Name: Ian Book
Position: Quarterback
College: Notre Dame
Class: (RS) Junior
Height: 6’0
Weight: 212
Draft Grade: Fifth Round
Draft Projection: Fifth-Sixth round
Ian Book, Quarterback, Notre Dame
Athletic Ability
Book has tremendous athleticism. One of his best assets is his ability to improvise and extend plays. He has impressive lateral quickness and is a threat to break off a 40-yard run at any moment.
Competitiveness
Ian is a dynamic player that plays with passion and has proven he has what it takes to lead an offense. He’s experienced a huge increase in production during the 2019 season but his completion percentage has taken an alarming nosedive
Mental Alertness
Book tends to get happy feet when the pocket breaks down. He’ll need to improve on working through his progression. If his first option isn’t available, he’s quick to tuck and run. His decision making has improved but he can still be careless with the ball.
Strength/Durability
Ian doesn’t possess the ideal frame, but height is becoming less important with each draft class. He’ll need to learn how to protect his body better to ensure his longevity.
Position Skill
Book avoids the rush well but needs to keep his eyes downfield. He has good arm strength and average accuracy on short and intermediate throws but lacks downfield accuracy and touch. His mechanics are lacking; he has poor footwork and holds the ball too low. Unfortunately, he possesses the terrible combination of a long release, staring down his receiver and poor ball placement.
Ian Book Overall
Ian Book still has one year of eligibility remaining but he has seen his stock rise with an explosive 2019 campaign. With the latest trend of college players taking advantage of such seasons and declaring early, all signs point to Book doing the same thing. Mathematically he graded out as a fifth-round prospect. I expect someone to take a chance on him late on day 3 of the draft. With his flaws, he’ll be viewed as a project player that has a slim chance to make a practice squad. All that being said, he should strongly consider staying at Notre Dame. If he can show improvement with his mechanics and decision making, he could potentially become a tier-two quarterback and avoid ending up in the XFL.
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