Nathan Peterman Scouting Report ~ 2017 NFL Draft
* Updated 04/30/17 *
QuarterBack ~ Nathan Peterman ~ PittsBurgh Panthers ~ 6025/225
It has been fashionable, since Fran Tarkenton's time, to imagine that Scrambling QuarterBacks are the Wave of The Future and are going to revolutionize the Game, disrupt the competitive LandScape, and render Pocket Passers obsolete.
But I believe not only that Pocket Passing remains the Heart & Soul of successful QuarterBacking, but that the capacity of Speed QuarterBacks to master Pocket Passing can be and often is crippled by the Siren Song of Scrambling: A QuarterBack who has always had that "out" is far less likely to develop the skills that really matter.
Power QuarterBacks ~ The Men with the Golden Arms ~ are equally susceptible to falling Prey to the seductive allure of their own physical Talent: The more powerful their Cannons, the more likely I believe it is that they persistently depend upon that crutch as a Get Out Of Jail Card, and thus fail to develop a more comprehensive Skill Set.
And thus I perceive a Great Irony, one that continues, astonishingly, to elude most: The more explosive a Scrambler that a QuarterBack is, or the more powerful an Arm he boasts, the less likely that he is to achieve Greatness.
Conversely, it's the boring guys who consistently Move The Chains that give you the best Chance to win.
After New Year's Day, when The Only Games That Really Matter are played, History has been relentlessly savage to Power QuarterBacks and Speed QuarterBacks who failed to develop their Games: Once the weaker Teams have been eliminated, the PlayOff Defenses have invariably proven far too much for The Unprepared.
And if you're not prepared to compete after New Year's Day, why play at all??
In consideration of these thoughts, which, like many of my thoughts, fly in the face of what is amusingly considered to be Conventional Wisdom, this is how I break down the Criteria that I focus on, when evaluating QuarterBacks:
1 ~ Processing Speed
2 ~ Precision
3 ~ Pocket Presence
4 ~ FirePower
Processing Speed or Diagnostic Velocity is about how quickly and effectively one Reads & Reacts to the Rapidly Roiling Tactical LandScape. It's crucial at all 22 Positions, but utterly vital for a QuarterBack to succeed...or to even survive. Reading Coverages, working through Progressions, and selecting the best Receiving or Running Option.
Precision speaks above all to Mechanics: A QuarterBack's consistency with his Stance, his Set Up, and his Delivery. I refer to consistent Accuracy in the Short & Intermediate Zones, where the best Offenses all make their Bread & Butter. In breaking it down, I'm looking at Timing, Touch, and Trajectory: Leading Receivers to DayLight.
Pocket Presence & Poise Under Pressure is about Poise, or how one's Processing Speed and Precision stand up Under Pressure, and about one's Temporal & Spatial Instincts in navigating an often chaotic Pocket.
FirePower is a Category that I value, though not as much as others. I refer to Velocity and to DownField Precision, which I don't consider as crucial to Success as Short & Intermediate Precision. DownField Precision makes for tremendous HighLight Footage, but it's Short & Intermediate Precision that Moves The Chains and wins Championships.
Please note, if you will: I don't list 40 Speed among crucial Attributes at all.
Processing Speed
* Please Note: This is entirely about how rapidly the QuarterBack scans the Field and makes successful Decisions.
* Many College Offenses feature simple Offenses that make this challenging to evaluate.
* It is, nevertheless, far and away the most crucial Aspect of QuarterBacking.
* Accuracy ~ Placement that maximizes the Receiver's Advantage and minimizes that of the Defender.
* Timing ~ Being temporally In Sync with the Receiver. The Ball arriving precisely when the Receiver does.
* Touch ~ The right Speed for the right Play. Only throwing FastBalls when FastBalls are warranted.
* Trajectory ~ Being spatially In Sync with the Receiver ~ enabling him to catch the Ball In Stride.
Pocket Presence
* Processing Speed Under Pressure.
* Precision Under Pressure.
* Spatial & Temporal Instincts.
* Velocity, irregardless of where he's throwing it: How fast is'is FastBall?
* DownField Precision ~ can he through the Bomb accurately?
Nathan Peterman ~ Scouting Report
Processing Speed: Impressive. These is of course a preliminary Scouting Report, based on what those beautiful Cats at Draft BreakDown have cut up, and I've only watched the two Games of Peterman ~ against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in 2015 and against the North Carolina Tar Heels in 2016 ~ so you'll want to keep that in mind.
But I saw a lot of Improvement in Peterman from one Year to the next. In the Yellow Jacket Game, he was playing virtually every Snap from ShotGun, staring down his Targets, and often looking lost when he had to improvise ~ throwing the FootBall away when there wasn't Pressure, forcing the Ball into Coverage, and often at least a second late.
But against the Tar Heels, he showed far more Polish. He still played most'f the Snaps from ShotGun, but a big chunk'f'm were from Under Center, and he looked natural and in command when rolling back. There was still a whole lot'f Staring Down going on, and some forced Passes, but one more than one occasion he clearly Worked His Progressions, and effectively. It certainly helps that the Panthers's Offensive Line is sensational, but he's shown clear Improvement.
* April Update: Excellent and with extraordinary Potential. Peterman's Processing Speed and Decision-Making Precision got better and better and better as the Year wore on and he acclimated to PittsBurgh's ProStyle System. Peterman previously graduated from Tennessee in just 3 Years, and his ability to rapidly master material is clear.
Precision: Marginal. Holy God, he needs some Work done, here. His Timing appears to've improved from its horrific levels of 2015 ~ a reflection of improved Processing Speed and Field Vision, I believe ~ but it's still pretty shaky, and while his Touch is improved, they're both marginal, and his Trajectory is awful. His Mechanics need extensive Surgery.
* April Update: Tremendous. Yep. Peterman quite evidently pays close attention to every aspect of'is Game, and that clearly includes his Mechanics, which smoothed out beautifully over the course of the Campaign, with tremendous Results. Peterman's Timing, Touch, and Trajectory improved substantially, and are already Professional Level.
Pocket Presence & Poise Under Pressure: Impressive. Far improved from 2015, at least in the one Game. Against the Yellow Jackets, he usually freaked out, sometimes when there wasn't any Pressure at all, Tucking & Running, forcing errant Passes into Coverage, or throwing the Ball away when he still had time to step up and find a Target.
But against the Tar Heels, the Game had clearly slowed down for'm. He was far from perfect, but I wasn't seeing the Panic that I'd seen on the first Tape. He made good Decisions, and pulled out a big Play or two, throwing on the Run.
* April Update: Excellent. Shows terrific Poise Under Pressure, substantially improved Spatial & Temporal Instincts for the Pass Rush, steady eyes, DownField, and the Timing, Patience, and Balls to ReSet effectively before Releasing.
FirePower: Mediocre. Good Velocity, but shaky DownField Precision.
* April Update: Effective. Peterman didn't go and acquire an Howitzer since I last wrote about'm, mind you, but as I'm overly fond of saying: In my Book, DownField Precision trumps pure Power every time, and DownField Precision can be augmented substantially by quality Mechanics and Field Vision. And Peterman's been working.
Nathan Peterman ~ Prospectus
Remarkable how much Difference a Year makes. I had "UFA" stamped all over Nathan Peterman after watching that Yellow Jacket Tape, but he impressed the Hell out'f me against the Tar Heels. I Can't wait to watch more!!
Well, actually I must wait: My Schedule is wired tight, and I simply can't afford to sift through entire 3:00 Games.
Thank you so very much, Draft BreakDown, without whom my Work would be virtually possible.
Peterman's a Wild Card, because those Mechanics are awful, and his Precision is all over the place. But if he can get the right Coaching and get'm fixed, he has genuine Starting Potential: I saw the emergence of a Field General.
* April Update: From UFA to MidRounder...and then some!!
Yeah, I am deeply impressed by this kid.
I believe that Nathan Peterman has exhibited that he is in every major regard already ready for the next level. He mastered two completely different Offensive Systems in 2 Years. He was in a position to do so because he graduated from Tennessee in 3 Years. He mastered a ProStyle System and consistently worked deep into his Progressions with both Speed and Precision. He's cool Under Pressure, keeps his Eyes and Mind DownField, and consistently exhibits the Timing, Patience, and Balls to Get Square & ReSet effectively before delivering the Ball, as Foes bear down.
His Accuracy is tremendous, and even his FirePower, despite a mediocre Arm, is effective, due to all the Work he's clearly put into his Mechanics. And he improved substantially in every aspect of his Game over the course of'is two Years at PittsBurgh, leaving me no Doubt whatsoever that both his Drive and his Intelligence ~ his Will to Win and his ability to effectively apply what he's pout countless hours of Time & Training into...are sensational. He'll only get better.
I've made my share of Mistakes on QuarterBack Scouting Reports over the Years, and while I believe that I've learned a lot from those Mistakes ~ and from ~ ahem ~ a few Killer Calls, as well!! ~ I understand that what I know is dwarfed by what I've yet to learn...So it could very well prove to be that I'm vastly overrating this guy...Having said that: I believe that Nate Peterman is not only by far the most ProReady QuarterBack Prospect in this Class, I believe that he is dramatically underrated by the Draft World as a whole, for the usual reasons: Lack of Arm Strength and Foot Speed.
Well, it says here that Nathan Peterman, given half a Chance, will prove that his combination of Processing Speed, Poise, and Accuracy, fueled by extraordinary Intelligence and a ferocious Drive, will translate into one the deadliest "Game Managers" on the Planet: a guy who consistently racks up Yardage and leads his Team to Victory.
And then everyone will say that they say it coming all along!!
Pay the Man!!
Yank Rank: Beast ~ Super Dooper
Deeper Sleeper!!
1st Round!!
This is not is even remotely a Complaint, mind you, but rather a Warning: Caveat Emptor!!