Steven Montez Draft Preview:
Draft Preview for Steven Montez:
It’s no secret this quarterback class is deep. If one were to dive into the ocean as a treasure hunter at the ship of quarterbacks that sunk from the depths of the ncaa. The hunter would have his pick of the litter. There are over 5 Quarterbacks that are getting household recognition and a few of them could declare early. Of course we aren’t gonna talk about them. We are highlighting our quarterback. University of Colorado’s Steven Montez.
The facts that help Steven Montez hold his own against the top tier quarterbacks that are gonna have their names called on April 23rd are simple. He’s learned from mistakes and his mental game, and the fact he’s got pocket awareness.
A lot of things standout when you see Steven Montez play, first is the command he has for the huddle. A true leader as he should be. As a Senior on a team that has faced a lot of lumps. Playing in ten games his freshmen year after his redshirt. Knowing that Montez would be the guy for the next four years there was no rush in skipping a redshirt year. Let him learn and adjust to the speed of division one football at a slower pace. It only helped him as he had one of the highest passer ratings in Colorado history his freshmen year with a 142.1.
The pros:
He has a strong arm and can quickly make decisions from the pocket. A strong enough arm to push the ball down the field accurately for any deep ball threat and taking the top off any defense. If your a NFL team with burners on the outside and need a QB that can hit the deep ball accurately Montez is a good candidate. He can also throw on the move. His mobility and his running ability is probably one of the more underated parts of his game. He can run for the short gains to keep the chains moving, or he can simply out run some linebackers. Maybe not at the next level as they will quickly surround him. But, the good acceleration will give him an edge on short yardage type plays if a play breaks down, or if he’s flushed out of the pocket. His leadership abilities are second to none maybe to Jake Fromm from Georgia. But, really there neck and neck. He leads by example and is a great teammate.
The cons:
This is no knock on Montez, after all there has never been a perfect quarterback to ever come out of college and dominate the NFL without having a few things to work on. The only real problem he might have is his decision making. Now I noted above he’s got good quick decisions from within the pocket. But, everyone does when it’s a clean pocket. His problem lies when he usually steps up in the pocket. This is something that is easily cleaned up honestly. The turnovers and the fact that he doesn’t just pull the trigger. He seems a little hesistant at times when knowing it’s the difference between a fraction of a second from getting the ball intercepted or completing the pass. If he can work on being more of a gunslinger type quarterback which is very much in his wheelhouse and making a decision and sticking with it. He’s going to quickly learn that with the right pieces around him he can earn the roll in the NFL. Scouts like but aren’t in love with his feet-work, theres a few times he’s throwing off his back foot under duress, and they’ll clean that up, and his ball level is a little low at times before the release. Thats really just fixing the lower body mechanics of his throw and a good QB coach will notice the tendancies and help him fix it.
The grade:
The good outweigh the bad and the bad are easy fixes with a good year of development in the NFL under a solid QB coach. Even training camp could start to see some of the areas quickly get fixed. As far as the grade Im with most he’s a strong armed QB with amazing leadership qualities, his mental capacity is another great skill that will set him apart day one. He’s gonna be able to pick up the system he’s in quickly no matter what as it comes from his pedigree. I have him going Late first if a team has a starting QB infront of him that might be on the way out, or understand they might not have the answer by the end of 2021. If not late first, he could slip to the third round. Where a team will easily take him. Knowing a Late first early second round pick that is a QB with his skills and potential. It’s unlikely he falls farther then middle part of the second round.