Evaluating quarterback play is one in all my favourite workouts, and there aren’t many higher folks to do this with than a Professional Soccer Corridor of Famer.
Kurt Warner joined me on the newest episode of “The Joel Klatt Show” to debate passing ideas, quarterback play within the NFL at this time and plenty of extra quarterback-related gadgets.
We additionally mentioned our evaluations of the quarterback prospects within the 2025 NFL Draft, significantly Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders. Final month, I ranked Sanders forward of Ward in my list of the top five quarterbacks in this year’s draft class. As Warner and I might be part of NFL Community’s Draft Day protection subsequent month, I needed to choose his mind a bit and see how he views Ward and Sanders a month out from the draft.
This is a snippet of our dialog.
Klatt: So let me simply begin with this: You noticed all the blokes on the mix. As you put together for the draft, how do you stack up this class on the whole, and what had been your general emotions of the category after Indy?
Warner: I believed the category was stable throughout the board. After I assume again to Indy, I type of assume that plenty of instances it type of goes up and down, and you bought some guys which are fairly good, after which the blokes that are not superb. I believed this class as a complete we had a lot of guys that threw the ball nicely on the mix. I do not do plenty of tape research earlier than the mix, possibly do some bit simply to get only a contact of who these guys are. As you already know, I do not watch plenty of school soccer throughout the NFL season. I am an NFL man, firstly. So, I prefer to go to the mix and get an opportunity to see the blokes, after which I am going to pop on the tape afterward, which I have been doing for the final week or so.
This is the attention-grabbing factor for me: After I watch them on tape, I am unsure any of those guys are that completely different from a processing, taking part in on time, studying the sector kind of perspective. I really feel like nearly all of these guys, not less than on the high of the category, are very comparable guys after I watch them on tape. For those who simply took the names off the jerseys and also you appeared, you’d go, “OK. I’ve seen that earlier than. I’ve seen that earlier than. I’ve seen that earlier than.”
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Now Cam (Ward), he is bought a bit further uniqueness to his capability to throw the soccer. I believe that is what catapults him to the highest of the category. I do not assume once you watch him in comparison with these different guys, like Shedeur, Jaxson [Dart] or Tyler [Shough], that once you watch his decision-making and throwing on time that Cam jumps off the pages, like “Oh gosh, he is so significantly better in all these areas.” I simply assume he is bought a bit uniqueness to the way in which he throws the soccer. Perhaps a bit extra muscle on the ball. He has the flexibility to throw off platform. So, I believe you set [Ward] on the high as a result of what if that expertise transfers to the subsequent degree, do we now have one thing particular past that?
Klatt: While you have a look at a man like Cam, what kind of offense do you see him thriving in on the subsequent degree?
Warner: That is an incredible query. What I actually consider about all of those guys, even Cam, is that I am unsure any of those guys is an effective sufficient athlete to outlive on the NFL degree being an athletic quarterback, if that is sensible. You understand that the Josh Allen’s, Lamar Jackson‘s and the Patrick Mahomes‘. I believe most of those guys, if they will be actually good on the subsequent degree, it is bought to return right down to processing and getting the ball out of their palms, as a result of I do not assume any of them are nice at shopping for time or being elusive.
That is the factor that basically fascinates me, as a result of we by no means actually know, particularly once you watch guys in school. It actually frustrates me to look at school tape as a result of after I was watching Cam, what I mentioned was 90% of his throws went to his first man, or it was a scramble. There wasn’t a complete lot else you’d see. You would not see him go growth, growth and work by means of this stuff.
I believe that was the case with a lot of these guys. Most guys ought to be capable of make these throws, however I did not see the processing and dealing by means of issues. That is the place that is so onerous for me. For those who wrestle to do this on the NFL degree, I do not assume any of those guys have that further to beat it.
Klatt: What’s your tackle Shedeur Sanders?
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Warner: Shedeur might throw the most effective ball, and what I imply by that’s the most catchable and correct of all these guys. I really like that he can tempo the ball. Whether or not it is due to arm power or no matter, he by no means throws it onerous. He by no means has to throw it by means of you. I really like that side of issues. I like guys that perceive learn how to make completely different throws. He is bought nice contact. I believe he throws a very good deep ball.
I watched a few of his [tape] from the start of the yr and I watched the final 4 video games of all these quarterbacks. You talked about the offensive line. After I break down quarterbacks, I attempt to eradicate what has occurred all yr lengthy. I strive to take a look at it play from play … did you do the suitable factor on this play?
I felt within the final 4 video games, Shedeur was very uneasy within the pocket. Like, very seldom did I see him sturdy within the pocket, get again and set, and skim and ship the ball. It was like he was at all times uneasy again there. You talked in regards to the sacks and points that they had upfront. Perhaps that led to, “OK, these final 4 video games, I’m simply not simple as a result of I’ve gotten hit a lot.”
That was the factor that involved me. He very seldom went by means of the method. It was type of like he would return, see the primary man after which get uneasy, attempting to create a throw versus simply taking part in the sport. That’s a priority for me. Is that one thing solely due to the scenario right here and due to the offensive line?
I favored the throws. I favored among the completely different throws and ideas he needed to play by means of as a result of that’s thrilling for me. After I watched Bo Nix final yr, I had the identical questions on throwing the ball down the sector. However what I beloved was that he had probably the most in depth playbook of anyone in school soccer final yr. … I felt that he did that extraordinarily nicely and why I felt he may translate to the NFL degree.
Shedeur needed to do a few of that. Shedeur needed to run some extra pro-style offense there. I like that a part of it, and also you’ve been uncovered to that.
Joel Klatt is FOX Sports activities’ lead school soccer sport analyst and the host of the podcast “The Joel Klatt Show.” Observe him at @joelklatt and subscribe to the “Joel Klatt Show” on YouTube.
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