Jaden Craig’s early scouting report ahead of the 2026 season, his first as the TCU starting quarterback. Craig is a graduate transfer from Harvard. Does he have the traits to be a sleeper in the 2027 NFL Draft quarterback class?
Jaden Craig Early Scouting Report
Measureables
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 230 lbs
Statistics
2025: 208 from 338 for 2,869 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions.
2024: 169 from 279 for 2,430 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions.
2022: 58 from 97 for 775 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions.
The Tape
Games Watched: Dartmouth, at Yale, and at Villanova
Strengths
Jaden Craig has good size, with a solid build. Harvard didn’t use him as a runner often, but when they did, he showed he’s a good athlete. This athletic ability allows him to extend plays or scramble. When used as a runner, he showed good speed and the ability to break tackles. He’s also tough in the pocket, being willing to stand and take hits to deliver passes.
Craig is a quarterback who can work through his progressions smoothly and demonstrates the ability to look off defenders with his eyes. He also shows the ability to keep his feet matched to his eyes. In a clean pocket, he shows good weight transfer to generate hip torque. He has a good enough arm to throw the deep ball. Craig can throw the deep “in the bucket” throw, showing excellent touch, and he can also layer throws over second-level defenders.
Many college quarterbacks in the RPO game struggle with a wide base, putting the ball in the running back’s belly, before pulling, narrowing their base, and throwing. Arch Manning is a good example of this, and going from a wide to a narrow base causes accuracy issues. Craig bucks this trend, keeping his base narrow at the mesh point, and thus can deliver throws with a better base. His accuracy on these throws is therefore good and makes that part of his game a real weapon.
TCU QB Jaden Craig (Harvard in 2025) doing a really nice job keeping his base narrow on this RPO keep and pass. So many QBs get really wide with their base on plays like this – then go narrower to throw and balls sail. #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/o8YTk0iSCy
— Paul Emery (@UKDraftFan) May 19, 2026
While it’s fair to say his receivers at Harvard didn’t always help him (drops and lack of separation), Craig did show the ability to throw the back-shoulder ball on time and away from defenders.
Areas to Improve
While Craig’s athletic ability is a plus, he must learn to put the ball away when he is extending plays. He holds the ball loosely down by his hip, which also lengthens his release if he decides to throw.
His accuracy rolling both ways needs to improve. Too often he’ll throw chest on. He often appears to be rushing to get the ball out, and he needs to get his front shoulder pointing more at the target. This also means he can’t transfer weight effectively, and his arm strength does take a hit because of this technical issue.
While he gets through progressions smoothly, there’s too often a pause and a double clutch before throwing. Projecting him forward to the Big XII and then the NFL, this will lead defenders to the ball.
Would like to see TCU QB Jaden Craig be a little more decisive. A little too many of these double clutch type throws on his tape, which is sure to draw a crowd in the NFL. #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/y5LAXda06p
— Paul Emery (@UKDraftFan) May 19, 2026
Jaden Craig is still developing as an anticipatory thrower. Right now, he’s more often throwing to an open man as opposed to throwing a man open. Playing with better receivers at TCU should help this area of his game.
While Craig has the arm to make deep throws, at times, the ball doesn’t jump out of his hand. His hand width will be of interest at the NFL Combine. There are also times when he’s deliberate with his throwing motion. He places the ball, as opposed to just naturally throwing. That could be a lack of confidence in his receivers when they did let him down with too many drops.
Craig’s arm angle can change when pressured. This is more a curse than a blessing for him, as he does rather rush his mechanics, and the changes in arm angle tend to equal inconsistent accuracy.
He also needs to avoid getting too amped up in big games. Early in the Yale game, he was throwing fastballs and making life tougher for his receivers. It also seemed he was just rushing and not playing the cerebral game that is his strength.
Key Tests
The step up in competition from the Ivy League to the Big XII is a test in itself for Craig.
TCU kicks off the season in Dublin, Ireland, on 29 August. A Bill Belichick defense will be an interesting first test.
The schedule on either side of the TCU bye week is tricky. A road game at Central Florida is followed by a home game against Brigham Young. After the bye week, the Horned Frogs visit Baylor.
The final three games of the season are also not easy. Two home games, Kansas State and Utah, are followed by a visit to Lubbock and big-spending Texas Tech.
The full schedule can be found here.
Last Word on Jaden Craig
Craig’s strength is the ability to work through progressions. That fits the type of quarterback the NFL preferred in the 2026 NFL Draft (e.g., Carson Beck and Drew Allar taken before Taylen Green and Cole Payton). Craig doesn’t have the arm strength of Green, but it does compare to Beck’s. He’ll need to prove he has the ability to work through progressions against better competition.
Some of the areas Craig needs to improve weren’t helped by his lack of a strong supporting cast at Harvard. If Craig can develop chemistry with returning receiver Jordan Dwyer, it should help him become more decisive.
Craig should be on the radar of the Senior Bowl in 2026, and an All-Star game invitation would give him a great platform. Right now, he looks like a day three level talent, with the opportunity this season to be viewed more as a mid-round prospect rather than a late-round one.
