Will Grier NFL Draft Prospect

Next up is another entry that might be slightly controversial. The media seemed to be talking about Will Grier as a first rounder, but I didn’t know any scouts or GMs that thought that way. With that being said, even though Grier is eighth on my list, he’s a huge jump up from nine.

Introduction

Will Grier is a quarterback from West Virginia. He measured in at 6’2″ and 217 pounds. Grier ran the 40 yard dash in 4.84 seconds, the 3 cone drill in 7.09 seconds and the shuttle in 4.28 seconds. He transferred from Florida after his freshman year and started his junior and senior years at West Virginia.

Positives

Grier is deadly accurate. His short to intermediate throws are almost always spot on. This allows his receivers to get run after catch yards as well. He completed 64.4 percent of his passes his junior year. Then he followed that up with 67 percent his senior year. He threw for 34 touchdowns vs. 23 interceptions his junior year. Grier then took a big step forward throwing 37 touchdowns vs. only 8 interceptions his senior year. There’s a lot to like about Grier, so why do I think there are seven quarterbacks better than him?

Negatives

The big thing people talk about with Grier is his arm strength. It is below average, but it’s passable. His short throws get there quick enough, but when he throws it deep it can look awkward. He does have great touch though, he’s good at putting the right amount of air under his deep throws. What bothers me the most about Grier is that he takes maddening sacks. He takes sacks where there is pressure, but he has a chance to throw the ball away, he just chooses not to. The amount of sacks that had me shaking my head in the tape I watched were too great to count. He’s an average athlete, not a great runner but he can move a bit. He throws on the move well. Another crazy thing about Grier is that he makes mistakes in the red zone. For someone as accurate as he is, he needs to make much better decisions when it matters most.

Prediction

Grier has to go to a west coast team. That’s where his skill set will really fit. He needs to learn one of the easiest throws, the throw away. He also needs to refine his red zone play. Grier reminds me a lot of Case Keenum, and that’s not an insult. I still like Keenum based on his year starting in Minnesota. Grier could have moved up a couple of spots on the list, but this is where I’m most comfortable placing him based on what I saw from him. He’s a huge step up from Clayton Thorson. Grier can play in the league, I don’t think Thorson can.

Draft Dive Grade: 3rd/4th Round

Likely Landing Spot: A west coast team looking for a quarterback to develop for a little while. New England, Denver, Jacksonville, even Seattle could be landing sports for Will Grier.