Here is my scouting report on Ryan Mallett. I still have one game left to watch of him plus the bowl game against Ohio State, but I have seen more than enough of him to get a feel for what he is capable of and what he needs to work on. Enjoy my scouting report!
Scouting Report:
Mallett has great size and arm strength, but those traits overshadow other flaws in his game.
Positives: He has a truly amazing combination of size and arm strength, he can make any throw he wants to with his rocket arm. He has the ability to put the ball where-ever he wants, and when he has time to throw he can really carve up a defense. He flashes the ability to go through progressions and seems comfortable checking down if he doesn’t see much developing downfield. He can also be patient when he has time in the pocket to wait for crossers and longer developing routes. He also flashes some nice anticipation on certain throws (almost always his first read though).
Negatives: Mallett more than anything is inconsistent in my opinion. He flashes elite ability but it comes and goes. He will make some fantastic throws and place the ball exactly where he needs to and then later he will throw a fastball two or three feet over his receivers’ head, throw to the wrong shoulder or throw off of his back foot and throw an inaccurate pass. He isn’t very mobile and he struggles to scramble to extend plays. He struggles with footwork a lot, and doesn’t look very comfortable doing three, five and seven step drops. He loves throwing off balance without setting his feet, and does not do a very good job of moving in the pocket and re-setting his feet to deliver an accurate throw. He also makes a lot more bad decisions than one might think considering his interception total. He could have easily had four interceptions against LSU (he had two), two against Georgia (he had none) and four against Alabama (he had three). He made a number of bad decisions in each of those games, a number of bad, off-balance throws and forced throws into coverage. He makes those poor decisions far too often, and he doesn’t make enough NFL progressions and throws in each game to make me comfortable with the risks he takes. The majority of his throws are easy throws underneath, screens or check-downs. There is also a serious concern that he could be a system QB, after all Brian Brohm was when he carved defenses up at Louisville when Petrino coached there. The best evidence for that idea is that Mallett’s back-up, Tyler Wilson, stepped in against Auburn this year when Mallett went down and threw for 332 yards, four touchdowns, two interceptions and completed 73.5% of his passes. That makes my “system QB” alarm go off.
Overall: Mallett has a boatload of potential. If he can clean up his footwork, improve his decision making, eliminate some of his erratic accuracy (which starts with footwork more than anything) and adjust to a pro-style offense then he could be a quality NFL QB. However, that is a laundry list of pretty difficult things for a QB prospect to do. I worry that he is a system QB, I don’t like his questionable decision making, his inconsistent accuracy and ball placement, and I don’t like how many easy throws he is asked to make all game versus NFL throws that require timing, zip and accuracy. I personally think Mallett is overrated as a NFL prospect.
Projection: I would be surprised if Mallett didn’t go in the first round because of his immense potential, but I don’t think he will ever live up to it. I think he is a top 20 pick and while he may seem like a top 10 lock right now he may slide as teams start to dissect his tape more intently. I personally wouldn’t draft him in round one, but I don’t think he is anything close to a franchise QB either.
SKILLS
1-poor, 2-weak, 3-above average, 4-very good, 5-elite
ARM STRENGTH: 5.0
ACCURACY: 3.0
MOBILITY: 1.5
DECISION MAKING: 2.5
MECHANICS: 3.0
POCKET AWARENESS: 3.5
INTANGIBLES: 3.0
Hopefully you enjoyed the scouting report, I took copious amounts of notes on Mallett when I was scouting him. I’ll havemore reports coming up soon!
Thanks for reading!
–Tom
I have to disagree with your overall assessment of Ryan Mallett. Below is an evaluation sheet written by former scout of the New York Jets Kevin Weidl (now with Scouts Inc.)
It’s also worth noting that Ryan Mallett runs a pro-style offense which features a double tight end, offset I, 3wr, 4wr, and flex te formations… It includes play action, plenty of pre-snap motion, pre-snap read audible options, and coverage checks, which all occur from under center 60% of the time…
The offense is a vertical based offense with plenty of calls to the deep outside… Bobby Petrino’s system demands that you go through a three progression minimum with an outlet receiver either towards the shallow flat or inside the underneath zone towards the center hook…
A complete progressive offensive system… No gimmicks…
Ryan Mallett was graded a 92 out of 100 by Kevin Weidl. Here is his evaluation. 1 being the highest rating, 5 being the lowest.
Toughness/Leadership 2 -An even-keeled but fierce competitor. On-the-field leadership qualities are excellent and does a nice job of keeping emotions in check. Appears to have a strong command of teammates. Stays positive throughout games and can quickly bounce back after making mistakes. Poised in the pocket and will stand tall and make tough throws with defenders closing in. Displayed very good composure late in the game at both Florida and LSU in 2009.
Intelligence/Decision Making 2 -Has experience in a pro-style system both at Michigan and Arkansas. A good game manager. Appears to see the entire field and can get to second or third progressions. Displays good awareness for check-downs and knows when to throw ball away or eat it. Also does a nice job of looking off defenders before coming back to second or third progression. However, will take risks and throw into coverage on occasion when the play breaks down. Very good decision maker when game is on the line late in the game.
Accuracy 2 -Overall accuracy is very good but still has room for improvement. Displays good mechanics and throws with great balance. Short accuracy is above-average but will occasionally force receivers to open up on crossing routes. Displays very good touch on fade routes and does an excellent job of throwing a rope to receivers back shoulder when necessary. Flashes elite ability to fit the ball into tight windows that very few collegiate QBs can hit. Can miss high on occasion on intermediate throws when his feet aren’t set to the target. Deep ball accuracy is very good but could put more air underneath throws on occasion.
Release/Arm Strength 1- Smooth over-the-top release. Follows through very well. Ball jumps off hand and possesses one of the strongest arms in college football today. Can make all the NFL throws. Displays ability to make throws down the field off his back foot. Batted balls at the line of scrimmage are not an issue due to excellent combination of height and over-the-top release.
Pocket Mobility 3 -Foot quickness and overall athleticism are just average but is very savvy working within the pocket. Consistently side-steps the rush while keeping his feet underneath him and eyes down the field. Also does a nice job of stepping up in the pocket when feeling pressure off the edges. Lacks agility and elite ability to escape pressure and break contain. That said, Mallett does an excellent job of keeping plays alive when he does get on the perimeter. Possesses a good internal clock and knows when to tuck and run. Can occasionally pick up first-down yardage with his feet but will not pose a legitimate running threat at the NFL level.
Make sure to keep your report on file, so we can re-assess your projection stance after two seasons.
Are you held responsible by anyone for your grade and projection on players? Real scouts lose their jobs if their projections don’t hold water.
Hey, first of all thanks for stopping by and reading a number of my posts.
To answer your first question, no I am not held accountable by anyone. I started this blog in June and I’m still a 20 year old college student. There is no accountability here at all except for me trying to get better at scouting and projecting players to the NFL. It’s all a process, and I’m still working at it. Don’t worry, I will not be taking this down to try to “hide” if Mallett plays well in the NFL. It will stay right here.
And for what it’s worth, despite the fact that they use pro-style formations and what not Mallett rarely does a 3, 5 or 7 step drop from under center. Does he do them? Yes, of course. But the vast majority of the plays Arkansas calls when Mallett is under center are runs. They use those runs to lull defenses to sleep and then they will try two or three play action calls a game to try to let Mallett take a deep shot. For the most part, though, Mallett is throwing from shotgun. Addidionally, for all the “pro-style” talk about his offense he sure doesn’t make NFL throws very often.
I appreciate your opinion on Mallett, and I know a couple people who like him much more than I do as a prospect. I did not post this scouting report to condemn him or anyone else to failure, I posted it because it is my own opinion and it’s based on watching four games he has played this year (five after he plays in the bowl game). I also watched the LSU game last year as well as two others. I have seen him play quite a bit for someone without access to coaches tape, so despite how it may come off I don’t just make this stuff up. I come to these conclusions by taking a lot of notes based off of the games I am able to watch and re-watch.
Thanks again for the comment,
–Tom
Fair enough.
But again, I’ll have to disagree with the assessment on Mallett making NFL throws. I’ve seen Mallett make the deep out, deep post, deep corner, deep comeback, dig/hitch, seam, delay, and crossing patterns regularly. Petrino’s system isn’t a west-coast (Luck), Moving pocket (Locker), or spread option system (Newton), it’s a vertical system with screens and quick hitters being utilized just like any pro system. Petrino’s system compares favorably to what Buffalo, New England, and Arizona utilize. It’s a ‘power spread’, utilizing both the inside run game and deep vertical passing game .
What throws doesn’t he make?
The most underrated aspect of Mallett’s game is his understanding of coverage. Mallett takes up to three calls with him to the line of scrimmage and will make the call based on what coverage gives him.
His footwork isn’t near as bad as what I’ve heard people make it out to be. Watch Philip Rivers and Joe Flacco’s footwork inside the pocket, the only difference is Mallett has bigger feet, movement and balance is the same.
Overall what I feel like will eventually set Mallett apart, and make him a long time starter, are his field vision, and his pocket instincts, he feels the rush and understands where to put the football. He goes through progressions and understands route concepts based on coverage. He sells the play-action extremely well, and can create throwing lanes on bootlegs (he isn’t a statue).
The only marks I give him is his running ability, lapses in concentration, and inconsistency with his touch & timing (which he’s shown improvement),. People never mention how many dropped passes that Mallett gets, on average four a game, yet he still completes 66% of his passes, with a 9 yard average per completion, 9-300 yard outings and 30 Td’s against a top 10 strength of schedule in the NCAA. Those things don’t happen in the SEC conference on accident.
I didn’t mean to say that he doesn’t make NFL throws at all, I simply thinks he is asked to make them relatively rarely. He does throw crossing routes, but often he will just be throwing a dump off pass underneath of the coverage on a drag route or something similar to a wide open receiver who then takes off for additional yards after the catch. He just makes a lot of “easy” throws in my opinion. That has to do with the offense. It is a vertical offense, but that same vertical offense produced a very disappointing QB in Brian Brohm despite similar post-draft hype (for different reasons obviously). I got burned by Brohm and Petrino’s offense once before and I don’t plan on doing it again, so I am wary of the offense that Mallett runs.
I really think that Mallett’s footwork is an issue though. Particularly because of how often he throws off of his back foot. But perhaps that is just me.
You make an interesting point about the drops that Mallett has to put up with, but some of those are his own fault for putting too much zip on shorter throws to RB’s, etc. I think it is shared blame in that aspect. Childs seems to have very reliable hands as does D.J. Williams. Joe Adams might be a little bit more drop-prone though (from what I have seen).
Clearly we don’t see eye to eye on Mallett, but regardless I appreciate the discussion.
Tom,
What NFL scouts will include in their reports that you didn’t is the fact that Mallett is a bad guy. The Arkansas press does nothing but kiss his ass, but this spring there will be some real bad stuff come out. He’s going to be compared a lot to another Ryan, and I don’t mean Matt.
Also, look at the NFL QBs Petrino has worked with…Brohm, Ragone, Redman, Jason Campbell. All drafted in the first three rounds, all big college careers, all big number’s in Petrino’s system. All failures in the NFL. Coincidence? BP is a great coach, but you can’t out scheme people the same way in the NFL that you can in college.
Agree with your assessment. I scouted him also, and my report looks like yours. One other thing I noticed is that he has poor short accuracy. He compares favorably to Kerry Collins. I’ve watched Collins for some time now, and it’s odd how similar they are. I disagree with EJ about Rivers footwork. He slides in the pocket well, especially stepping up. Mallett rarely does that. He does have good pocket awareness though, as he’ll dump it off when he feels pressure. But, if he has to move in the pocket, it’s as though his legs are slow to react (he is 6′ 7″), which will lead to sacks.
mallett is doing fine in the big show and all u haters ands wanta be scouts can jump in a stump.
To be fair, it’s in the preseason. But yes, he has looked better than I expected. He’s in an ideal situation, and that’s obviously something I couldn’t have predicted. His character issues shouldn’t be as problematic on that team, so hopefully he pans out for them. Can’t ask for a better mentor than Brady.
I never intended to be a hater, I just wasn’t sold on him being a stud QB. Clearly some other teams agreed with me since he slid so far, but landing on the Patriots turned out to be a great situation for him. We’ll see how he develops, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he was their starter in year 4 like Rodgers was for the Packers after Favre.
Come back in 5 years, then we’ll talk.
Stick to your guns Tom. That’s what makes a good scout.
I agree, but at the same time I’m man enough to admit when I’m wrong if I am. Mallett landed in an ideal situation, so I may end up missing on him. He still needs to improve his decision making considerably, but I am going to watch the tape I have of him from the preseason before I make any more judgements. Rest assured I’m not just hopping on the bandwagon, I just realize that he landed in a great organization that will develop him at the right pace and not rush him on the field.