Shane Buechele NFL Draft Overview
Position: Quarterback
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 207 lbs.
School: SMU
2021 NFL Draft: Shane Buechele Player Profile
Consistently, the quarterback position offers an abundance of NFL prospects for each spring’s draft and 2021 is no exception. Shane Buechele hopes to become one of those quarterbacks selected during this year’s three-day event.
For the last two seasons, Buechele was the starting quarterback at SMU after playing the first three years of his collegiate career at the University of Texas. His productivity as the leader of the Mustangs West Coast offense was off the charts. In 23 games, Buechele threw for 7,024 yards with 57 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. His passing completion percentage was just under 64 percent for his two-year career at SMU. These offensive numbers put him near the top of all D-1 signal-callers in the country over the same time frame. Buechele drew high praise from opposing coaches for his leadership skills and total command of the Mustangs offense.
Every college recruiting service had Buechele rated as a four-star quarterback recruit. The Texas native was deemed a dual threat at the position because he excelled at throwing and running the football. The Texas Longhorns won a highly-contested recruiting battle over their arch-rival Oklahoma Sooners for Buechele. Immediately, he was installed as the starting quarterback during summer camp. He went on to shatter all of the school’s freshman quarterback records. However, injuries limited Buechele’s availability in games during his sophomore and junior seasons. Buechele’s inability to stay healthy led to him losing his starting quarterback job to Sam Ehlinger. Following his junior season, Buechele decided to transfer to SMU for his final two seasons of eligibility.
Strengths
- High football IQ;
- Great leadership skills;
- Dynamic athlete;
- Can read sophisticated defenses;
- Excellent touch on intermediate passes;
- Good footwork in the pocket;
Weaknesses
- Does not have the proto-typical quarterback body frame;
- Lacks arm strength;
- Questionable accuracy on deep throws;
- Elongated throwing motion;
- Forces the ball in tight coverage;
- Not quick enough to become an effective runner.
NFL Comparison: Gardner Minshew
Teams With Need at Position (Backup): Seattle Seahawks, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans and Los Angeles Rams
Projection: Fourth or Fifth Round
Bottom Line on Shane Buechele
One thing in his favor to make an NFL team is Buechele has a high football IQ. This will allow him to become an ideal candidate for the backup quarterback position with any franchise. Every head coach in the league would love to have Buechele in their quarterback room. Who doesn’t want a rookie who is well-prepared to execute the game plan as most veterans on the roster. There’s no debate on him being a fast-learner, but the lone question is if he can be effective player on the football field.
To earn a roster spot, Buechele must play error-free football during the preseason. For this to happen, he will need to improve on becoming more consistent in completing all of the required passes expected from an NFL quarterback. It will show that Buechele has the potential to become a game manager in the absence of the starter if called upon.
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