Scouting The Draft: Garrett Grayson, QB, Colorado State

Introduction

In a QB class that is less than spectacular, Garrett Grayson is a flickering candle in the darkness. To get to where he is now, this 3 star recruit had a long way to go from his 3 sport days in Vancouver, Washington. Garrett was an athletic star growing up. He thrived at basketball, track & field, and of course football. He was a two way player, as most high school players are. Other than being 3 year letter winner at QB, Garrett also tormented his opponents as a safety and cornerback.

Grayson wasn't heavily recruited coming out of high school. He only received offers from Miami (OH), Eastern Washington and Idaho State. Grayson chose Colorado State over all of them. As a true freshman, Garrett played in 4 games, and started in 3 of them. He had his bumps and bruises, and didn't look all that great. Garrett's sophomore season wasn't all that much better. After winning the starting job in fall camp, Grayson only started 5 games before breaking his collarbone against Air Force. In the limited time he did play, there was a noticeable improvement from his freshman year.

Back from his ugly 2012 injury, Grayson sprang back into action as the starter in his junior year. After two mediocre learning years, Grayson managed to have one of the best statistical seasons in school history. Garrett played in all 14 games and capped it off by becoming the single season passing leader at CSU. The stage was set for a huge senior season, and Grayson didn't disappoint.

In 2014 Grayson unleashed his skills in the Mountain West Conference. He once again played in all 13 games, and surpassed his previous CSU record as the single season passing leader. He was 4th amongst all FBS quarterbacks. Grayson was 1 of 5 FBS quarterbacks to pass for at least 25 more TDs than interceptions. Garrett took home the honor of Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year. Grayson also holds just about every QB record in school history. In a year where there is such a void of QB talent, even a flickering candle light can be seen for miles in the darkness.

Measurables

Height: 6'2"

Weight: 220

Class: Senior

Projected 40 Time: 4.70

Stats

Positives

• Has leadership skills to lead a team
• Athletic enough to avoid pressure
• Good size for the position
• Good to very good arm strength
• Very good instincts
• Shows balance and coordination when asked to run out of the pocket
• Has the ability to put some nice touch on deep passes
• Can launch the ball about 50-60 yards when able to step into it
• Keeps his eyes downfield in the face of pressure
• Has above AVG accuracy
• Tight spiral
• Doesn't make very many bonehead mistakes
• Has very large hands
• Can go through a full progression
• Started in all 4 years
• Prototypical production arch over his 4 years
• Athletic enough to break off some big runs if he has to

Negatives

• Drops ball down before going through his throwing motion
• Has a wide delivery
• A slow delivery
• Sort of leaves the ball back, so it can be knocked away
• Can take snaps from under center, but wasn't asked to a lot-- Needs work
• Needs to throw it to the sidelines with more velocity
• Can sometimes miss an easy throw
• Will sometimes throw a funky ball when on the run

Conclusion

Grayson is a prospect that I really like. Out of all the QBs, outside of the top two, Garrett seems to be head and shoulders above the rest. He is a QB that will always be looking to make a play down the field, but can run if he needs to. Garrett has some mechanics issues, but those can be ironed out with good coaching. He progressively got better and better as his college career progressed. His NFL career will probably face a similar arch. He shouldn't start right away, but in a year or two he could compete for the starting role. Some people have a 3rd or 4th round grade on Garrett, but I think that is way too low. By the time draft day comes, he should be around the 2nd round. I personally think the Jets should avoid drafting a QB this year, and look for one next year. With that said, if we were to grab Grayson, I wouldn't be upset at all.

Draft Grade: 74

90-100 = Exceptional Talent

80-90 = Impact Player

70-80 = NFL Starter

60-70 = Solid NFL Potential

50-60 = Draftable - Lot of work needed

>50 = Undraftable, - Long Shot To Stick