Brett Hundley may be one of the most intriguing quarterbacks in draft
LOS ANGELES — Brett Hundley suggested the place, a European-styled corner cafe in Westwood Village, and there was no mistaking the vibe for brunch. This was his turf.
The woman behind the counter lit up at the sight of the former UCLA quarterback, and after a bit of small talk came the moment of confirmation. He'd have the usual.
A sweet crepe and orange juice.
How fitting. Hundley, a multidimensional talent who set school records with 75 touchdown passes and 837 completions during three years as a starter, is in a rather sweet spot as the next level beckons.
Sure, Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, with Heisman Trophies on their résumés, are the marquee quarterbacks for the Class of 2015. Yet Hundley has tremendous upside, too, as one of the most intriguing players in the NFL draft.
No wonder he points to two-time Super Bowl starter Russell Wilson — a third-round pick in 2012, the year Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III went 1-2 at the top of the draft — as his favorite quarterback.
"It's his story," Hundley says of Wilson. "Everybody saying he couldn't do it. Now he's had a great supporting cast, but he proved he could be a big-time quarterback."
Hundley, 21, who grew up in Chandler, Ariz., is good conversation. It's easy to see why he gets high marks from NFL teams for his leadership. While being interviewed recently by Paste BN Sports for the better part of an hour during a typically sun-splashed morning near UCLA's campus, he similarly probed with a few questions, too.
That's part of his deal. Although his father, Brett Sr., played running back at the University of Arizona and an uncle played quarterback at Wichita State, Hundley is more prone to tap others for advice about one of the toughest jobs in sports.
He has formulated a support system of experts — five current or former quarterbacks — as a resource: Donovan McNabb, Philip Rivers, Brock Osweiler, Kurt Warner and Jeff Garcia.
"I'm trying to learn as much as possible, because I want to make it," Hundley says. "I want to be a great quarterback. So you've got to reach out to those who have been there."
The greatest football lesson learned at UCLA?
"Not listening to the noise," Hundley says. "That's the reason I don't read or listen to anything that's put out. When you do that, you're giving somebody else's opinion more power than yourself."
No doubt, the noise will intensify in the NFL, where the pressure on young quarterbacks to quickly emerge probably has never been greater.
But Hundley has work to do on his no-noise stance, which has been tested during the predraft process. Although Hundley sparkled at the NFL scouting combine and during his pro day, Bruins coach Jim Mora, with an extensive NFL background, cautioned last month that his former quarterback is not ready to play immediately. Mora, who did not respond to multiple interview requests from Paste BN Sports, seemingly meant well; he said he thinks Hundley ultimately will succeed in the NFL.
Yet the assessment did not sit well with Hundley.
"And not just because he was my college coach," Hundley says. "My point is, I don't care what team drafts me, I'm going to come in and compete for the starting job. If I win it, I'm playing. That's my mind-set, and that's how I felt that he could have at least put it out there.
"I feel like a lot of times, if you tell me I'm not ready, I'm going to prove you wrong. He knows me very well. But at the same time, he probably doesn't now, because he said it, and now I'm going to show him that I'm ready to play."
'Not easy to grade'
There's nothing wrong with gradual development — even for Winston and Mariota — in a league that tends to rush the process for quarterbacks. Hundley has visited or worked out for eight teams — the New York Jets, St. Louis Rams, Arizona Cardinals, Houston Texans, San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys — and in the cases where there are established quarterbacks there is little debate about the manner of progression.
Regardless, in Hundley's case, the bigger question is whether he can consistently demonstrate the traits that suggest first-round talent.
"He was not easy to grade," an AFC scout tells Paste BN Sports, speaking on the condition of anonymity. The scout, who sees Hundley as the third-ranked quarterback in the draft, did not want to be identified because of the sensitive nature of draft evaluations.
"He's got the things you need," the scout says. "He can make the throws that really impress you and put it in tight spots. He's accurate, smart, athletic. I'm a big fan of his. But one game he looks like a first-round talent, and the next game you wonder if it's the same guy."
Hundley (6-3, 226 pounds) has been knocked for taking too many sacks and in other cases for taking off and running too quickly. The scout doesn't completely dismiss such concerns — he isn't convinced that Hundley handles pressure well enough — but said a lack of protection and the quality of receivers with his supporting cast were factors.
Let Hundley tell you about the knock that bugs him the most.
"There's no way you complete 67, 68, 69% of your passes and you're not accurate," he says. "I know we throw a lot of bubble screens, but that doesn't take up the whole offense. If you watch the film, you'll see I'm not killing guys by throwing it 10 feet over their heads."
Still, it's a matter of proving it in the NFL, with more complex playbooks and against faster, more sophisticated defenses. Although the bottom line should be excellence over the long haul, the perception that he's a developmental project sure sounds like a motivating fact.
"My whole thing will be to try to shorten the rookie learning curve," he says.
Along the way, perhaps he'll also demonstrate that he's capable of taking the intense scrutiny in stride. Hundley laughs when pondering what's ahead.
"Now you're talking about people's fantasy teams," he says. "People go crazy over that. You can talk about getting yelled at for making a bad play, but on top of that, it's fantasy points."
But it's all too real for a man eager to prove that he can thrive on the big stage.
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Follow Jarrett Bell on Twitter @JarrettBell
