Via Last Word On Pro Football, by John Bava
Overview
Position: Quarterback
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 229 pounds
School: California Golden Bears
Combine Performance Data
40-yard dash: 4.79 seconds (fifth among quarterbacks)
Vertical jump: 33 inches (tied for third among quarterbacks)
Broad jump: 9 feet, 10 inches (fifth among quarterbacks)
Three-cone drill: 6.92 seconds (fourth among quarterbacks)
20-yard shuttle: 4.21 seconds (third among quarterbacks)
Davis Webb 2017 NFL Draft Profile
For the second straight year, scouts on quarterback needy teams have their eyes on a prospect out of California. After the Los Angeles Rams drafted Jared Goff first overall in 2016, his successor as Golden Bears starter looks to get his name called at some point. Though his hype train isn’t roaring as loudly as players such as Deshaun Watson, Mitch Trubisky or DeShone Kizer, Davis Webb possesses plenty of traits that teams at the next level covet.
Webb initially committed to Texas Tech and saw action in ten games as a true freshman, throwing for 20 touchdowns and nine interceptions. A year later, he found himself on several prominent watchlists for postseason awards. He started eight games before an ankle injury prematurely ended his season. But as a junior, he ended up behind Patrick Mahomes on the depth chart and subsequently decided to transfer.
He originally announced he was transferring to Colorado but ultimately found himself in Berkeley. The native of Prosper, TX received immediate eligibility as a grad transfer. His lone season at Cal saw him put up hugely impressive numbers. He ranked in the top ten among FBS quarterbacks in passing yards (4,295) and touchdown tosses (37). His 51.7 attempts per game led the nation.
Add in his impressive Senior Bowl performance, superb Combine data combined with a cerebral approach to the game and you have one of the more intriguing quarterback prospects in this year’s draft.
.@Davis_Webb7 as cerebral as they come. #NFLDraft #TeamISE 📚🏈 https://t.co/44iXX7KKWQ
— ISE Football (@ISEFootball) March 20, 2017
Strengths
- ideal height and weight for an NFL pocket passer.
- arm strength which can aptly be described as off-the-chart.
- ball comes out of his hand in a tight spiral.
- has a sizable repertoire of throws in his arsenal.
- deep ball can induce panic grabs out of defensive backs.
- made throws across entire spectrum of route tree at Cal.
- cerebral player with a high football I.Q.
Weaknesses
- can make rash decisions when under pressure that lead to interceptions.
- tends to overly key in on initial read.
- tries to force the issue, throwing into traffic way too often.
- accuracy often suffers on intermediate and deep throws.
- despite impressive Combine, tape suggests issues with mobility.
- product of a gimmicky offense at both Cal and Texas Tech.
- operated pretty much exclusively out of the shotgun.
- limited experience in a starting role.
- 12-14 career record as a starter in college.
NFL Comparison: Nick Foles
Teams With Need at Position: Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers
Projection: second to third round
Bottom Line
The issue with Webb at the next level is whether or not he can adapt into more of a pro-style quarterback. At Cal and even before then at Texas Tech, Webb played in an overly pass happy spread system not exactly analogous to NFL offenses. It’s a tough transition for many a prospective NFL signal caller. Colt Brennan out of Hawai’i is an example of that.
But Webb possesses the requisite intelligence necessary to grasp an NFL playbook. And he showed plenty of positive attributes during the Senior Bowl and his Combine workout. Though his accuracy outside the numbers needs to improve, especially on deep routes, his ability in making a wide array of throws makes him an intriguing middle round project.
