MORE: Top 5 QBs heading into NFL combine
Jarrett Stidham is one of the more interesting quarterback prospects in this NFL Draft class because while he didn’t meet lofty expectations during his college career, he could be one of the most talented players at his position in a draft weak at the QB spot.
Stidham had an interesting path through his college career, playing at Baylor in 2015 before leaving after the Art Briles scandal in Waco. He then went to junior college but did not play football before deciding to transfer to Auburn over Florida, Texas A&M and other schools.
The former four-star quarterback who finished No. 97 overall in the 2015 recruiting class came to Auburn with big hopes that he could lead the Tigers to an SEC championship and more. There was a lot of hype around his arrival there but he didn’t necessarily perform as expected even though he had a nice career.
Stidham was solid, not phenomenal, in two seasons with the Tigers, where he threw for 5,952 yards with 36 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
“Stidham is interesting,” ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper, Jr., said on a conference call. “You go back a couple years ago and he was putting up the big numbers and you thought it would carry over and it just didn’t come together this year after beating Washington in that opener.
“But he has the arm talent and from the pocket he can move well enough. I thought he impressed (in Mobile) and Louis Riddick even pointed out that Stidham got his attention at the Senior Bowl practices more than any quarterback down there. It was Stidham that got Louis to really say move him up and get him in the discussion as a quarterback who is a little underrated. At one point I thought he could be a first- or second-round pick. He’s got talent. I don’t think he gets out of the third round and it wouldn’t shock me if he went mid- to late-second. He’s going to be up there.”
FARRELL'S TAKE:
In a draft class with a lot of question marks at the quarterback position, we ask Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell whether he would move Stidham much higher on the draft board, maybe in the Daniel Jones or Drew Lock range or if he’s been too inconsistent to take a chance on that high?
“Stidham is a tough one because there are so many things to like and when he puts it together he can look like a first-rounder. But then he’ll get into a funk and have a hard time fighting through it, which worries me. He also needs to have a quicker clock in his head to get the ball out or he’ll get killed in the NFL and be a sack machine. I’d say third round is where his best value is and someone could get really good value from him there.”
