Rick Spielman Attending Game for Highly-Ranked College QBs
K. Joudry
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This one will delight some. It’ll be frustrating to others. In any case, here are the bare bones facts. Rick Spielman is scouting some of the college game’s most notable QBs. Take a peak at what Chris Mortensen had to say:
Having a scout at the game would be no reason to overreact. That’s just a team doing its due diligence. Having a GM attend in-person is an entirely different matter. That suggests it’s a priority for the team to consider QBs high in the 2022 draft.
According to The Draft Network, Kenny Pickett is an experienced QB who may up being a great option at the top of the draft:
A fifth-year senior, Pickett has thrown nearly 1,500 passes so far in his college career. That’s a lot of reps. He’s amassed nearly 11,000 yards and is approaching 70 touchdown throws. No, he isn’t breaking records (aside from Dan Marino’s Pittsburgh record for the most touchdowns accounted for) or producing jaw-dropping plays, but every dropback is another opportunity for him to work on his craft, something he’s done more than any other prospect in this year’s draft. And it’s why he’s beginning to get first-round love, including from one of TDN’s most experienced draft analysts, Joe Marino.
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Sam Howell seems more like a Day 2 pick:
Howell is a perfectly reasonable quarterback prospect. He has a quick release, is fairly accurate, throws a good deep ball, and has found a ton of production at North Carolina. But the concern for me is that a first-round investment in his skill set will leave his NFL team with a trailer and place notable stress on the front office to overcome his deficiencies by needing all the pieces around him to be perfect for the team to succeed.
Regardless, the point remains that Rick Spielman is clearly prioritizing evaluations of future QBs. Kirk, of course, is carrying a massive $45 million cap hit next season. The team has always been a little clunky with him leading the charge. Perhaps the team will look to move him, or maybe they’ll just ride it out with another QB learning from the seasoned vet. Kellen Mond, moreover, has underwhelmed so far, so this may be an indication of Minnesota’s ongoing desire to develop young talent at the game’s most important position.
One thing is for certain: there’s never a dull moment with this squad. If they keep struggling, expect the rumors and speculation to intensify. Stay tuned.
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