Scouting the NFL Draft: QB Teddy Bridgewater

Feb 22, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Louisville Cardinals

speaks to the media in a press conference during the 2014 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

In scouting the 2014 NFL draft, the New York Jets and John Idzik will leave no stone unturned, so we are going to do the same thing.

If one was confused, you might think John Idzik’s middle name is competition. He is all about it, and looks for it at every position on the football field, because it makes his team better. That does not exclude the quarterback position.

Idzik was in Louisville to check out the pro-day of one Teddy Bridgewater, so that is who we are going to scout this afternoon.

MEASURABLES

He stands at 6’2″, and weighs in at 214 pounds.  He did not throw at the Combine, but Teddy did participate in some drills.  He led the Combine at his position in the Broad Jump with 113 inches, and the 20 yard shuttle drill, with a time of 4.2 seconds.

Here are his three year stats from the University of Louisville:

Passing

Teddy definitely has the accuracy and the ball protection we are looking for. Let’s see him on some tape:

PROS: Teddy’s ball has a nice touch. They say that a ball is very “catchable”, and Teddy’s is. He also moves around well in the pocket, buying himself time. He doesn’t only look to be a runner, he looks downfield as he is moving, which is an excellent sign. I like the arm strength, see that he could make connections outside the hashmarks, although we didn’t really seem him throw the “out” route.

CONS: I am going to give you the cons from the NFL.com profile, since the tape is always a compilation of great plays:

Has a very lean, narrow frame with limited bulk and small hands. Does not drive the ball with velocity down the field and can be affected by cold and windy conditions (see Cincinnati). Can improve placement and touch on the deep ball. Adequate athlete. Is not an overly elusive scrambler — struggles escaping the rush and buying a second chance with his feet vs. pressure. Passing stats are padded from operating a passing game that relies heavily on short, lateral tosses. Long-term durability could become a concern without continued strength and weight gains.

The idea of being affected by the conditions is a major red flag when a team from the Northeast is considering choosing this guy. The tape looks good, but they must be sure he can play in the East before making this type of choice.