2018 NFL Draft: Josh Rosen only instant starter at the quarterback position
There are a handful of highly regarded quarterback prospects in the 2018 NFL Draft but only Josh Rosen is capable of being an immediate NFL starter.
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It won’t be a surprise if the first three picks of the 2018 NFL Draft go like this: quarterback, quarterback, quarterback. USC’s Sam Darnold and Wyoming’s Josh Allen have been rumored to be in consideration for the top selection. Even Baker Mayfield‘s name has been floated as a wildcard. But former UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen has scarcely been mentioned in connection with the No. 1 pick.
Although he might not be first, he stands a good chance to be the most successful in year one. A leader throughout his time in school, Rosen has both the confidence and the ability to provide an instant impact to his NFL team.
Rosen threw for 9,340 yards in 30 games at UCLA, that’s more than 300 yards per game. He added 59 touchdown passes, including four touchdown passes in the fourth quarter in the Bruins’ improbable come-from-behind victory over Texas A&M in their 2017 season opener. Those are impressive collegiate statistics, which highlight several areas of his game that should translate well to the next level.
Strengths
Rosen is not a game manager. He’s not going to play it safe, rather he often looks to make the big play. The results of that are hit and miss, but the hits lead to memorable games such as the thrilling win over the Aggies. Here he opts to sneak a ball in between deep safeties rather than dump it off.
— Derrik Klassen (@QBKlass) March 20, 2018
He’s an extremely accurate thrower in the middle of the field, and understands where to place the football so that his receivers have space to make plays after the catch. Rosen is a surgeon with his intermediate throws when he’s locked in.
A product of a pro-style system, Rosen won’t have the learning curve of someone like Baker Mayfield or Lamar Jackson. He’s been playing under center and making NFL reads for three seasons. Teams that are in win-now mode don’t have time for their top pick to ride the bench. That could work in Rosen’s favor.
Weaknesses
With his aggression comes mistakes. Rosen frequently ignores his check down option, preferring to look down field. For every big play there’s a bad sack or an errant throw. College is a fast-paced game, and the sieve that was the UCLA defense depended on Rosen to do the unthinkable, but that won’t fly at the next level.
Rosen’s willingness to throw into tight windows rather than throw it away or take a check down permeate his tape. That’s something that coaching can fix, but there are real concerns that Rosen’s desire to improve his game is lacking. Coachability concerns have hung over him throughout his time at UCLA. The talent is there, the will and focus are both major question marks.
Next: Latest first round NFL Mock Draft post Combine
Draft expectations
Quarterback is a premium position, and Rosen is one of the best in this draft class. He’s going to be taken early on in the draft, possible as high as No. 2 overall depending on how the picks fall and who is on the clock with the second pick.