PLAYBOOK
NFL
+ 1 MEL KIPER JR., ESPN ANALYST Bridgewater is a dropback QB with great pocket instincts. While he doesn’t have a big arm, he anticipates so well that he can get the ball out and hit guys in stride, making up for any velocity questions.
SCOUTTAKES
TRUMP CARD
Any QB who can make Louisville football nearly as relevant as Louisville hoops deserves a spot in the first round of the draft. But can Teddy Bridgewater be an NFL franchise savior? To get the full Bridgewater breakdown, we asked an NFL scout for his take, then gave our experts—and the quarterback himself—a chance to fire back.
TDs 31
4 BRIDGEWATER They can think that, but I’ll keep referring to my play and my film. I actually think I have a great arm. And when you look at my numbers last season, I completed the ball very well and was smart with the football. 5 SAM MONSON, PRO FOOTBALL FOCUS Bridgewater is the most accurate QB in this class. Adjusting for drops, he completed 78.4% of his passes last season. Even his often-questioned deep ball was right in line with the average QB (50.8% on throws of 20-plus yards).
2 FIELD YATES, ESPN INSIDER The questions about his slender build are legit. He’s lean in areas where it’s tough to bulk up, such as his knees. That gives some teams pause. It’s not a deal breaker, but it’s a consideration.
TEDDY BRIDGEWATER, 2013 YDS. 3,970
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6 KIPER He’s a great competitor and plays well when the pressure intensifies. 7 MCSHAY I love how Bridgewater keeps his feet married to his eyes when going through his progressions. He’s ready to pull the trigger at all times. He has a decisiveness and ability to read the field that you don’t see with too many young QBs.
3 TODD MCSHAY, ESPN ANALYST This is always the first negative that comes up when I talk to people around the league about Bridgewater. Yes, he’s 6'2", 214, but he doesn’t have that broad-shouldered body that teams crave in QBs.
INTs 4
THE SCOUT
I see Bridgewater as a pro-style passer.1 For whatever reason, fans sometimes lump him in with the read-option guys, but he’s a dropback thrower who does his best work standing in the pocket. He’s not overly fast, and his slight frame makes you nervous.2 He’s 6'2" and finished last season around 205 pounds. That’s smaller than you’d like to see.3 He doesn’t have the best arm in the draft,4 but it’s decent, and he’s accurate.5 You like that he took a team without a lot of great players and won 30 games the past three years.6 He’s a smart kid who slides well in the pocket.7 I don’t think he’s an elite prospect, but I think he’ll be really good in the league.8
8 BRIDGEWATER I know what I’m capable of when I step on the field. I can put the ball in some tight windows. Some of the throws I made at Louisville you just don’t see in the college game.
TEDDY BRIDGEWATER LOUISVILLE, 2013
FEWEST INTERCEPTIONS, 2012-13 SEASONS*
10
MARCUS MARIOTA OREGON
12
TEDDY BRIDGEWATER LOUISVILLE
12
CODY FAJARDO NEVADA
14
JORDAN LYNCH NIU *MINIMUM 700 PASS ATTEMPTS
QBR WHEN TRAILING IN THE SECOND HALF, 2013*
JAMIE RHODES/USA TODAY SPORTS
92.3
TEDDY BRIDGEWATER LOUISVILLE
89.6 88.8 BLAKE BORTLES UCF
JOHNNY MANZIEL TEXAS A&M, 2013 COLT McCOY TEXAS, 2008 BRYCE PETTY BAYLOR, 2013
171.1 172.9
HIGHEST SINGLE-SEASON PASSER EFFICIENCY RATING SINCE 2000 AMONG AQ QBs*
173.8 174.3
SAM BRADFORD OKLAHOMA, 2008 JOHNNY MANZIEL TEXAS A&M
*AMONG AQ QBs
ROBERT GRIFFIN III BAYLOR, 2011 165
180.8 189.5 170
175
180
185
190
*MINIMUM 400 PASS ATTEMPTS
04/28/2014 ES P N T h e M a g a zin e
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