Russell Wilson is a very well-rounded quarterback with plenty of upside. The only thing holding him back? His lack of height.
Size: This is Wilson’s most serious issue as a prospect, and it is what will likely hurt his stock more than anything once the season ends and the grueling NFL Draft postseason begins. I would estimate his height to be about 5’10” which is about three or four inches shorter than most teams would prefer at minimum at the quarterback position. Some people will write him off because of his lack of height, but while I acknowledge it will make life significantly harder for him in the NFL I will absolutely not write him off because of it. It will certainly negatively affect his stock though, and anyone would be foolish to argue otherwise.
Arm Strength: Wilson has very good arm strength. He has great zip on passes to all levels and throws a very nice deep ball. He can make every NFL throw thanks to his very good arm strength and this is definitely one of his strongest attributes. He can absolutely rifle throws from the pocket or when he is moving outside of the pocket which makes him very dangerous.
Accuracy: Wilson’s accuracy is also very impressive. He has quality accuracy to all levels of the field whether they are short, medium or deep throws. Wilson knows when to rifle a throw down the seam and when he needs to put some touch on a pass to drop a throw into a hole between the corner and safety on the sideline. He is also very accurate on the run which makes him dangerous on the outside because if the coverage breaks down at all Wilson can find a hole to throw the ball.
Mechanics: Wilson has quality mechanics. His throwing motion is compact and quick, he has good footwork in the pocket as well as plenty of experience dropping back from center. He has good footwork on play action as well. He usually keeps his shoulders square when scrambling outside of the pocket which is critical to throwing accurate passes on the run quickly. Wilson could stand to get out from under center quicker in my opinion, particularly when handing the ball off at times. But that is a pretty ticky-tacky mechanical flaw, and can easily be coached up.
Mobility: Wilson’s mobility is pretty rare for the position because not only can he threaten defenses with his legs because of his great athleticism he has managed to develop into a great passing quarterback with great mobility rather than a great runner that can throw as well. The distinction may not be very obvious, but the ability to scramble and gain yardage with your legs is usually a crutch that prevents athletic quarterbacks from developing into good or great passers. That is certainly not the case for Wilson but that doesn’t mean he can’t rip off big runs when he gets outside of the pocket. Teams have to account for his ability to run and that is so hard to do against Wisconsin thanks to their fantastic running game as well as Wilson’s ability to stretch the field as a passer. His mobility helps him extend plays and makes him a very dangerous passer outside of the pocket.
Pre/Post Snap Reads: Wilson seems to make very good pre and post snap reads based off of what I’ve seen of him. At times at NC State he would force passes into coverage and make poor decisions when he was simply trying to throw his team into the game and keep them competitive. But at Wisconsin he has been terrifyingly efficient now that he has one of the best running games in the country helping him balance out the passing attack. He does a good job of identifying coverages pre-snap and reads defenses well once he drops back to pass. He also does a good job of reading defenses quickly after play action fakes and does a good job of making decisive decisions.
Pocket Poise: I think pocket poise is a very important quality to identify in quarterbacks and I think Wilson has pretty good poise in the pocket, especially for someone with so much athletic ability who can scramble for positive yardage. One of the few weaknesses in his game seems to be when there is pressure around him in the pocket and trash at his feet. I’m not sure why this is, but it certainly limits his ability to find throwing lanes because of his height and he can’t often scramble out of it, so it makes sense that in these situations he would be less effective than others. I think that causes him some discomfort at times, and will result in throws off of his back foot or less accurate passes than when he has a cleaner pocket, when he can side-step the rush to find a throwing lane, or when he can move outside of the pocket where he has clear vision of the field.
Intangibles: Russell Wilson’s intangibles are off the charts as far as I’m concerned because of how significant of a leader he was at NC State and because he has been able to seamlessly transition into a completely different locker room and organization and not only become a quality starter, but become a fantastic player worthy of at least some Heisman consideration as well as the leader of his new team, all in a matter of weeks and months. As I like to say “you can’t coach that” and that is as true about Wilson’s intangibles as it is with anything else. He’s a very hard worker, he’s very poised, he’s intelligent and he is just a natural leader. Yes, I think the Badgers would have been good this year even with a question mark at quarterback, but Wilson has been the guy that has not only made them great, but has made them borderline unstoppable. There is definitely something to be said for that.
Character: Wilson’s character is top notch from what I know of him and he is considered to be a very hard worker, very studious, watches a lot of film and clearly has his head on straight. Drafting him won’t be a risk as far as character is concerned.
Overall: I’m a huge fan of Wilson and even though I expected him to be a terrific quarterback for the University of Wisconsin even I couldn’t have anticipated him being this good this soon. He has absolutely shut up everyone who doubted that he could transition into the Badgers smoothly and he has not only transformed the Badgers into contenders, he has transformed them into a virtual lock for the Rose Bowl as the eventual Big 10 champions. His height is his most significant issue as a prospect, and beyond that he is a very well-rounded prospect that if he was three or four inches taller would warrant serious first or second round consideration in my opinion. He’s got plenty of upside, he just has to prove that he can overcome his lack of ideal (or even average) height. Playing behind Wisconsin’s mammoth offensive line and having this kind of success can’t hurt, and it will be interesting to see how he ultimately translates to the NFL once he gets drafted.
Projection: 3rd-4th round. Wilson has the ability of a 1st or 2nd round selection, but his height will hurt his stock and make people question how well he will transition to the NFL. I think he can make it as a NFL starter, but his height certainly poses a significant barrier between himself and success at the next level. Personally, I’ll be rooting for him. I am really looking forward to seeing him play at the Senior Bowl this year if he elects to go.
Tom Melton's NFL Draft Blog 
Great analysis! I think his height is obviously an issue, but, like you said, not a deal breaker. You don’t have to look any further than Drew Brees to put a damper on that conversation. One reason that height is an issue for a QB is because of the need to see over the O-line. I think a great point in that regard, and one that will help Wilson’s case, is that he is already playing behind an O-line that is bigger than most of those in the NFL. I think they average something like 6’6″ 330lbs with tackles that are 6’7″ and 6’8″ – they don’t get much bigger than that! I think he does have good passing mechanics, but there are probably some little things he can tweak to make him even more mechanically efficient and improve his overall effectiveness as a passer at the next level. Although it’s hard to argue with a completion percentage of 74.2 and a passer rating of 210.9!
Great detailed overview of Wilson! I agree that he definately has the talent to become a starter in the NFL. Watching him play, there’s a feeling a person gets that “this guys the real deal”. Perhaps it’s his accuracte passing, perhaps it’s his pocket poise. However, he has this “thing” that is hard to put into words. Overall, he just looks so relaxed, mature, and confident like you’ld expect in a seasoned NFL QB. It’s this quality that makes him stand out amongst the other great college seniors that will be drafted in 2012. It’s the same quality I saw in Cam Newton.
Melton’s evaluation of Wilson mirrors everything I have witnessed for 4 years and swore by to anyone who dared claim he was not the best QB in the ACC/Big Ten. Russell’s perceived weakness is only a weakness to feeble-minded, group thinking NFL scouts, who are afraid to trust what they see.
I have seen every snap Russell has taken in his college career and I can tell you that he is elite in every facet of quarterbacking. As it unfolds, we’re likely to see the same geniuses who were wrong about Cam Newton, explain in earnest, why Wilson can’t possibly play on the next level. Don’t listen – Russell won’t and you can count on it.
In my opinion he’s the best all around QB in college football this year, and if I was the Colts I would take him #1!
That’s high praise, but he has been in a pretty ideal situation with Montee Ball nearing Barry Sanders’ touchdown record, a NFL caliber offensive line and receivers with legitimate talent. He’s been great, but he hasn’t been as dominant on the road and questions about his size will knock his grade down enough to prevent him from being selected in the 1st round. He’s a tricky guy to project sometimes.
Not back-pedaling, I hope. You’d have to be in denial to see how Russ keeps any team he’s on in the game, ideal situation or not. And he will shortly prove quite a few fair-weather fans (and scouts) wrong.