11. Tyler Huntley, QB, Utah
Height: 6’2″ Weight: 205
40-Yard Dash: N/A
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: N/A
Broad Jump: N/A
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
60-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Bio: Tyler Huntley was a well-regarded prospect coming out of Hallandale High School in the Miami area, earning scholarship offers to schools such as Cincinnati, Louisville, Temple and Duke. But he chose to sign with Utah, and he started each of the past three seasons for the Utes. This past year, he took a huge step forward as a quarterback, completing 73.1% of his passes for 3,048 yards and 19 touchdowns — all three marks were career highs. His four interceptions were the lowest of his career, and Pro Football Focus graded him with the second-lowest turnover-worthy play rate overall, and the lowest among Power 5 QBs.
Stat to Know: We saw earlier some incredible passing efficiency marks from quarterbacks such as Joe Burrow, whose 202.0 efficiency rating was the best in FBS history. Well, Huntley’s mark of 177.6 was the 25th best in FBS history, the fifth-best number in FBS a season ago, and the top mark in all of the Pac-12.
Strengths: Where Huntley stands out as a passer is in his ability to make smart, quick decisions with the football (as reflected in those efficiency numbers) and to get the ball out of his hands quickly in the passing game while still working through his progressions. He is adept at ruling route concepts in or out prior to the snap, which aids his decision-making process. If he sees soft coverage or a big cushion before the snap, he is often quick to exploit that leverage advantage.
Huntley also is athletic and can extend plays with his feet. When protection schemes break down in front of him or there is an unaccounted blitzer up front, Huntley can make the defense pay. His ability when pressured is the ultimate insurance policy, because when the protection breaks down and bad things happen in the pocket, he can bail out the guys upfront with what he can do off structure.
Weaknesses: Huntley lacks the prototype NFL arm, and when tasked with pushing the football deeper downfield, he needed a bit more arc and touch rather than relying on velocity. This might get to a scheme limitation, and it was something that even showed up on some of the deeper out patterns — those proverbial NFL throws. He is also a see it, throw it passer who needs to learn the art of anticipation when he gets to the NFL.
Conclusion: Huntley is not a guy you can expect to see drafted on either Day 1 or Day 2, but with how the league is trending toward valuing athleticism and play-making ability at the quarterback position, Huntley is a prospect that a team can safely draft on Day 3 knowing he has abilities that translate well to today’s game. Teams with a mobile quarterback at the top of their depth chart — or who are looking to inject that type of player into their QB room — would be wise to turn in a card with his name on it. Or Skype in the card, as we do not yet know exactly how the draft will transpire this year …
Comparison: P.J. Walker. Huntley’s ability off structure and with his athleticism is very similar to the former Temple product who tore up the XFL this season and earned a spot with the Carolina Panthers.