Tom Brady. Tony Romo. Dak Prescott. These are the goldmine quarterbacks. Nobody expects their success, so they slip through the cracks. Every team knows these types of quarterbacks are out there, but finding one is easier said than done. This quarterback class has almost unanimously been considered weak, so finding one may be tougher than ever. After watching tape on almost all of the quarterbacks in this draft class, I believe I found the goldmine. Antonio Pipkin hails from Tiffin University, and with a good senior bowl week, he has the potential to shoot up draft boards.
Measurables:
Height- 6'1''
Weight- 225
Year:
Senior (21)
2016 stat line:
2,534 passing yards, 25 passing TDs, 6 INTs, 757 rushing yards, 7 rushing TDs
Pros: Watching Antonio Pipkin throw the ball is a thing of beauty. He uses his 10'' mitts to throw in a tight spiral with great accuracy and ball placement, consistently making it easier for his receivers to catch and gain yards afterward. He shows great touch on all of his passes and rarely overthrows when facing pressure. While his arm strength is not superb, he makes up for it by dropping deep passes into bread baskets and throwing at a high velocity. The latter, to me, is very important. By delivering the football in a clean, fast spiral, defensive backs cannot break on the ball fast enough to pick Pipkin off. He also has a dual-threat dimension to his game and shows nice burst when tucking and coming out of the pocket. The best part about his dual-threat abilities, however, are that he does not rely on them in the passing game. He can stay at home and pass just as good as anyone labeled as a "pocket passer."
Cons: The most immediate concern is the Division-II level Pipkin played at. Adjusting to NFL speed at the game's toughest position is difficult already, but becomes even more so when you run a D-II spread offense against the likes of North Michigan and Hillsdale. Pipkin also likes ideal pro size, standing only at 6 ft 1 inch. Watching Pipkin's tape, he has a penchant for trying to do too much. This leads to him trying to salvage broken plays and force throws into tough coverage. At the D-II level that may work, but the pros will eat him alive when he tries to pull that.
Pro Comparison: Dak Prescott: All I could think about while watching Pipkin was how much he looked like Prescott. Both have a tight spiral with zip and accuracy at all three levels. Prescott and Pipkin are both smaller, dual-threat quarterbacks, but neither need to escape the pocket just to complete a pass (like RGIII). They are more pocket passer with the potential to run. Pipkin also has a similar level of poise in the pocket to Prescott, standing tall and delivering accurate balls with pressure in his face. With good coaching, Pipkin can sit for a few months and step onto the field a battle-ready quarterback.
3 Teams that fit him: The Chiefs stand out as a team that could use Pipkin's potential. Andy Reid can take his intangibles and mold him to his offensive scheme as a successor to Alex Smith. The Steelers and Giants could also use some youth at the quarterback position, and building the rest of the team in the early rounds with taking a flier on a late-round prospect such as Pipkin gives them youth, upside, and a low-risk.
Conclusion: Pipkin has the accuracy, zip, and poise to succeed in the league, but teams will be nervous picking him because of the competition he faced and his lack of height. He has the potential to be a late-round gem a la Dak Prescott, but I don't think anybody will take him until the 6th round.
P.S. I am sorry for the lack of content over the past few weeks, but I have been super busy will exams and college applications. Thankfully, my schedule is starting to clear up and I will be posting more scouting reports, offseason guides, and editorials in the coming months. Be sure to comment in my articles if you want me to scout a specific prospect or look at the offseason of your favorite team. On that note, thanks for reading and look for more content going forward.
All statistics are from ESPN stats and info
Cons: The most immediate concern is the Division-II level Pipkin played at. Adjusting to NFL speed at the game's toughest position is difficult already, but becomes even more so when you run a D-II spread offense against the likes of North Michigan and Hillsdale. Pipkin also likes ideal pro size, standing only at 6 ft 1 inch. Watching Pipkin's tape, he has a penchant for trying to do too much. This leads to him trying to salvage broken plays and force throws into tough coverage. At the D-II level that may work, but the pros will eat him alive when he tries to pull that.
Pro Comparison: Dak Prescott: All I could think about while watching Pipkin was how much he looked like Prescott. Both have a tight spiral with zip and accuracy at all three levels. Prescott and Pipkin are both smaller, dual-threat quarterbacks, but neither need to escape the pocket just to complete a pass (like RGIII). They are more pocket passer with the potential to run. Pipkin also has a similar level of poise in the pocket to Prescott, standing tall and delivering accurate balls with pressure in his face. With good coaching, Pipkin can sit for a few months and step onto the field a battle-ready quarterback.
3 Teams that fit him: The Chiefs stand out as a team that could use Pipkin's potential. Andy Reid can take his intangibles and mold him to his offensive scheme as a successor to Alex Smith. The Steelers and Giants could also use some youth at the quarterback position, and building the rest of the team in the early rounds with taking a flier on a late-round prospect such as Pipkin gives them youth, upside, and a low-risk.
Conclusion: Pipkin has the accuracy, zip, and poise to succeed in the league, but teams will be nervous picking him because of the competition he faced and his lack of height. He has the potential to be a late-round gem a la Dak Prescott, but I don't think anybody will take him until the 6th round.
P.S. I am sorry for the lack of content over the past few weeks, but I have been super busy will exams and college applications. Thankfully, my schedule is starting to clear up and I will be posting more scouting reports, offseason guides, and editorials in the coming months. Be sure to comment in my articles if you want me to scout a specific prospect or look at the offseason of your favorite team. On that note, thanks for reading and look for more content going forward.
All statistics are from ESPN stats and info
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