

Sam Darnold

Darnold checks al the character boxes, so no questions off the field. He simply needs to go onto the field and look polished. There are some concerns about his turnovers at USC last year, but if he looks good throwing the ball and doesn’t have any medical red flags come up, he’ll solidify himself as a top three pick. Of all the quarterbacks, most believe that Darnold is the safest.

Josh Allen

Allen has to be accurate. Everyone who has turned on tape knows that Allen has a cannon of an arm. The build is also there, so barring any kind of injury, nobody will fret about whether he can take the NFL hits. The major concern is his 56.2 percent completion rate. If Allen can hit receivers in stride and show good mechanics, that would go a long way.

Baker Mayfield

Mayfield has all the physical gifts that teams want, but he has to ace the interviews. The Oklahoma star has a little bit of Johnny Manziel in him, in terms of acting the fool on the sidelines and toward his opponents. However, the talent is undeniable. If Mayfield can prove to organizations that he’s not a bad guy and simple competitive, he likely puts himself into the top 10 for good.

Josh Rosen

Rosen is somewhat in the same boat as Mayfield. The on-field antics aren’t there, but whispers have gone around for months about whether or not his personality will turn some people off. Rosen might be the most impressive quarterback on the field in Indianapolis, but he’ll have to match that in the class room and during interviews.

Lamar Jackson

Jackson only completed 57 percent of his throws in college, so he’ll also need to be accurate, much like Allen. Additionally, Jackson must convince teams that his stature can handle the NFL punishment, especially if he plans to be a dual threat. Jackson has a great arm, he’s intelligent and he can work from the pocket. If he can get that message across both in talks and on the field, he could be a first-round pick.