A Closer Look at 2011 QB Prospects:Jake Locker

[number twenty-eight]

Thank you DG and Martin for this. I had the chance to look the game over (previously, I'd only seen his two Nebraska games this year and read about him) and he's an impressive guy.

The resolution is kinda poor on this so I can't see the flight of the ball or where exactly it gets to his receivers, but he seemed to miss the radius of the receiver six times. There were three others I think that were behind the receivers when he obviously should have been leading them. The leaving his feet for those throwbacks wasn't too concerning to me (I liken it to a second baseman jumping for torque on the throw to first), but the one at 8:46 (fourth down, moving forward toward the line of scrimmage) was downright weird.

Other than that, they all looked good to me. Four plays in particular stood out to me positively. At 2:15 at the end of his scramble he throws his shoulder into that safety instead of gliding out of bounds. At 4:31 he makes that shovel pass and disguises it so well, a play right out of the NFL. At 6:36 on 3rd&18, his sliding around in the pocket and throw showed great playmaking. And the last one at 7:42, the sneak on 3rd down at the goalline, was the kind of total effort that I think we could expect from him every game.

[TD_washingtonredskins]

Dline ,LB,OL,possibly Wr. Qb in the first would have to blow both shannahans doors off to happen. There is a real possibility that there will be no mini camps,otas,or off season program. Players won't be allowed at the facilities and new players ( draft picks ) won't even get playbooks until the lockout is concluded. Qbs in the top of the draft this year all have so many questions and taking them into a season with little time to work on anything would be unwise. Now if Andrew luck was coming out that would change the scenario because you take those guys when you can.

The lockout could also force us to have players for another year that we didn't expect to be here. Skins won't release mcnabb or haynesworth and we can't trade them until a new cba if we wanted to trade both of them.

Thanks for posting this...I would love to see the Skins address their weaknesses on a BPA basis. Also, it would be incredible if we can find the next QB with a mid-round pick. I look forward to reading more of your posts!

[darrelgreenie]

At 4:31 he makes that shovel pass and disguises it so well, a play right out of the NFL. At 6:36 on 3rd&18, his sliding around in the pocket and throw showed great playmaking.

I loved the flip to the RB at 4:31 (it looked like more of an adlib to me)

6:36 one of my favorite plays of game very

[Hooper]

The USC game was an anomaly.

I've seen Locker play many times.

He can't hit what he's aiming at.

I wouldn't go near him in the first round.

[Mahons21]

I agree.

But if people barely post on 1 game then i doubt they'll post on multiple games but you are right.

Maybe other posters (*ahem*) can add and breakdown some other games?[

I'd offer my services, but I don't think I could do half the job you or Martin did. Maybe instead of breaking down 3 different games, you could just post the links to his worst/best/median statistical games and then break down the best play by play as this game will probably have the most passing attempts.

[darrelgreenie]

I'd offer my services, but I don't think I could do half the job you or Martin did. Maybe instead of breaking down 3 different games, you could just post the links to his worst/best/median statistical games and then break down the best play by play as this game will probably have the most passing attempts.

Check your PM

---------- Post added January-19th-2011 at 03:59 AM ----------

The USC game was an anomaly.

I've seen Locker play many times.

He can't hit what he's aiming at.

You could be right.

And this thread is a great opportunity to support why you claim that he can't hit what he's aiming at.

Choose a game that shows your point and post it.

[bobzmuda]

The flag on him is when he is in the pocket, there are a few examples on the tape where he misses high or wide. Every QB has a couple of throws a game they would like back but Locker's inconsistency in the pocket is a concern.

I disagree. An inaccurate QB isn't a concern - it's a huge red mark against him.

I can't think of another successful NFL QB who had such a low completion percentage. Or when was the last outstanding NFL QB that had a college career similar to Locker's? You'd expect more from a future NFL star.

Locker offers nothing but tools at this point - nice arm strength, good quicks, athletic. He's a developmental guy with little collegiate production that is certainly not worth the 10th overall.

[MartinC]

I disagree. An inaccurate QB isn't a concern - it's a huge red mark against him.

I can't think of another successful NFL QB who had such a low completion percentage. Or when was the last outstanding NFL QB that had a college career similar to Locker's? You'd expect more from a future NFL star.

Locker offers nothing but tools at this point - nice arm strength, good quicks, athletic. He's a developmental guy with little collegiate production that is certainly not worth the 10th overall.

I think to say Locker has no College production is pushing things a bit. He was a 4 year starter and threw for 53 TDs and over 7,600 yards, this on a poor team where he was the offense to a large extent. His stats the last two years are not that disimilar to Jay Cutlers two years starting numbers at Vandy if you want a comparison and in many ways Locker is a similar QB to Cutler though not as a good a pure passer or with quite the arm strength IMO.

His inaccuracy is there on tape - but I would not go over board on it, its not like he is wild missing high and wide or throwing it in the dirt on a regular basis. When he throws on the move he is VERY accurate as well.

I'm not really on the Locker bandwagon and I would tend to agree 10 is too high to take him but I do see a first round talent and someone who in the right situation can be a very productive NFL QB. He would be a great scheme fit here but I think overall I would pass on him at 10 and take a DE or OLB. If we traded back though and he was there early 20's or late teens then he would be a good pick.

[KDawg]

I still see us attempting to trade back and acquire picks. If we draft at ten, I almost think we'll go after AJ Green or Julio Jones before one of these quarterbacks. The more I see on these guys the less I like about a lot of them.

I'd rather select Dalton or another guy who is a "developmental prospect" who we don't plan on playing right away than pick Newton, Locker or Gabbert at 10.

But since this thread is about Locker, here's my thoughts thus far:

The guy moves extremely well and throws fairly well on the run. He's fairly inaccurate when in the pocket. But, I think some people are jumping to conclusions on his ability levels both ways. Remember, his inaccuracy could be the fault of his receivers running the wrong routes (or running routes wrong) OR it could be on him. We can't be sure. But he had decent production at a school almost void of talent. That says something about his ability as a leader and as a quarterback.

He's probably somewhere in between the "STAY AWAY AT ALL COSTS!" and "Draft him at ten and we have a franchise QB" crowds.

[War Paint]

I haven't really followed Locker a lot, but why was he touted to be the #1 overall pick last year if he was going to come out early? I guess he did have an off year last season, but he still probably has a bunch of upside.

[thedoc4454]

Think of it this way, what if Locker was the Auburn QB and Newton was the QB for Washinton. In other words put him on a team packed with talent. He's be the hands down 1st pick in the draft.

[Mahons21]

Think of it this way, what if Locker was the Auburn QB and Newton was the QB for Washinton. In other words put him on a team packed with talent. He's be the hands down 1st pick in the draft.

He would also be going against stiff competition week in and week out in the SEC. How would Locker fair against that Alabama D?

[Dukes and Skins]

He would also be going against stiff competition week in and week out in the SEC. How would Locker fair against that Alabama D?

I think he'd fare well against them because of the fact he's a very good athlete and throws very well on the run. He could beat them with the team at Auburn because of how good Dyer is at RB and how fast the receivers were for Auburn and actually were for the most part reliable catching passes. The biggest difference is though he'd have a good OL blocking for him which he hasn't had while at UW

[Riggo#44]

I haven't really followed Locker a lot, but why was he touted to be the #1 overall pick last year if he was going to come out early? I guess he did have an off year last season, but he still probably has a bunch of upside.

That was Todd McShat...who is a moron.

I would like to see Locker with some WRs that didn't drop half the passes sent their way...or had some gumption enough to not be run out of bounds by the Nebraska CBs. Like I've said...I really want to like Locker (mostly b/c of his work ethic)...but there are so many questions. The Senior Bowl will be a telling test.

[PlayAction]

I still see us attempting to trade back and acquire picks. If we draft at ten, I almost think we'll go after AJ Green or Julio Jones before one of these quarterbacks. The more I see on these guys the less I like about a lot of them.But since this thread is about Locker, here's my thoughts thus far:

The guy moves extremely well and throws fairly well on the run. He's fairly inaccurate when in the pocket. But, I think some people are jumping to conclusions on his ability levels both ways. Remember, his inaccuracy could be the fault of his receivers running the wrong routes (or running routes wrong) OR it could be on him. We can't be sure. But he had decent production at a school almost void of talent. That says something about his ability as a leader and as a quarterback.

Fortunately, the Skins are going to be able to see him up-close and personal when they have private workouts so they'll be able to judge how often the ball is off target when the WR routes are controlled. But, all of these QBs are going to be measured not only against each other but also against the players available at other positions (who may be legitimate first round talent). Skins have so many needs on offense and defense that the Skins should be able to fill a need with a high quality player regardless of what happens in free agency, trades and draft day positioning.

[Mahons21]

I think he'd fare well against them because of the fact he's a very good athlete and throws very well on the run. He could beat them with the team at Auburn because of how good Dyer is at RB and how fast the receivers were for Auburn and actually were for the most part reliable catching passes. The biggest difference is though he'd have a good OL blocking for him which he hasn't had while at UW

You clearly have your mind already made up on Locker, we'll see if the coaches agree. I wouldn't hold your breath though.

[Dukes and Skins]

You clearly have your mind already made up on Locker, we'll see if the coaches agree. I wouldn't hold your breath though.

I have my mind set on I think he can be a very good QB for what we run and FWIW he's my #2 guy behind Gabbert. Newton is #3 and Mallet is #4. I'm not calling him the next big thing at QB but with our scheme and how we like to use rollouts and play action and Lockers' best trait right now is throwing on the run. Like you said we'll see what the coaches think on him and it'll be interesting to see what route our Staff goes

[darrelgreenie]

He would also be going against stiff competition week in and week out in the SEC. How would Locker fair against that Alabama D?

Does he get the Auburn team or his Washington team?

[Oldfan]

...The guy moves extremely well and throws fairly well on the run. He's fairly inaccurate when in the pocket. But, I think some people are jumping to conclusions on his ability levels both ways. Remember, his inaccuracy could be the fault of his receivers running the wrong routes (or running routes wrong) OR it could be on him. We can't be sure...

When judging accuracy, I start by looking for a good percentage of nice, tight spirals when the QB has time and is throwing from the pocket. It's a matter of physics. Wobblers can miss by five feet at 30 yards. Spirals cut through wind. Dan Fouts said that his Chargers lost a playoff game to Cincinnati in windy conditions because Ken Anderson could throw spirals and he couldn't. Hard wobblers are harder to catch too.

Just based on watching online videos, both Gabbert and Locker throw with great velocity, but far too many hard wobblers to suit me. If their receivers drop a lot of passes, the fault might not be only on the receivers.

[pimpumd]

When judging accuracy, I start by looking for a good percentage of nice, tight spirals when the QB has time and is throwing from the pocket. It's a matter of physics. Wobblers can miss by five feet at 30 yards. Spirals cut through wind. Dan Fouts said that his Chargers lost a playoff game to Cincinnati in windy conditions because Ken Anderson could throw spirals and he couldn't. Hard wobblers are harder to catch too.

Just based on watching online videos, both Gabbert and Locker throw with great velocity, but far too many hard wobblers to suit me. If their receivers drop a lot of passes, the fault might not be only on the receivers.

Actually, a certain bit of "wobble" is required to make consistent, accurate passes. That is the physics. How do you account for this small degree of wobble? Just by eye?

[Going Commando]

Throwing the ball to a receiver that isn't open whether or not on time, is getting rid of the ball too quickly in my opinion. Maybe it isn't fair of me to expect a QB to make a play in that situation, but I would like to see a QB with Locker's athleticism do a little ad-libbing in such a circumstance.

Not in the NFL. Obviously you have to make your reads anticipating your receivers being open before the break a lot of the time. But mainly, single covered is pretty much open in the NFL because its so hard to build separation in general. An NFL QB has to trust his receiver to make the play or else damn, they'd check down every single time.

---------- Post added January-20th-2011 at 07:21 PM ----------

When judging accuracy, I start by looking for a good percentage of nice, tight spirals when the QB has time and is throwing from the pocket. It's a matter of physics. Wobblers can miss by five feet at 30 yards. Spirals cut through wind. Dan Fouts said that his Chargers lost a playoff game to Cincinnati in windy conditions because Ken Anderson could throw spirals and he couldn't. Hard wobblers are harder to catch too.

Just based on watching online videos, both Gabbert and Locker throw with great velocity, but far too many hard wobblers to suit me. If their receivers drop a lot of passes, the fault might not be only on the receivers.

You're talking about the way they spin it, which is a distinct component for evaluation from accuracy. Accuracy equals placement plus timing. Spinning the ball is something that you look at on its own. Obviously, passing with good mechanics and the proper base helps you place the ball where you want it, but I actually think total accuracy is more of a mental trait. It's one of those talents where one guy can anticipate the timing of the play very well while another will struggle with it and the throw ends up being inaccurate even though he can nail static targets without any pressure.

Obviously the wobblier the pass, the harder it will be to catch and also the less velocity it'll have. But the way a guy spins it has more to do with the combination of his throwing motion, footwork, and arm strength rather than his timing and placement. Mostly, you want to see good wrist snap at the end of the motion to create the spin. Wrist snap can be developed and improved, and in general, it's a lot easier to get good spin on a pass from the pocket with proper footwork. So don't judge a guy too harshly in the way he spins it when he's on the move and has nothing but his arm to generate torque. Peyton Manning doesn't always spin the ball that well and he's an extremely accurate passer.

In general, I actually think Gabbert spins the ball very well which is why he reminds me of Aaron Rodgers when I see him make intermediate and deep throws.

[Oldfan]

Steve: You're talking about the way they spin it, which is a distinct component for evaluation from accuracy.

I know that "spinning it" is the term in vogue, but I've been describing the event as "throwing nice, tight spirals" for about 60 years. I've grown attached to it.

I begin on the premise that if the QB can't consistently throw a nice, tight spiral. He won't be able to hit a stationary target at 30 yards consistently, so why bother to go further in grading him?

If he can throw good tight, spirals, then I look at the way he does it. If his release point is as low as Vince Young's there's no point in going further. If he does it with a long windup like Byron Leftwich, there's no point in going further.

Peyton Manning doesn't always spin the ball that well and he's an extremely accurate passer.

Any QB's accuracy can be artifically improved by giving him a limited number of throws and having him spend hours in practice on them. It also helps that Peyton plays half of his games in a dome, where the footing is even and wind is not a factor.

In general, I actually think Gabbert spins the ball very well which is why he reminds me of Aaron Rodgers when I see him make intermediate and deep throws.

I'd feel better about saying this if I had seen more of him, but I wasn't impressed with Gabbert either.

[MartinC]

But the way a guy spins it has more to do with the combination of his throwing motion, footwork, and arm strength rather than his timing and placement. Mostly, you want to see good wrist snap at the end of the motion to create the spin. Wrist snap can be developed and improved, and in general, it's a lot easier to get good spin on a pass from the pocket with proper footwork. So don't judge a guy too harshly in the way he spins it when he's on the move and has nothing but his arm to generate torque. Peyton Manning doesn't always spin the ball that well and he's an extremely accurate passer.

Back on the topic of this thread - Jake Locker - one of the things that had me scrathing my head a little when I watched Locker on film was that he actually throws a better and more accurate ball when he is moving compared to from the pocket. I'm not sure what is happening with his mechanics exactly from the pocket - I'm leaning towards inconsistent footwork - but its strange to see a QB throw better on the run than stationery.

[Oldfan]

:

Actually, a certain bit of "wobble" is required to make consistent, accurate passes. That is the physics. How do you account for this small degree of wobble? Just by eye?

You saw that Brees video too!

If you look at Vick's passes, his ball is a little tighter than Drew Brees, so maybe Vick's are too tight. But, that's cutting it too fine for me. I downgrade QBs on accuracy if they throw a high percentage of passes that obviously wobble (I don't count passes thrown under duress or on the move).

[darrelgreenie]

Back on the topic of this thread - Jake Locker - one of the things that had me scrathing my head a little when I watched Locker on film was that he actually throws a better and more accurate ball when he is moving compared to from the pocket. I'm not sure what is happening with his mechanics exactly from the pocket - I'm leaning towards inconsistent footwork - but its strange to see a QB throw better on the run than stationery.

When he's in a clean pocket and gets to set with a good base he's good.

He even makes some on target goofy footed throws in response to pressure.

But, as you note in your assessment his footwork like any other QB is effected by pressure.

And he faces a lot of pressure and imo his inconsistency in the pocket has a lot to do with the quality pass protection.

For me one negative from this game was the ball security.

Its one thing for your lineman to get beat and for you to face pressure and even get sacked and i know this happens to every QB from time to time but i would have liked to see him hold on to the football.