QB Carson Wentz NDSU 6'5 225 Lbs

Originally posted by NorthBay49er:
Dom Izzo ‏@DomIzzoWDAY 10h10 hours agoMoorhead, MN

#NDSU announces QB Carson Wentz has a broken bone in his right wrist and will miss 6-8 weeks. Injury happened during #USD game.

Wentz is listed as being 6'6″ – 231 and while he may not be quite that tall when he measures at an All Star game or the Combine he still is taller than most quarterbacks playing in the NFL right now.

Despite his size, Wentz is a very good athlete with good speed, change of direction and body control. You may think that a quarterback the size of Wentz is stationary in the pocket. That is the furthest from the truth as he is a very good runner and does an excellent job keeping plays alive with his feet. When he does run he looks to finish and not slide when there is no more yardage available. He is a relentless competitor.

Wentz plays in a multi-offense and lines up both from under center and in the spread. The passing game has some sophistication to it and it requires the quarterback to go through a progression and has some whole field reads.

Unlike many of the college spread offenses we see, the North Dakota State offense doesn't have the quarterback make a high number of short throws at or around the line of scrimmage. This offense has the quarterback throwing the ball downfield. It is far more similar to a pro offense than many of the spreads we see quarterbacks running.

As a passer, Wentz shows he can set up quickly, go through a progression and get the ball out of his hands quickly. He has a very quick release and a strong arm. For the most part, he throws a tight ball with very good velocity. He is accurate and shows good ball placement skills. He seldom turns the ball over, and in four games this year, he has yet to throw an interception.

He is required to make a variety of throws and shows he can make any NFL type throw. He has good timing with his throw and shows he can throw with touch or drive the ball if necessary. He can easily make throws of 50+ yards with accuracy.

Wentz is a quick thinker and processes things quickly. He is a very good decision maker and you don't see him force throws. He also has a good feel for pass rushers and has the quick feet to avoid a pass rusher and extend the play. He does an excellent job throwing on the run with accuracy.

Looking at his stats, in his 1.5 years as a starter, he has thrown for close to 4100 yards, 65% completion percentage, 35 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He has also rushed for over 800 yards the last two seasons.

While generally level of competition is a concern when evaluating quarterbacks, I don't see any problems with this player. He has played well against FBS schools and won a FCS National Championship last year. He consistently shows poise and leadership and is in total command on the field.

While there will be a learning curve when he gets to the NFL, I can still see him becoming a starter very early in his career. The upside is he will develop into a quality starter. He has more talent than Jimmy Garoppolo from the 2014 draft and should get drafted higher. From what I have seen to date, I would have no problem pulling the trigger on this player in the first round.

Originally posted by Kolohe:

It's like this, Robert NKemdiche in the 1st then Carson Wentz in the 2nd or 3rd.

"First time I saw Carson was his junior year and my first thought was why the heck is he here? Why isn't he at Ohio State or Alabama? But credit the Bison coaches for seeing something and developing him. I like the arm talent, the size obviously stands out and he's shown the ability to think on his feet and make the spontaneous decision. You see a lot of traits that says he can start in our league" – AFC North scout

Q: Is there a quarterback you look up to or try to model your game after?A: Aaron Rodgers is extremely fun. I love watching him and Tom Brady because of the way they control the offense. They have the unique ability to put the ball wherever they want. They extend and make plays outside the given play. Those are guys I learn form.

Q: When watching film of an opponent's defense, what specifically are you looking for?


A: I'm trying to see the whole picture. I look for tendencies. For example, the safety is the biggest tell, but so are linebackers and corners. I want to see the moving parts to get an idea of the defense. Is the safety lining up inside the hash, what are the blitz indicators, things like that. Trying to find tips.

Q: There are so many layers to the quarterback position, what do you think is the most important trait for a quarterback to be successful?

A: A lot of guys have tons of talent, but it boils down to the mental side of things. Preparing and knowing your offense and studying the defense. Being able to read and react quickly. The mental side is often overlooked.