Ryan Finley NFL Draft Prospect Report

Quarterback number 11 is going to be a surprise to many, as I’ve seen him as a second day prospect in some mock drafts, and a top five quarterback in many rankings.  However you will see, Ryan Finley of North Carolina State has some major red flags.

Positives

First, the positives. Finley is accurate as all three of his years as a starter he was over my 60% base that I look for. His senior year he put up an impressive 67.4% completion percentage. As mentioned, he is also a three year starter which some people find important. Less important to me, but important to some, is the fact that he’s 6’4” which is ideal quarterback size. My favorite thing that I saw on film from him was his ability to look off defenders. He’s excellent at moving the safety away from his target by looking elsewhere. He also works through his progression well. All are very important skills to have at the next level, so what’s the problem?

Negatives

One thing stood out on Finley’s film to me more than anything, he can’t throw an out route. When he does, the ball floats, it just hangs in the air. These throws are all incredibly easy picks at the NFL level and are probably pick sixs. His absolute inability to correctly throw an out route makes me seriously question his arm strength. Arm strength isn’t about how far downfield can you throw the ball, it’s whether or not your mid routes have zip on them, because in the NFL, even the linebackers run a 4.5 and weak throws get picked off. It’s also about hitting your open receivers in stride, allowing them to continue running down the field. I don’t think Finley can do either.

Less concerning is the fact that he’s not a good athlete. He doesn’t move very well and looks awkward when running.

Prediction

Finley has a lot of skills that I really like and believe are very important, but the simple fact is that if you can’t throw the ball well, you’re not going to be an NFL quarterback. At least he’s not Trace McSorley.

Draft Dive Grade: Undrafted free agent

Likely Landing Spots: Like another quarterback higher on this list, it has to be a west coast offense. Jacksonville, Green Bay and New England are three teams looking for a rookie quarterback that run the west coast.