Cleveland Browns draft profile: Jared Goff

Accuracy, vision and anticipation– Goff is at the top of the draft class for quarterbacks for a few important reasons. One is definitely his accuracy and anticipation; now many will argue that he is accurate because of the “Bear Raid” spread system, which is a valid argument. But you need to look deeper at the game film and see what Goff has and where his potential translates to the NFL.

Goff is most accurate when throwing mid-range routes, and can easily attack zone and man coverages. Goff has a feel for the offense and on film you will notice his ability to go through his read’s and find the open receiver.

Where Goff struggles are on deep routes where he is unable to hit receivers in stride, and more often than not the receivers have to adjust their routes to get to the football.

"“As accurate a thrower as I’ve ever seen. He gets rid of the ball quickly, he reads the coverage’s fairly well, and it’s right on the money every single time.” – San Diego State head coach Rocky Long “Goff displays passing anticipation downfield, a resilient approach and coordinated feet in the pocket, which are always in sync with his body rhythm and allow him to reset his vision and find the open read. He clearly has room for improvement in several areas, but Goff is the type of quarterback who understands his deficiencies and what he needs to do in order to improve. And that’s why scouts are optimistic for his future.” – Dane Brugler & Rob Rang"

In the video above, Goff uses his vision and patience to work through his reads and find the open receiver. Read one is the split end receiver (X); read two is to the flanker (Z); and finally he comes back to the middle for his third read to the slot receiver (Y). Goff recognizes the gap and throws the slot receiver open; showing both touch and accuracy.

Arm strength – Goff has average arm strength, which might not cut it in the AFC North. The good news is he is young and likely can get stronger and fill out his frame.  He can easily put on weight and strength to help develop better punch and accuracy on the deep throws.

Even though his arm strength at the moment is maybe a question mark, his accuracy on his vertical routes is undeniable and the numbers show Goff’s abilities. He has the arm strength and consistency to have a success rate of nearly 50 percent on  throws to the right and left of the field of 20-plus yards, and 75 percent on throws between the numbers for 20-plus yards.

In the video above, Goff shows off his arm strength and accuracy. The play puts the split end receiver (X) in man-to-man coverage. Goff recognizes the safety is in cover center, which puts the X receiver in isolation. Goff makes a perfect throw from the right side hash to the left outside shoulder of the receiver. The ball placement is perfect putting only where the receiver can catch the ball.

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Pocket presence and escapability – Pocket presence is a football term you’re going to hear a lot during the NFL draft season, as it relates generally to the ability of a quarterback to remain composed while organized chaos explodes around him in the pocket.

This is a part of Goff’s game that is polished and ready for the next level. Goff’s foot work and his pocket presence is one of the many aspects that sets him apart from the other quarterback prospects in this draft class. Goff recognizes coverages and has a true feel for the pocket, and knows when to climb the pocket to avoid the rush and find the open throw.

There’s an old saying that holds true when it comes to the quarterback position: “If you want to know how comfortable a quarterback is, watch the feet.” Goff is by no means a dual-threat quarterback, but when it comes to his ability to escape the pocket and scramble, he looks comfortable in his ability to take what the defense gives him and, when necessary, roll-out and make a throw, or pick-up a first down with his feet.

In the video above, Goff shows off his wheels; the pocket begins to collapse and he doesn’t have an open receiver, so he tucks the ball and takes what the defense gives him. It is also important to note that he doesn’t dive for the first down, but instead slides and avoids taking a big hit.

What do you think about the Browns targeting Jared Goff in the 2016 NFL Draft?

The video clips were provided courtesy of DraftBreakdown.com; Football terms are courtesy of the fine work of Insidethepylon.com