Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State
NFL comparison: Drew Bledsoe
When I think of "pure" pocket passers -- and in this case that comes with a touch of a negative connotation denoting a serious lack of mobility -- Drew Bledsoe is one of the first quarterbacks who comes to my mind. Bledsoe was statuesque in the pocket; he just wanted to live there and fire rockets all over the field. Yes, there was an occasional step up away from pressure, but most often Bledsoe either delivered the football from inside the pocket or was hit or sacked inside the pocket. I see a lot of that with Haskins, a slow-footed, pure pocket passer. He's a little more athletic than Bledsoe was, but Bledsoe had a stronger arm. I wasn't scouting Bledsoe when he was a prospect in 1993. I was scouting bad guys Power Rangers had to fight. But I do have vivid memories of Bledsoe in the NFL. Haskins can read the entire field, is mostly accurate, and wants to set up shop between the tackles on every snap. If protected well, he can be an awesome quarterback in the NFL. Like with Bledsoe, I'm worried about Haskins when he faces pressure.
Daniel Jones, Duke
NFL comparison: Josh McCown
I don't know if Jones will ultimately stick around for as long as McCown has, but they seem like similar quarterbacks. Smart, good arms, decently accurate to all levels but antsy under pressure and can be somewhat easily baited into making bad decisions. Jones is a plus scrambler, yet the team that drafts him likely won't be installing designed runs for him, although he was used on those at Duke. Anyway, Jones is a West Coast Offense signal-caller who you don't want holding onto the ball for too long.
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NFL comparison: Matthew Stafford
Lock is a cannon-armed pocket passer capable of making the jaw-dropping throws down or across the field who plays the game with "shooter's amnesia." If he makes a bad decision or throws a pick, it doesn't impact his aggressiveness on the next play or series. He can effortlessly throw from a variety of arm angles, and the arrow is pointing up in terms of his pocket patience and presence, although hiccups in those areas are still present. He won't run away from many NFL linebackers but can pick up yards with his feet when needed, and his accuracy downfield is more impressive than his touch on short passes. Sounds a lot like Stafford.
I wish we could just draft Peyton Manning but it’s not going to happen. And you need someone in place at some point.