Far too often, I see board members saying they don't want this guy or that guy for reasons that don't make sense. Heiight and arm strength are overrated. So are all of a quarterback's statistics and wins. Sure, they do matter somewhat, but not as much as people think. So what are the true must-haves when teams look for quarterbacks to draft, if none of those things are extremely important?

 

Mobility: If a quarterback can't scramble in the pocket when he is under pressure, run out of it to throw the ball away, run a sneak or draw play, and throw on the run, how do you expect him to not get sacked, pushed backward, and stopped at the LOS? Lack of mobility also increases the risk of throwing interceptions, fumbling the ball, and being penalized for intentional grounding.

 

Awareness: A quarterback must know when he is being pressured, if a receiver is open and waving at him, where the LOS is, whether his team needs to hurry or not, etc. I have seen quarterbacks run out of bounds behind the LOS, try to run around the end or throw the ball when there was a big hole to run through, not see wide receivers who were wide open, take sacks in the last two minutes, and throw interceptions to avoid sacks.

 

There are plenty of other qualities to look for in a quarterback, but these two are a lot more important than some that everyone is talking about.

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