Brett Rypien NFL Draft Scouting Report

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Brett Rypien

Coming it at number 10 it’s a guy with a familiar last name, Brett Rypien from Boise State.

Introduction

Rypien is a four year starter at Boise State who caused number 11 on the list, Ryan Finley, to transfer to North Carolina State. All four years he was over 60% completion percentage which is nice to see. He’s 6’1 and 5/8 inches which is probably big enough for NFL teams not to worry about his size. He also has good genetics from his uncle Mark Rypien, former starting quarterback for the Washington Redskins which I value more than others seem to. His film shows good mechanics with a good release. Watching film, the announcers constantly mention his arm strength as a positive, but to me it appeared to be average to above average, good enough but nothing special. He’s also a good athlete, he moves in the pocket well and can pick up yards on the ground. He also throws on the run well. Rypien also came across as a very likeable person in his interview with me.

Positives

Some insights from my interview with Rypien at the combine. He’s a former hockey player which means he’s tough as hell. He’s also learned a lot from Mark Rypien, and having that type of knowledge base is very helpful. He met with a good amount of teams at the Combine, and didn’t name any specifically. He believes his ability to stay in the pocket and throw the ball downfield under pressure. When asked what a team was getting when they drafted him Rypien replied “They’re getting a guy who’s going to come in and push the culture of the franchise forward, obviously a great player, but somebody who’s going to come in and be a great teammate.”

Negatives

While Rypien’s college numbers look very impressive, his film against good competition is not impressive at all. San Diego State, Fresno State, Nevada and BYU are teams that made him look average at best. Against NFL quality defenders, I have serious worries that he won’t be able to compete. There were also quite a few throws I saw where he got lucky, he was bailed out by his receivers. AJ Richardson is one in particular that I was impressed with, I will be doing a deep dive on him before the draft. Numerous touchdown passes were on throws where the receiver made a spectacular play or catch. Take away these plays and his numbers come down to where I feel they more accurately reflect his skill level. I’m really rooting for him even though he’s from my college rival Boise State, you can tell he’s a good smart kid. Sadly I don’t think that’s enough for him to really succeed in the NFL. He could be a story like fellow Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore where he’s on a team for a few years before transferring into coaching.

Predictions

Draft Dive’s Grade: 7th round, worth a flier to see if he can progress to the next level, but he’s probably a practice squad guy or backup quarterback who can help the starter with his intelligence.

Likely Landing Spots: Any team looking for a cheap quarterback contract, or one that has a quarterback guru who wants a long term project. Maybe Washington drafts him based on his last name and their lack of healthy quarterbacks.