PHL Anon
[Note: I’m assuming this is with no movement to go get Jared Goff and us working on the O-line in free agency.]
Carson Wentz, Quarterback, North Dakota State
6’5″ 230lbs
STRENGTHS: Looks the part with a tall, workable frame. Good arm strength to deliver downfield with required velocity. Tight release, especially for a player with his long arms. Shifts his weight well in the pocket to work through the noise and keep his hand on the trigger, maneuvering under duress with improved footwork.
Functional athleticism and coordination in the pocket and as a scrambler, avoiding rushers and extending plays. Has a pre-snap plan and moves efficiently from target-to-target, making sound decisions. Shows the ability to recognize defensive coverages and change the play at the line – reliable field vision pre and post snap.
Very smart on and off the field with excellent retention and execution skills. Physically and mentally tough with professional poise and work habits. Great teammate and was an extra coach on the sideline while injured. Set school single season records for completions (228) and passing yards (3,111) as a junior. Consistent winner with a 19-3 career record as a starter.
WEAKNESSES: Locks onto reads and needs to develop his eye use, staring down targets and leading defenders. Needs to improve his passing anticipation and feel for timing routes. Downfield accuracy is inconsistent, often leading receivers too far.
Bad habit of pre-determining throws and forcing the ball into tight coverage. Needs to understand when the play is over and throw the ball away (10 fumbles the last two years). On the move too much, even with a clean pocket, and will attempt throws without setting his base or coming to balance.
Lacks ideal starting experience for the position with questions about level of competition – 21 of 22 career starts came against FCS competition (one FBS opponent was at Iowa State: 18-for-28 for 204 yards, no touchdowns). Missed second half of 2015 season due to a broken right wrist, requiring surgery.
OUTLOOK: Although his internal clock needs maturing, Wentz performs well within structure, but can also improvise when the play breaks down, stretching out his legs to pick up chunk yardage if it’s there (949 career rushing yards). He possesses a NFL-style skill-set with his size, athleticism and arm talent, including the field vision to work through reads and make sound decisions. Wentz ideally needs a redshirt rookie season in the NFL, but will be the top senior quarterback on several NFL draft boards.
OVERVIEW: A two-year starter who went 20-3 for the Bison, Wentz thrived in North Dakota State’s wide-open offense, taking snaps from under center and shotgun with several pro-style reads, including left-to-right and high-to-low progressions. Although he didn’t consistently face top competition at the FCS level, Wentz performed well in high pressure situations, including the 2014 and 2015 FCS national championship games.
Wentz played in the 2015 title game after returning from a broken wrist sustained in October and claimed the Most Outstanding Player award in both championship games he started and won.
While he missed eight games due to injury as a senior, he had a streak of 143 consecutive passes without an interception and looked healthy in January where he returned to the starting lineup to lead NDSU to a fifth consecutive FCS championship.
Wentz was only a 5-foot-8, 125-pound freshman in high school and didn’t start at quarterback until his senior year, causing him to go under-recruited, a similar path to that of Steelers’ star Ben Roethlisberger.
Previously Profiled Players
My ideal scenario: resign Bradford for 2-3 years at a reasonable rate. If a top 3 QB falls to 13, take him and groom him behind Bradford. Paxton Lynch? Yes, we need OL help. But with no 2nd Round pick and the fact we need a franchise QB ASAP means we can’t pass in the first if one is there. You can always find OL in FA or later in the draft.