Tyler Huntley 2020 NFL Draft Profile

Tyler Huntley 2020 NFL Draft Profile

After two somewhat pedestrian seasons, Tyler Huntley enters the 2020 NFL Draft on the heels of his best season. A three-star recruit coming out of Hallandale High School, the athletic prospect chose Utah after receiving offers from programs like LSU, Miami, Ohio State, and Cincinnati.

Huntley had a season to remember in 2019, posting career-high marks all across the board. The Florida native completed 217 of his 300 pass attempts for 3,048 yards (10.2 yards-per-attempt), 19 touchdowns, and four interceptions. He ended the year with a 120.2 passer rating and a 90.0 PFF grade, good for eighth-best in the country.

Huntley initially earned the starting job in the 2017 season. During his first year under center, the quarterback completed 64.2% of his passes for 2,405 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He built on that as a Junior, completing 64.1% of his passes for 1,783 yards (7.5 YPA), 12 touchdowns, and six interceptions.

Strengths

Mobile threat capable of destroying a defense on the ground;

Steps up in the pocket and keeps eyes downfield when behind the line of scrimmage;

Calm and collected under pressure;

Safe with the football and won’t make many dangerous decisions;

NFL-caliber arm;

Led nation in adjusted completion percentage, per PFF.

Weaknesses

Messy footwork that will need to be fixed at the NFL level;

Questionable arm mechanics;

Below-average accuracy leads to poor results on tight-window throws;

Deep ball velocity drops significantly when feet aren’t set;

Doesn’t’ make too many “special” throws and will need time to develop;

NFL Comparison: E.J. Manuel

Projection: Fourth-fifth round

Bottom Line on Tyler Huntley

Tyler Huntley is a very raw prospect with the tools to develop into a decent starter at the next level. His athleticism immediately jumps off the tape, but he’s more than just a one-read scrambling quarterback. Unlike a lot of athletic quarterbacks, Huntley is perfectly comfortable keeping his eyes downfield, buying time behind the line of scrimmage, and delivering a strike down the field. Additionally, Huntley keeps his cool under pressure and rarely puts the ball in harms’ way. Overall, there is definitely enough in him to make you believe he could become a starting NFL quarterback.

However, there are quite a few hurdles standing between him and a starting job. For one, his mechanics leave a lot to be desired. Huntley’s subpar footwork and deliver lead to a loss of velocity which shows up on tight-window throws. He rarely attempts to thread the needle, so to speak, and that’s going to be an issue in the NFL. Because of his poor mechanics, he doesn’t have the downfield accuracy or arm strength required to succeed at the NFL level. The right coaching staff could fix these issues, but that’s much easier said than done. His raw talent makes him worthy of a draft pick, but he won’t be ready to start for another two or three years, if he ever is at all.

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