QB Dak Prescott Could Make Sense For The Philadelphia Eagles
By Ryan Quigley
Dak Prescott is one of the more underrated QB prospects in this year’s draft and could be intriguing to the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Philadelphia Eagles may be looking to draft a quarterback in the 2016 NFL Draft. Sam Bradford did not show enough in 2015 to deserve the $25 million contract that he and his agent are reportedly asking for and it’s probably best for both parties go their separate ways.
That being said, this year’s quarterback class isn’t exactly inspiring. None of the top QB prospects in this year’s draft are close to the level of last year’s top prospects, Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, but that does not mean there aren’t any good options. Jared Goff looks like he could be a franchise quarterback, Paxton Lynch is athletic playmaker and Carson Wentz is quickly shooting up draft boards (you can read in-depth analysis on Wentz here). However, another prospect the Eagles should keep a close eye on is Dak Prescott out of Mississippi State.
Overview
At 6’2″, 226 pounds, Prescott is a thick quarterback with a ton of athleticism. As a redshirt senior, Prescott completed 316 of 477 attempts for 3,793 yards and 29 touchdowns to only five interceptions. He also ran for 588 yards and 10 touchdowns. Prescott attended the 2016 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama Saturday and was named the Senior Bowl Most Outstanding Player of the game, completing seven of 10 passes for 61 yards and a touchdown as well as rushing for 13 yards on three attempts.
Prescott has tremendous character despite being involved in an incident last spring and could work well in the Eagles’ offense.
Eagles
Analysis
One of Prescott’s top qualities is his arm strength. He should have no issues fitting his throws into closing windows or getting the ball to his deep receivers. However, his accuracy needs some work. His short and intermediate throws are good, but his deep ball is rough. In a clean pocket, he can make any throw asked of him and typically makes good decisions, but his throws can be wild when under duress, which there will be plenty of in the pros.
His athleticism is a good compliment to his limitations as a thrower. He has the ability to buy time with his feet and does not limit himself to a minimal gain on the ground when he is chased out of the pocket. He always keeps his eyes downfield and looks for an open man. He does not shy away from contact, which could be worrisome once he gets to the pros, but it’s a good sign of his heart and willingness to never give up on a play.
Prescott played primarily out of the shotgun in college. It remains to be seen how often the Eagles will line up in the gun under Head Coach Doug Pederson, but that could play a major role in Philadelphia’s opinion on him. Ironically, this would be a match made in heaven if Chip Kelly were still the Eagles’ head coach, but that obviously isn’t the case.
Pro Comparison
Prescott plays a lot like Donovan McNabb. He has a phenomenal arm and great athletic ability (he’ll even throw balls into the dirt every now and then). The Eagles are keen on returning to the glory days of the Andy Reid era and they’ve proved it by hiring Reid disciple Doug Pederson as head coach. If this truly is their vision, then they may be compelled by a prospect who plays like McNabb. He’d require a good amount of work, but I truly believe that the finished product would be highly rewarding, regardless of where he ends up.