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NC State football: 3 reasons Ryan Finley boosted draft stock vs. Wake Forest

By Andrew Miller

RALEIGH, NC - SEPTEMBER 29: Ryan Finley #15 of the North Carolina State Wolfpack drops back to pass against the Virginia Cavaliers at Carter-Finley Stadium on September 29, 2018 in Raleigh, North Carolina. NC State won 35-21. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
RALEIGH, NC - SEPTEMBER 29: Ryan Finley #15 of the North Carolina State Wolfpack drops back to pass against the Virginia Cavaliers at Carter-Finley Stadium on September 29, 2018 in Raleigh, North Carolina. NC State won 35-21. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /
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STARKVILLE, MS – OCTOBER 06: Jarrett Stidham #8 of the Auburn Tigers throws the ball during the second half against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium on October 6, 2018 in Starkville, Mississippi. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
STARKVILLE, MS – OCTOBER 06: Jarrett Stidham #8 of the Auburn Tigers throws the ball during the second half against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium on October 6, 2018 in Starkville, Mississippi. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /

2. Falling stock of other quarterbacks

There’s a handful of senior quarterbacks that are always bound to see draft stocks fall in the final year of eligibility. And, there’s even some quarterbacks that will completely ignoring the chatter pushing them to return to school for one more year. Declaring early for the NFL Draft is a tricky game for a quarterback to play and a decision that should be thought out carefully and thoroughly.

That’s exactly what Finley did last year, with some hype as a potential middle round selection in the 2018 NFL Draft. Yet, he returned to NC State for the final year of his collegiate eligibility and is proving that he can be a starting quarterback at the next level. There were some areas of his game that needed polishing before he was ready for the NFL.

The supporting cast that Finley had at his disposal last season was the source of a lot of skeptics thinking that he might not have the best NFL career. Yet, he is taking a decent group of surrounding talent on the NC State offense and turning it into a legitimate contender in the ACC in 2018.

Some of the other quarterbacks that saw their respective draft stocks fall pretty far include Jake Browning of the Washington Huskies, Jarrett Stidham of the Auburn Tigers, and Dwayne Haskins of the Ohio State Buckeyes. Rough performances on the field of late came at a bad time for all three of these 2019 NFL Draft quarterback prospects.

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