Overview
Position: Quarterback
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 226 pounds
School: Mississippi State Bulldogs
Combine Performance Data
40-yard dash: 4.79 seconds
Vertical jump: 32.5 inches
Broad jump: 9 feet, 8 inches (fifth best among quarterbacks)
Three-cone drill: 7.11 seconds
Dak Prescott 2016 NFL Draft Profile
When Dak Prescott committed to Mississippi State in July 2010, there were hints the Bulldog program was ready to break out under head coach Dan Mullen. His second season in Starkville resulted in a 9-4 season that included a Gator Bowl win and a final ranking of 15 in the AP poll. It marked the program’s best record since 1999 when they were coached by the legendary Jackie Sherrill.
Prescott redshirted in 2011 and over the next two seasons split time under center with Tyler Russell. It was in 2014 when Prescott finally had the starting job to himself. And he certainly made the most of that opportunity. The Haughton, LA native played a major role in MSU emerging as one of the SEC’s top teams that season. The Bulldogs entered week eight as college football’s top-ranked team. It was the first time in school history they had ever achieved the feat.
Prescott’s 4,495 yards of total offense was the fifth-highest total in the nation. He finished with 986 rushing yards which was fifth-best nationally among quarterbacks. The only two players at the position who had more rushing touchdowns (14) than Prescott were Navy’s Keenan Reynolds (23) and Oregon’s Marcus Mariota (15). And his 3,449 passing yards as well as 27 touchdown tosses both ranked second in the SEC. All in all, his play helped the Bulldogs finish the 2014 season with just their third double-digit win total in program history. And Prescott himself would finish eighth in the Heisman Trophy balloting.
There was the possibility that Prescott would declare for the draft after such a standout campaign. But he decided to stay for his senior season. From a production standpoint, that turned out to be a good decision. Prescott set career highs with both 3,793 yards passing and 29 touchdowns while also throwing just five interceptions. He also finished in the top 20 nationally with a 66.2 percent completion percentage. And he became just the second quarterback in SEC history (Tim Tebow) to lead his team in both passing and rushing yards two years in a row.
Strengths
- well-built with above average athleticism.
- highly effective dink-and-dunk passer that excels in short/intermediate pass game.
- quick, efficient release with good velocity.
- does a great job at immediately diagnosing when to take the ball and run.
- accelerates to full speed very well when running the ball.
- put up big numbers despite not having the best pass protection.
- could be a dangerous weapon in wildcat as well as goal-line situations.
Weaknesses
- high completion percentage numbers more a function of too much reliance on short passes.
- was not particularly accurate on deep ball throws.
- easy for opposing defenses to force him into hurried, errant throws when under pressure.
- relies too much on his first passing option as opposed to going through progressions.
- has a tendency to check down too often.
- wore down physically during his senior year.
- involved in a few off-field incidents, including a recent DUI.
NFL Comparison: Tyrod Taylor
Teams with Need at Position: Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Rams, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers
Projection: fourth round
Bottom Line
With the dual-threat quarterback more in vogue than ever, there’s no doubting Dak Prescott’s skill set translates well to the next level. He possesses an NFL frame, solid arm strength and great mobility when having to escape the pocket. Nevertheless, there are a variety of things he’ll need to improve upon if he wants to succeed at the next level. His poise under pressure and ability to throw downfield are two things in particular that require a lot of work. Prescott could be one of those players who could do well to sit behind a veteran and learn a given system over a period of a few years.
