Nov. 27-Dec. 3

There’s never been a greater need for quarterbacks in the NFL. Part of the reason for that is because they’re so quickly devalued. 

Miami QB Tua Tagovailoa was once considered worthy of tanking a season. Less than two years after drafting him No. 5 overall, rumors of the Dolphins mortgaging their future to find his replacement are unceasing. The sixth QB drafted in 2020, Jacob Eason, made it a season-and-a-half with the Colts before being cut. Meanwhile, the passers of the 2019 draft fall off drastically after Kyler Murray. Daniel Jones’ failure to win consistently in New York is cited as a primary reason why GM Dave Gettleman is being reported to be gone after the season, and Dwayne Haskins, the No. 15 pick in 2019, not only played only 16 games with Washington before getting released, but he’s failed to gain traction in Pittsburgh despite the team’s struggles under center. Given the bail rate of late, it’s easy to forget that Drew Brees didn’t go to his first Pro Bowl until his fourth season, Aaron Rodgers wasn’t handed the reins until Year 4.

With QBs in such high demand, they’re being more highly prized on draft day than ever. You have to go back to 2013 (Florida State’s E.J. Manuel) to find the last time only one quarterback was drafted in the first 32. Since then, only one year (2015, when QBs went 1-2) has featured fewer than three signal-callers on Day 1. What’s more, only twice have five quarterbacks been taken in the first round, and both are in the last four years. But will it happen again in 2022? What does this year hold? 

We asked several scouts and evaluators who’ve seen the entire upcoming QB class if five would be selected on Day 1 this spring. Here’s what they told us.

  • “I think that every team that needs a QB will get needy and they’ll find reasons to love the top guys. Many of them will perform well at pro days, they’ll interview well. At the end of the day, if a team needs a QB, they’ll talk themselves into one of the top guys and probably reach for one. But in terms of talent - they are probably all below last year’s group.” 

  • “Talent-wise it should be less, but QBs always get pushed up the board and a team that needs a QB is going to reach for some of these guys, which is why it wouldn’t surprise me to see 4-5 taken again this year.”   

  • “I don’t really see a surefire guy. I wouldn’t hang my hat on any of the guys in this draft class. The NC guy is OK and the Cincy guy is OK, but Pickett?”

  • “I think it’ll be the same or less. That group of five last year was much stronger than this group. . . There are a lot of established QBs looking for new homes that might throw it off this year (Rodgers. Wilson. Watson). . . I’d guess Pickett, Willis, Corral, Howell go in the first. Strong is a medical concern. I don’t think Ridder is that good.”

  • “Less. I think three Day 1 at best. . . I wouldn’t be shocked (if five go first round), but I just think there’s no chance a team takes Ridder one and Corrall (and) Howell are fringe (first-round) guys to me.”  

  • “Could very well be the same.” 

  • “I have a hard time believing all those guys come close to justifying a first-round selection. QBs get manufactured and elevated if they simply happen to be the ‘best’ of what’s available….”

  • “A new QB equals excitement for the fan base and excitement for the fan base leads to job security. QBs will always go high because of that whether they deserve it or not. I would expect it to be right around the same (as last year).”

For those of us not part of the NFL scouting community, it will be fascinating to follow the big names through bowl season, the college playoffs, all-star play, the combine and pro days. For those who are, the work of finding the next Brady continues. In the meantime, here’s a look at what else we saw, heard, read and said in the business of college and pro football this week.

Speaking of scouting: Ever wanted to be a scout? It’s the dream of so many, but finding good, relevant information on how to even get so far as an interview is elusive. Well, we decided to do something about it. Next week, we’ll have three director-level NFL scouts who do the hiring at their respective teams. This coming Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, they’ll be going into detail about how they do their hiring, and providing details about how to find openings, how to apply, how much scouting assistants get paid and many other details. While you can find plenty of places that teach you scouting, we know of no other place you can go to get the information on how to break into the league directly from people who can help you do it. We’ll have details, times, and Zoom links for all participants next week, and we want you there. All you have to do is come aboard at our student rate. We call it our #NextWave membership, and it’s $75 (including tax!). Where are you going to get a chance to talk to key NFL hiring people, plus get a year of the only consulting service devoted to NFL agents, scouts and insiders, for less than $100? We think it’s a slam dunk, and we hope you agree. If you wonder how much you can really learn about the process, even from NFL front office types, consider today’s blog, in which we have listed 12 questions we’ll get answers to next week. It’s not an exhaustive list of questions, but if you’re really interested in getting into the game, we think it will help spark questions of your own that you can ask next week. Register today! We look forward to seeing you next week.

More Zooming: If you’re a member of ITL, there’s one more special opportunity for you. Brian Woods, CEO of the new USFL, will join us on Zoom at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday. We asked Brian, a longtime friend of ITL, to join us when we began fielding questions from dozens of agents about the upstart league. Brian will talk extensively about player acquisition, salaries and the vagaries of USFL employment, conditions for players, roster sizes, how to pitch a player and plenty of other topics. He’ll also answer questions from participants in his hour-long session. If you’ve got a client who’s “on the street,” or you’re considering signing one, you’re going to want to hear what he’s got to say. If you’re an ITL client, you’re invited, but you still have to register. But all that takes is an email asking to be included. See you Wednesday.

Catching Up: Don Deisch, 82, spent 27 years in player evaluation, with 19 of them in Minnesota and the rest in Seattle (one year) and Houston (seven years). We caught up with him this week.

  • Where are you living and what are you doing now?: “I live in Largo, Fla. I still get phone calls from some scouts that are working with teams that I know, and they are looking for a second opinion, that kind of thing.” 

  • Do you miss the job? What do you miss most?: “I miss being around the players, and some of the coaches on the teams were friends of mine, or became friends. I started out just doing the western 11 states, so you made a lot of friends that way.” 

  • Do you keep in touch with any of your former colleagues?: “I call the guys that I stay in touch with. When I was with the Vikings, we had originally started with BLESTO, and those people became really good friends. When I retired, we all decided, 11 of us, to get together and do a trip together, so we would meet in Wyoming -- we started there originally -- and then several other places where we’d get together and visit socially. We were just good friends and we went to Bend, Ore., where I lived for some time, also, and we met there and went and saw the things that Oregon has to offer. The wives loved it. It was a good thing.”

  • Do you go to any live games (HS/college/pro)?: “No. The last high school game I went to was in Bend, Ore., and I saw two high school teams play some years ago. It was eight-man football, and one of the schools was from the central part of Oregon, and it’s a school that has people that live in a dormitory, and the kids go home on the weekends and work on their ranches. I just wanted to see eight-man football. There’s always a lot of scoring and I just wanted to see it. There were a lot of cowboy hats.” 

  • Are there any players you love to watch and/or feel close to due to your work in the game?: “I don’t watch much pro (football). You get hooked into college scouting, really, and so I don’t know if I could pick out one (NFL) person, really. I enjoy watching the quarterbacks, all the pro guys, because they’re polished and it’s a very important position. I love to see how they operate and how they’re coached, and of course, that’s the hardest position to scout. The guys closest (to being a favorite) is (Russell) Wilson in Seattle. I followed his career when he went to Wisconsin from N.C. State.”

Review the latest from other former NFL scouts and executives by accessing our Catching Up archive here. Want to hear from a former scout, or know someone who may be interested in being interviewed? Let us know.

Important CGS note: Straight from the desk of College Gridiron Showcase co-founder Jose Jefferson we have two notes regarding this January’s event. One, the game will host injured players this year. The idea is to allow them to do testing and interviews with scouts, providing them with an opportunity to be evaluated off the field despite their maladies. This change in policy is due to multiple requests by agents, players and even scouts. There will be a minimal charge, but it will solely be used to cover costs. Two, don’t forget about the Pro Gridiron Showcase Free Agent event Jan. 7-8. We’ve seen three players go from our Fort Worth camp to the NFL, including Browns DT Malik McDowell. For more details and to register, visit www.progridironshowcase.com.

Need a scouting report?: November is always a busy time for former Titans executive Blake Beddingfield, who writes hundreds of reports for us each draft cycle ($100 plus tax). All reports contain a detailed breakdown of the player, a summation of his skills and a round projection. However, this year we are also doing ‘XTRA’ reports, which also make recommendations on what specific skills the player needs to work on during combine prep as well as recommendations on whether or not to perform in all-star games and at the combine. It also details coming matchups that might give the player a chance to elevate (or depress) his status. You get all of that for $200+tax. Either way, if you’re contemplating spending thousands of dollars getting a player ready for scouts, make sure they are just as eager to evaluate him. We are also happy to provide samples if you’d like to try before you buy. Just hit us up. 

Next week: Obviously, we’ve got a busy next seven days. You’ve read about our Zoom opportunities, and you know how much information we track in our Signings Grid and College Coaching Changes Grid. It’s not just that, though. Our Rep Rumblings are always brimming this time of year, and with hirings, firings, all-star invites and signings, this December is just like the last ones. Don’t forget that, as you continue recruiting and meeting with clients, some features you might find helpful are our Agent Changes master page, our Agencies by Value Points listing, our Draft by Pick board for every draft since 2010 and everything else we track at our All-Star and Draft Grids page. Still trying to understand how NFL scouting works? Check out our latest book, Scout Speak, which has bushels of stories from the road, quotes from scouts active and inactive, and general lowdown on one of the most intriguing jobs in sports. We’ll also be back next week with another entry in our blog series at Succeed in Football. Are you excited? We are! Come see why.