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NFL Draft Diamonds Film Breakdown: Jarrett Stidham, QB, Auburn University

Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham has a strong arm and is one of the better quarterbacks in the 2019 NFL Draft.

QB Prospect: Jarrett Stidham, QB, Auburn University By: Steven Hamner

Breakdown: Admittedly, Stidham has been the most confusing 2019 quarterback prospect to break down. He has all the physical tools needed to be a good quarterback; size, arm, and athleticism. However, he was very inconsistent through-out the year, and it was hard for me to figure out exactly why. I have been trying to figure out how much of the inconsistency has to do with Auburn’s offense, play calling, and coaching, as well as how much of the inconsistency is on Stidham.

Stidham has enough talent to be considered for a first round pick and there are times that he plays like it. His 5 touchdowns in his bowl game as well as his comeback 4th quarter win against Texas A&M were two of his highlights this year that showed his potential. There are several mock drafts that have Stidham as a 2nd round pick and are banking on him being developed into an NFL QB. I have also wondered what Stidham would look like if he was in former Duke quarterback Daniel Jones’ position. If he was coached by Coach Cutcliffe, would he be a higher pick without as many un-knowns? Obviously, we won’t know the answer to that, but let’s look at some of the positives and negatives from Stidham’s play this past year.

This first clip below is one of my favorite plays from Stidham this year, even though the pass was incomplete. This video shows off his strong arm as well as his ability to stretch the field when the play is called to do that. He looks comfortable and loose in the pocket here and lets it rip.

This next clip is Stidham’s game winning touchdown pass against Texas A&M with just over 1 minute left to play. With about 5 minutes left in the game Auburn was down by 10 and was pretty much dominated the entire game. Stidham led a come-back win and the offense looked completely different those last two drives than it did most of the game. In my opinion, this was Stidham’s best back to back drive sequence of the season and shows the potential he has if developed.

The last clip of Stidham is one of him leaving the pocket when he doesn’t have to or need to. He is protected, but instead looks at the pass rush and not downfield. He then panics and runs and they do not convert 4th down. His tendency to leave the pocket when he doesn’t need to is something he will need to clean up at the next level.

Overall, Stidham is a talented QB that has question marks due to the inconsistent play. There are enough QB needy NFL teams that I tend to think that one of those teams will take a chance with Stidham and try to develop him into a quarterback that fits their system.

Pro’s:

  • Strong Arm
  • Quick release when decisive
  • Big come back vs A&M (Last 2 drives of game)
  • Can make every throw on field

Con’s:

  • Inconsistent
  • Leaves the pocket early when doesn’t need to
  • Tendency to watch the rush and take eyes off downfield routes
  • The offense had a lot of “gimmicky” type plays
  • Not sure how much inconsistency has to do to the coaching and the style of the offense
  • Question marks, but talented

Damond Talbot

NFL Draft Diamonds was created to assist the underdogs playing the sport. We call them diamonds in the rough. My name is Damond Talbot, I have worked extremely hard to help hundreds of small school players over the past several years, and will continue my mission. We have several contributors on this site, and if they contribute their name and contact will be in the piece above. You can email me at nfldraftdiamonds@gmail.com

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