Steven Montez Overview
Position: Quarterback
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 231 pounds
School: Colorado
NFL Combine Performance Data
40 Yard Dash: 4.68 seconds
20 Yard Shuttle: 4.43 seconds
Vertical Jump: 33 inches
Broad Jump: 117 inches
3 Cone Drill: 7.25 seconds
Steven Montez 2020 NFL Draft Profile
Steven Montez is a senior out of Colorado. Montez began his collegiate career as a sophomore where he played in nine games. In those nine games, he recorded nine touchdowns to five interceptions with a passing efficiency rating of 138. During his junior year, Montez through for a little over 2800 yards while also registering 19 touchdowns to nine interceptions. His senior year produced eerily similar results, as he once again barely eclipsed 2800 yards passing while throwing for 17 touchdowns to 10 interceptions.
In his three full seasons as a starter, Montez finished the season sixth, sixth and eight in passing touchdowns for the PAC-12. Montez finished his collegiate career ranked 22nd in passing yards, for the PAC-12, with 9710. To further stress the model of consistency, both good and bad, that Montez has been, it is worth pointing out that he finished both his sophomore and junior season with nine interceptions, and finished his senior season with 10 interceptions. In each of his three seasons as a full-time starter, Montez finished with a record of 5-7.
Strengths
- Prototypical build for the position;
- Athletic for his size;
- Strong, NFL-caliber arm;
- Starting experience;
- Good leadership qualities.
Weaknesses
- Needs to improve pocket awareness;
- Struggles to go through progressions when the first read isn’t there;
- Accuracy leaves a lot to be desired;
- Inconsistent performance;
- Subpar footwork will need to be improved.
NFL Comparison: Blake Bortles
Teams with need at the position: Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Chargers, Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks
Bottom Line on Steven Montez
Steven Montez has a lot of developing to do if he’s ever going to be more than a backup quarterback at the next level. He has been a model for constituency, albeit average consistency, throughout the course of his collegiate career. With the league entering an era where starting quality quarterbacks are in a surplus, Montez will need to take advantage of every opportunity given to earn a permanent place in this league.
The best possible situation for Montez would be for him to get drafted by a team with a veteran quarterback already in place. This would allow him to sit and better learn the position as he continues to work on his mechanics. Montez is often slow to work off his first read, so sitting behind someone like Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson would be a blessing in disguise. These are two established, top-tier pros at the quarterback position that are known for going through their progressions while constantly avoiding drive-killing sacks.
Montez also needs to work on keeping his eyes down the field when rolling out of the pocket. He has above average speed for the quarterback position but hasn’t been known as a “tough” runner when deciding to scramble. Lastly, Montez also falls into the habit of staring down receivers. This too often leads to an easy time in zone coverage for the opposing defensive backs.
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
