Garrett Grayson could make draft more than two-QB event
A veteran NFL personnel executive was breaking down the great Jameis Winston-Marcus Mariota debate when he offered an unsolicited nod to a quarterback who hasn't gotten nearly the same attention leading up to this week's draft: Colorado State's Garrett Grayson.
"I wouldn't be surprised if Grayson was better than all of them," said the executive, who spoke with Paste BN Sports on condition of anonymity for competitive reasons.
"I just think he's got the intangibles. He's got a good presence about himself in the pocket. He's got the physical traits. His arm's strong enough, and I think he's got the right temperament."
The executive isn't alone, even if the infatuation with Winston and Mariota – the past two Heisman Trophy winners and most logical candidates to be taken No. 1 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday – has made this seem like a two-quarterback draft. (It's not far off).
Former NFL head coach Jon Gruden, now an analyst on ESPN's Monday Night Football, said recently he ranks Grayson as the draft's No. 3 QB, ahead of Baylor's Bryce Petty, UCLA's Brett Hundley and the rest of a thin class scouts view as somewhere between average and awful.
The ranking is the same for former Chicago Bears college scouting director Greg Gabriel, who was impressed by Grayson's performance against top competition at the Senior Bowl and believes he'll be taken in the top half of the second round.
"His supporting cast has been less, yet he's done just as well, if not better," said Gabriel, who now writes for nationalfootballpost.com. "He's a smart kid. I think he can take coaching. It wouldn't shock me if two to three years down the road, he ends up being the best quarterback in this class."
Who is Garrett Grayson?
"I guess just kind of a blue-collar guy," Grayson told Paste BN Sports. "I grew up in a middle-class family. My dad worked two jobs for about 12 years, and my mom worked very early in the morning until real late at night. I saw hard work my whole life."
A Vancouver, Wash., native, Grayson has a tattoo on his chest with one of his father's phrases – "Don't ever leave somewhere saying you could have done more" – and lived up to it at Colorado State, where he toppled every major passing record even though he started just two full seasons.
He didn't have chances to shine on national TV like Winston, who led Florida State to the national championship after the 2013 season, or Mariota, whose Oregon Ducks knocked off Winston's Seminoles last season before falling to Ohio State in the title game.
But Grayson ran an offense that utilized many pro-style concepts and, by his senior year, "was about as in-charge as you can get" at the line, he said. In 2014, the Rams had their first 10-win season since 2002 and Grayson was Mountain West offensive player of the year.
"He's played for two coaches that have been in the NFL, Steve Fairchild and Jim McElwain," Gruden said in a media conference call. "I got a feeling he's going to be a good pro quarterback, provided that he gets on the team where there's some continuity."
Not everyone is a fan. Officials for three NFC teams told Paste BN Sports they have mid- to late-round grades on Grayson. Even the exec who thinks so highly of Grayson's potential has him ranked fourth in the class and believes he'll go in the third or fourth round. Two AFC scouts echoed others that there's a huge gap on their teams' draft boards after Winston and Mariota.
That anyone is musing about Grayson developing into the best of the bunch is at least partly an indictment of the class as a whole. Teams are scrutinizing Winston's decision-making on and off the field. Mariota, like Petty and Hundley, faces a complicated transition into a pro-style offense.
"I met with the Rams last week and got up on the board drawing some of their offensive plays. Some of their plays were literally the exact same plays, same verbiage (as Colorado State's). Things like that have definitely helped me up through this process," said Grayson, who turns 24 next month.
"I came out of high school and I was a full spread guy – zone-read, everything. My first year in college, I know I struggled with having to adjust to all that. I feel for what those guys are having to do right now."
Some teams have told Grayson they'd expect him to compete to start right away, he said. On Monday, the New Orleans Saints will work out Grayson, who already worked out for the Rams, Miami Dolphins, San Diego Chargers and Dallas Cowboys and visited the Chicago Bears and New York Jets.
Grayson isn't a huge guy at 6-2½ and 214 pounds. He says he needs to keep improving on throwing with timing. He has spent the offseason trying quicken up the windup scouts note on tape, which Grayson attributes to an AC and SC joint injury in his throwing shoulder that created bad habits last season.
But he has big, 10 1/8-inch hands. The ball explodes on release. He has enough mobility to get by. Unlike several others top prospects, he has experience in a huddle and under center. "He's got some natural leadership skills. People gravitate towards him," Gabriel said. "Is he perfect? No. But he's got tools to work with."
This year, that's enough to generate some intrigue.
OTHERS TO WATCH
Jameis Winston, Florida State
Height: 6-4. Weight: 231.
Scouting report: Left school after redshirt sophomore year, but probably the most NFL-ready QB in the draft, at least on the field. Good arm. High football IQ. Alpha male. Charismatic. Played in a pro-style offense with the Seminoles. Was 26-1 in two seasons as the starter. Won the Heisman Trophy and a national title in 2013, when he threw for 40 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. Production regressed last season (25 TDs, 18 INTs). Accuracy, decision-making were problems. Underwhelming athletic measurables. Dogged by off-field issues, including a sexual-assault allegation that yielded no charges. Had a televised sideline spat with coach Jimbo Fisher and pushed an official. Will face intense scrutiny in a league that is trying to get tough on conduct.
Insider's take: "I think Winston has special anticipation. He's been coached up in a pro-style offense. But everyone's coming out (of college) now too early, and he's one of them. You'd like to see him stay. You'd like to see him progress and develop and cut his turnovers down. Jameis has the lower-body strength in the pocket. He reminds me of (Donovan) McNabb there a little bit. I don't know if he's as good an athlete as McNabb, but he's a better athlete than he's given credit for." – NFC offensive coach
Marcus Mariota, Oregon
Height: 6-4. Weight: 222.
Scouting report: Rare athlete for the position with exceptional straight-line speed (4.52 seconds in the 40-yard dash). Was 36-5 in three seasons as Oregon's starter. Highly efficient in the Ducks' offense, which leans heavily on quick throws and predetermined reads. Threw just 14 interceptions to 105 touchdown passes, plus another 29 TDs rushing. Won the Heisman, among other awards, as a redshirt junior in 2014. Quiet personality. Hasn't run a huddle or taken NFL-type drops from under center. Had a lot of wide-open receivers to throw to and will have to fit the ball into tighter windows at the pro level.
Insider's take: "He's unconventional. Not great in the pocket. He's going to take a lot of time, unless he's in a Chip Kelly offense. He can probably just step right in there (with the Philadelphia Eagles). But he's a unique athlete. He's got a nice arm. He's pretty accurate. He's got a lot of things going for him. Really smart. I like him. You better play him to his strengths." – NFC executive
Brett Hundley, UCLA
Height: 6-3. Weight: 226.
Scouting report: Redshirt junior entry who started all 40 games (29-11) the past three seasons. Threw a school-record 75 TD passes in the Bruins' spread offense. Good athlete with size. Not a great anticipatory passer. Deep ball is just OK. Overhyped by media early in career. Arguably played better last season even though "stock dropped." Solid developmental prospect who will need time. Has first-round ability, but almost surely won't be drafted that high.
Insider's take: "He has enough talent to be a legit quarterback. He is not a confident passer. He's very much a one read-and-go type of player. Not asked to do a whole lot in terms of reading coverages. I think he's got a big enough arm and he's got a good enough release. But when you watch him throw at the workout, it's just average. His feet weren't very quick. He looked a little heavy-legged. He was wide in his base. There were just things you didn't like from a mechanical standpoint. He's a project." – AFC personnel man
Bryce Petty, Baylor
Height: 6-3. Weight: 230.
Scouting report: Another product of a quick-paced, quick-read offense. Two-year starter who set 31 school records. Was 21-4 as a starter, leading the Bears to back-to-back Big 12 titles. Looks the part. Natural thrower. Intangibles are considered a plus. Played through a back injury as a senior that probably impacted his production. Still finished career with 62 TD passes and just 10 interceptions. Pretty good athlete. Has never really run a huddle or had to read a defense. Team that takes him will need to be patient.
Insider's take: "He looks like a tough kid. He played through some pain. He took some shots. He'll just have to get used to (an NFL offense). Really, what he does sometimes is harder than what pro quarterbacks are asked to do, because he's not sure where guys are going and what they're running. He has to wait on them to react. But as far as the reads and things like that, he's going to need some time to develop." – NFC offensive coach
Sean Mannion, Oregon State
Height: 6-6. Weight: 229.
Scouting report: Tall pocket passer. Started 43 college games and set 18 school passing records. Played in a pro-style offense that asked him to drop regularly from under center. Not mobile. Average accuracy. Threw 54 interceptions. Numbers slipped after big junior season, when he set the Pac-12 single season record with 4,662 passing yards and threw 37 TD passes.
Insider's take: "I (graded) him very similar to Hundley. He doesn't fit like a Philadelphia (offense), because they want an athlete, and Mannion's a drop-back guy. But there are teams that just want a drop-back guy. That guy's got as much talent as (Hundley, Petty and Grayson). His arm is not as good as (Ryan Mallett or Zach Mettenberger), but he's much smarter than all of those guys. He's a top-notch kid." – AFC personnel man
TEAM NEEDS
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: They hold the No. 1 pick, and it'd be an upset if they use it on any other position. Veteran Josh McCown is gone to Cleveland. Mike Glennon, a third-round pick under the old regime with 18 starts in two seasons, is the only QB on the roster with NFL experience.
Tennessee Titans: They publicly and privately say big-armed Zach Mettenberger is worth further development after starting six games (all losses) as a rookie. But he's a project at best. Would drafting a top QB help coach Ken Whisenhunt and GM Ruston Webster buy more time?
New York Jets: New coach Todd Bowles and GM Mike Maccagnan have no allegiance to Geno Smith, a second-round pick in 2013 who has 41 turnovers in 30 career games. They acquired 32-year-old journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick from Houston as a stopgap but need a long-term plan.
Cleveland Browns: They signed McCown and still have Johnny Manziel, a first-round pick last year who spent a chunk of his first NFL offseason in rehab. A franchise that never has had stability at the most important position will keep turning over every stone to find it.
Chicago Bears: They owe starter Jay Cutler $15.5 million fully guaranteed this season and $10 million in 2016 (as part of $16 million in base salary that season). But new GM Ryan Pace has been thoroughly examining his options in the draft, and with good reason.