Tag: Tyler Wilson

Tyler Wilson scouting report

Scouting Reports - 2013
Comments
[divider top=”0″ style=”solid”]
Tyler Wilson QB Arkansas #8
Ht: 6’3″
Wt: 220

[divider top=”0″ style=”solid”]

[draftace membership]

Size/Athleticism: Adequate height. Well built, can stand in the pocket and take a hit. Decent athleticism. Not an elite threat with his legs, but can take off running and pick up some yards. Has proven to be a tough competitor and is willing to stand in the pocket and take hits.

Arm strength/Accuracy: Arm strength is very average. He can put adequate speed behind the ball when he has time to step into it, but he lacks the natural arm strength to consistently make the same throws when under pressure or on the run. Doesn’t have the strength to fire the ball into tight spots beyond 15-20 yards. He can get the ball downfield, but he tends to put more air under the throw than you’d like to see. Accuracy is adequate at the short and intermediate range, but gets shaky on his deeper throws.

Footwork/Release: Has a slightly awkward delivery. Takes a long windup and frequently takes an exaggerated step forward which alters his release angle. Footwork is shaky in the pocket. Pressure definitely gets to him and affects his delivery. He can move outside the pocket, but he struggles to keep his eyes down the field while moving within a closing pocket.

Decision making: Typically goes through his progressions methodically and remains patient in the pocket. Will get flustered by pressure at times, especially when his offensive line is struggling to protect him. Does his best to find a man downfield, but knows when to check down.

Intangibles: Developed into a team leader during his two years as the starter. Has plenty of experience against elite competition and played through adversity at Arkansas as a senior.

Durability: Missed time with a head injury as a senior.

Comments: Wilson has enough tools to be consider a potential future starter, but he’s very average across the board. He deserves credit for the toughness he showed at Arkansas and the shaky situation with his coaching staff during his senior year needs to be taken into consideration. However, it’s also worth noting that he played with four NFL-caliber receivers as a junior (Cobi Hamilton, Jarius Wright, Joe Adams and Greg Childs) which may have skewed the public perception of him during the 2011 season. With only Hamilton returning in 2012, Wilson’s progress stalled. The most concerning aspect of Wilson’s game is his limited arm strength. He masks it well by winding up and putting his whole body into the throw when given time, but he’ll be under pressure more frequently at the next level and he lacks the natural arm strength to make the necessary throws into tight windows. He may emerge as an average starter at some point during his career, but his upside is limited and he should not be drafted as a future franchise quarterback.

[/draftace membership]

Breaking down Tyler Wilson vs LSU

2013 NFL Draft
Comments

As I’ve been reviewing prospects for the 2013 Draft, I’ve been focusing on their games against top defenses. So when it came time to watch Tyler Wilson, I immediately turned to the Arkansas Razorbacks game against LSU. In theory, watching him take on college football’s top defense should provide some meaningful insight into his ability to play at the next level. But, unfortunately, Arkansas’ offensive line was so overmatched against LSU’s front seven that Wilson had little chance of success. By my count he was pressured on 16 of 29 dropbacks, so while it was a brutal performance, it’s tough to place too much of the blame on Wilson.

As always, you can download the chart of this game here.

Handling Pressure
I’m not putting too much stock in this performance, but it is worth noting that the constant pressure got to Wilson. There were a few plays on which Wilson had a reasonable amount of time in the pocket, but took off running at the first sign of pressure. And even when he did stand in the pocket, he was so preoccupied with LSU’s front seven that he wasn’t seeing wide open receivers.

Here’s a great example of the pressure forcing Wilson to miss open receivers. This is his 9th dropback of the game, and he had already been pressured six times. As he drops back, a nice pocket forms around him and he clearly has the time to make a play. But when his downfield options aren’t open, he tucks and runs. Only after he’s on the move does he notice a wide open Greg Childs.

Accuracy
Again, it’s tough to take much away from this game given the pressure, but I was impressed with Wilson’s accuracy throughout the game. 15 of his 20 aimed passes were on target, including five of seven while under pressure. Due to the constant pressure the vast majority of these were short passes (he attempted just six beyond seven yards downfield) but it’s still encouraging to see him making the right decision and delivering a catchable ball.

Mobility
This isn’t exactly what Wilson’s known for, but he demonstrated the ability to make plays with his feet. He’s no Michael Vick or Tim Tebow, but he can definitely be as effective as a guy like Aaron Rodgers. Ideally we won’t see him run this often in 2012, but he showed that when he has to, he’s can be threat.

Final Thoughts
It’s tough to see a future 1st-rounder in this performance, but it’s also rare to see any elite prospect pressured at this rate. Andrew Luck certainly never saw a defense like LSU’s, and even if he did, his offensive line was far better equipped to handle the pressure. As a result, I’m not going to hold this performance against Wilson. He’ll have plenty of opportunities to show he learned from this experience in 2012.

I’ll leave you with this play, easily his best throw of the game and the only one on which he really shows off his arm.