Depending on what slot he was taken at, Washington quarterback Jake Locker passed on anywhere from $36-72 million when he decided to stay in school for his senior season. Still, if he played well in 2010, that money would have been waiting for him in the 2011 NFL Draft.
The problem is that he didn’t play well. After completing 230 of 395 pass attempts for 2,800 yards with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions as a junior, he struggled while completing just 184 of 332 attempts for 2,265 yards with 17 touchdowns and nine picks as a senior. Now, according to recent projections, it looks like he may fall into the second or third round.
From FOX Sports’ Adam Caplan:
What I liked: You can clearly see his outstanding athleticism. Locker, like many of the quarterbacks here this week, throws fairly well on the run. He is better passing outside of the pocket. He also has pretty good arm strength.
What needs improvement: His release point is going to need to be adjusted in the NFL. Locker rarely made two solid or accurate throws in a row, which is a troubling sign. Too many of his passes sailed high or away from his intended receiver. The ball simply does not come out of his throwing hand well — which is alarming.
Round projection: Third.
While ESPN’s Todd McShay continues to be high on Locker, some have referred to his accuracy as “terrible” while others believe that he’ll never be a starting quarterback at the pro level.
That said, isn’t it a little premature to say whether or not he’ll struggle in the NFL? After all, he hasn’t had his Pro Day yet and the scouting combine is still a couple of weeks away. In fact, the Senior Bowl hasn’t even been played yet, so if Locker impresses over these next couple of months he could improve his draft stock greatly.
If most pundits thought that he was a top-5 pick last year, then obviously he has the tools to be a first-rounder (unless of course those pundits off about him last year, which wouldn’t be surprising). Let’s hold off before we deem this kid the next Brian Brohm.
