NFL Draft 2018: Luke Falk trying to prove doubters wrong

Luke Falk was given a great opportunity at Washington State, taking over the Air Raid offense under Mike Leach. Where will he go in the 2018 NFL Draft?

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Luke Falk might have been better off departing college for the pros after his standout junior season, but he also showed mental toughness this past year in Pullman, responding to being pulled by Leach and returning to lead Washington State to late-season wins over Stanford and Utah.

Injuries kept Falk out of the Holiday Bowl, but there is no denying that the 6-foot-4 Utah-native has the skills ready to compete for a roster spot in the NFL.

Strengths

A 42-game starter for Washington State, it’s hard to look past Falk’s 14,481 yards and 119 touchdowns and not be impressed. Sure, those stats are a product of the system, but isn’t the goal of a quarterback to be the best quarterback they can be in their respective system? Yes, and Falk delivered time and time again.

As a freshman, Falk completed 64 percent of his throws for 1,859 yards in five games. He was handed complete control of the Cougar offense the following year, throwing for 4,561 yards and 38 touchdowns, with just eight interceptions. He hit a career-high 70 percent of his throws as a junior with 4,468 yards and 38 more touchdowns, but saw his numbers dip down to 67 percent, 3,593 yards and 30 scores this past year after suffering a couple of injuries.

Weaknesses

When you are benched on a handful of instances during your college career, NFL scouts are going to question your overall game. Falk doesn’t have the biggest arm in the draft class, but he has made up for it with his strong field vision and countless reps in practice.

At just 211 pounds, he isn’t the biggest player on the field, either, and will need add bulk and muscle to stay upright over the course of a 16-game NFL season. His inability to create plays with his feet is also troublesome in a day and age when mobility is important at the quarterback position.

Next: NFL Mock Draft 2018: First round through Pro Days

Draft expectations

One thing that could very well help Falk come draft weekend would be a rush of quarterbacks going early. Other teams, those in the mid-to-late round portion of each round, might reach a little early to grab someone from that second-tier of signal-callers after the “cream of the crop” has been selected. Falk’s production is tough to ignore, but the red-flags are also glaring in terms of his overall game.

Projection: Third round