Overview
Position:Quarterback
Height:6’2″
Weight:211 pounds
School:Washington Huskies
Combine Performance Data
40-yard dash:4.74 seconds
Vertical jump:29 inches
Broad jump:112 inches
Three-cone drill:7.19 seconds
20-yard shuttle:4.44 seconds
Jake Browning 2019 NFL Draft Profile
Few quarterbacks in this draft class, or any draft class for that matter, can say they had a high school career comparable to Jake Browning‘s. The Washington quarterback grew up in Folsom, CA, just 30 minutes away from the state’s capital, and went on to attend Folsom High School. Folsom’s head coach at the time, Kris Richardson, had produced 30 Division 1 athletes and along with quarterback coach, Troy Taylor, the two were regarded as one of the best coaching duos in the state.
Under those two coaches, Browning went on to set dozens of records at the high school level as a three-year starter. He went on to set the national record for most touchdowns in a single season (91) and in a career (229). In Browning’s senior year, he set the state record for most yards thrown in a season (5,790) and in a career (16,775). He became the first high school player ever to throw for 60 or more touchdowns and for 5,000 or more yards in three consecutive seasons. Browning led Folsom to a 16-0 record and a state championship his senior year while being named California’s Division 1 Player of the Year.
Browning eventually committed to the University of Washington and enrolled early during the spring of 2015. Washington head coach Chris Petersen immediately threw Browning into the starting spot and the quarterback excelled his freshman year. He threw for 2,955 passing yards, 16 touchdowns and finished with a completion rate of 63 percent. Browning was at his best during his sophomore season as the Folsom native threw for a career-high 3,430 yards and 43 touchdowns. He led the Huskies to the College Football Playoffs, was named the Pac-12 offensive player of the year and finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting.
Browning struggled his final two seasons at Washington. Many players from the offense in 2016 departed to the NFL which left Browning with little weapons to throw to and even less protection. In 2017, Browning threw for a career-low 2,719 passing yards and only 19 touchdowns. In 2018, he threw for 3,192 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. While Browning was not considered a dual-threat quarterback, he did finish with 244 career rushing yards and 16 career rushing touchdowns.
Strengths
- played in a pro-style offense and took snaps under center while at Washington;
- has clean footwork and experience in three and five-step drops;
- can move around the pocket fluidly;
- has really strong pocket awareness;
- can sense the pocket collapsing while keeping eyes downfield;
- has above average escapability from pressure;
- not afraid to improvise and go the extra mile to keep the play alive;
- good arm accuracy and ball placement when feet are set;
- decent vision as a runner on designed run plays;
- is capable of throwing with accuracy while on the run;
- mechanics are solid, no wasted motion;
- has experience playing in inclement weather;
- sells play action well;
Weaknesses
- lacks desirable height and size for the position;
- durability is a question as he injured his shoulder in 2015 and 2016;
- lacks elite arm strength to fit the ball into tight windows;
- small hands and ball security is an issue;
- regressed his final two seasons in college;
- really poor decision making at times which led to turnovers;
- lacks elite speed and elusiveness to be a dual-threat quarterback;
NFL Comparison: Jake Delhomme
Teams with need at position:Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New York Giants, Washington Redskins
Projection: Undrafted
Bottom Line
To bluntly put it, Browning is nothing more than a game manager at the NFL level. He lacks the elite arm strength and decision making to have a team invest in him as their franchise quarterback. However, his competitive nature, his ability to improvise and his trust in his arm will separate him from the rest of the quarterbacks that get labeled as a game manager.
His playing style is awfully similar to that of Delhomme’s or Jake Plummer’s and Browning could very well have a career similar to theirs. Teams will look at Browning as a serviceable backup and if the starter were to miss some time, he would be more than capable of winning some games and keeping a team competitive. Browning should have a lengthy career as a journeymen backup in the NFL.
