ESPN NFL Insider Mike Sando went to Orlando, Florida, to watch Jon Gruden's QB Camp tapings with seven draft-eligible quarterbacks. Below, Sando has written up Gruden's biggest takeaways from the interviews and throwing sessions, in Gruden's voice.
Paxton Lynch and Dak Prescott are in the spotlight this week. Catch the TV specials starting at noon ET Saturday on ESPN.
Five takeaways on Dak Prescott
1. Prescott is the No. 1 dual-threat QB in this draft, hands down
Prescott reminds me of Donovan McNabb. He is a 230-pound running back playing the quarterback position. He can run over defenders when needed and also hurt defenses throwing the ball all over the field. These are both dynamic dual-threat talents with exceptional production at the college level. There can be a significant adjustment period, but that combination is a very good one in today's game.
When you look at what Carolina has done with Cam Newton, what Seattle has done with Russell Wilson and even what Buffalo has done with Tyrod Taylor, you see the possibilities. McNabb went to Philadelphia and got to work with coach Andy Reid, which really helped his development and set him on his way. Prescott has really improved as a passer. He can make any throw. But he will need time. He needs work with his mechanics, including his stance, but don't they all? Most of them do. Prescott will need to land with the right coach, someone who can work with his talents and help develop his game. He does have the physical attributes that helped make McNabb successful, which is a good starting point.
2. Prescott needs to reduce the bad plays
Prescott brings obvious playmaking ability to any team. He needs to strike the right balance to diminish the bad plays. That's what I told him during our film session.
You rarely go home from a New England Patriots game scratching your head and wondering why Tom Brady got hit by that pass-rusher or why he made the boneheaded play. For Prescott, there is a fine line between doing the things he can do -- scrambling, holding onto the ball so his receivers can get open -- and knowing when to give up on a play so that it doesn't set back the offense.
Prescott took 32 sacks this past season, including sacks on bootlegs where it was all on the quarterback. Alabama sacked him nine times. Ole Miss sacked him seven times. We watched some of those sacks together, along with tapes showing Drew Brees unloading the ball before the rush could get to him. Prescott needs to learn how Brady, Brees and the veteran quarterbacks avoid negative plays.
3. The DUI arrest has not changed my opinion of Prescott
Prescott had an incident off the field in March, stood up and took responsibility for it. He has shown a great capacity to overcome issues both inside and outside his own control. Prescott came back from a bad injury and the death of his mother to play well in a crucial situation in a big game. He has to come back from the DUI charge, do the right thing all the time and prove he can be a source of leadership for people who make mistakes in life.
I think Prescott's mental toughness is exceptional and he is wired the right way from a football standpoint. He came knocking at my door before I'd ever met him, back before the Senior Bowl. He wanted to study football. I gladly let him in. We talked terminology, pass protections, base and nickel fronts -- things young quarterbacks need to learn. We really could have kept the conversation going all night. This is an extremely hard worker. He is passionate about football. He made a big impression on me that way. Somebody is going to get one helluva football player and person.
4. Prescott's mind is a strength
Prescott has an undergraduate degree in education psychology and a masters degree in workforce leadership. He played in a college offense that is more complex than some others you will see at the college level. He has run plays with no backs. He has run plays as a tailback. He has run Trips X Isolation packages where he was picking a side. I already mentioned how hungry Prescott is to gain a deeper understanding of the game. His mind is an asset.
5. Whatever "it" is, Prescott has it
It's not surprising to learn Prescott has a masters degree in leadership. That lines up with what you hear about him from his coaches and teammates. It lines up with what you see from him on the field. He does have that "it" factor. There is just something about him. He is charismatic and fun to be around. You see how the players relate to him and gravitate toward him. He is one of the guys, yet he is technically sharp. There is a fine line there for quarterbacks, and I just think Prescott has a great nature about him, a great heart and an incredible competitive spirit that will go a long way for him.
Five takeaways on Paxton Lynch
1. The lights are about to get much brighter
Lynch is a great looking prospect, which is why some of these mock drafts have teams selecting him near the middle of the first round or even earlier. My concern would be that a team will draft Lynch and expect him to run an NFL offense right away. The learning curve is going to be significant. Lynch put Memphis on the map and he has a real passion to play football, but he has much work to do in learning the nuances of a drop-back passing system -- the routes, the progressions, the protections and the audibles. Some of these snap counts are diverse as well. Lynch is going to take some time.
That is not an indictment. This is a great talent. He is 6-7, tough as they come, 245 pounds, and he has executed difficult plays. He just needs to get in a program. He needs a little acclimation. He needs to be put into the fast lane and really accelerate.
2. The physical attributes are there
Lynch can throw it, he is athletic and he has great size. I think he has a nice throwing motion. He has a live arm. It is accurate. He can really push it. He likes the physical part of playing football and he is also capable of making all the throws. He is very athletic for a big guy. He has a quick arm for a nearly 6-7 man. The physical gifts he has and the toughness he brings to the position are big assets for him. Now, he does need to protect himself a little better. I emphasized with him the importance of scrambling only when he has to scramble, and then protecting himself when he does.
3. Being overlooked early can be a good thing
I like guys like Lynch who get overlooked in recruiting. They go to a school where football hasn't been at the forefront and they just keep grinding. A lot of people in Memphis didn't even want Lynch to be the starter. People turned against him. They lost six of their first seven games to start the 2013 season. Lynch had five touchdown passes, six interceptions and 17 sacks to that point in his college career. He kept grinding, he believed in himself and he carried it over to the next season. They wound up going 10-3 and winning a bowl game against BYU. He turned the ball over in that game and could have gone in the tank, but he brought his team back to win in the fourth quarter. I think mental toughness is a big part of being a great quarterback and Lynch certainly has that.
4. Lynch is not over the top with his leadership
Nothing is forced with Paxton Lynch. He is a laid-back guy. Players respond to him and they like him. You can see that on the tape. He is loose and he is carefree, but he does have enthusiasm. He is charismatic. He does like to compete. Players respect that. He goes to Memphis and it's a downtrodden program, and he wins there. Not many people can say they've done that.
5. Lynch must show he can take it to the field
The next step for Lynch is showing he can take complex concepts from the film room and execute them on the field. I gave him a crash course in scat protections and shared some other concepts with him. We went through "corner cat" blitzes. When I was the offensive coordinator of the Eagles and John Fox was defensive coordinator for the Giants, they sent Jason Sehorn on a "corner cat" blitz and almost smashed our quarterback. The communication of how to deal with those is very important. We watched the "corner cats" take a bite out of Lynch on film. How well he masters these concepts and takes that knowledge to the field will be critical for his success.