Prospect of the Day: Patrick Mahomes

Texas Tech QB Patrick Mahomes 6-2, 222 lb. Junior Bio Attended Whitehouse (TX) HS, three sport athlete (football, basketball & baseball) Rated No. 12 quarterback prospect by Rivals in 2014 class Rated No. 50 overall state of Texas prospect in 2014 class Threw for 4,619 yards and 50 TD as a senior at Whitehouse Selected by Detroit Tigers in 2014 MLB Draft - 95 mph fastball Rated No. 35 overall state of Texas prospect IN BASEBALL in 2014 class Dad, Pat, pitched 11 seasons in Majors, 42-39 in his career Honors/Records 2016 Sammy Baugh Trophy recipient (nation’s top passer) 2nd Team All-Big 12 (2016) Honorable Mention All-American (SI - 2015) Honorable Mention All-Big 12 (coaches) Led the country in total offense per game in 2015 Led the nation in total offense, passing yards, yd/gm and total TD in 2016 Set single game record for total offense (819 yards v. Oklahoma in 2016) Tied single game record for passing yards (734 yards v. Oklahoma in 2016) Set record for most passing yards in a game as a freshman (598 yards v. Baylor in 2014) 2nd Team All-Academic All-American (SID of America) Combine Measurements Arms: 33 1/4” Hand: 9 1/4” 40-yd dash: 4.80 seconds Vertical Jump: 30.0” Broad Jump: 9-6 3-cone drill: 6.88 seconds Short Shuttle: 4.08 seconds Overall On the first two drives of the 2015 Texas Bowl, Mahomes’ Texas Tech Red Raiders potent offense went quiet. Two sacks, two dropped passes and a penalty on a completion slowed Mahomes’ Red Raiders to a screeching halt six plays into the matchup with the vaunted LSU defense. Standing on the LSU sideline, I was really worried that the sellout crowd would be gone just after halftime. It was evident how fast and deep LSU’s defense was and it was impressive, to say the least. Just when I thought, there’s no way Tech can hang with LSU on that night...Mahomes happened. After an initial first down after an offsides penalty, the Red Raiders faced another dire situation on 3rd and 13 near the end of the first quarter. Mahomes took the shotgun snap, got immediate pressure from LSU defensive end Tyshawn Bower and started to make his way upfield on his left side. Knowing he had man coverage, Mahomes knew he had space and could see the opening Bower created as he sped upfield. With three Tigers within about two or three yards of him, Mahomes saw receiver Ian Sadler crossing the formation from the other side. Mahomes was on the run but knew Sadler was open and could get the first down. But, that’s a tough throw on a dead sprint and he had to put the ball in a place where Sadler could catch AND then run. Mahomes couldn’t fire it nor could he put some air on it. Choosing to make a throw somewhere in between, he made the perfect dart throw to Sadler for a first down. On the very next throw, he got immediate pressure again, so he escaped to his left and saw slot receiver Cameron Batson running up the middle of the field. Mahomes threw across his body, lasering one to Batson who caught it in stride for another first down. Sprinting hard to his left, back across his body, Mahomes couldn’t have thrown a better pass. Then, he did three plays later. Mahomes recognized LSU’s cover one (man-free) and eyed his fastest receiver Jakeem Grant in the slot. He checked to a slot-fade as Grant was matched up one-on-one on LSU’s best cover man Tre’Davious White. Grant ran past White and Mahomes lofted the ball to a spot where only Grant could catch it. Arguably, it was the prettiest of the three throws. Those three throws weren’t the only throws that convinced me that Mahomes could have a long, prosperous career at the next level. But, they were the bricks in that foundation for sure. Quote “My dad played football in high school, he was all-state, but he never really loved it. But for me, football was my love.” --Mahomes to Emily Kaplan, MMQB “He’s different. He’s a gunslinger. He’s got an innate feel for the game. The more I look at him, the more I push him higher and closer to that first-round conversation with (Deshone) Kizer, (Deshaun) Watson and (Mitchell) Trubisky. Mahomes is picking up steam in NFL circles” --NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock What to like - Lived his early years in a MLB clubhouse, knows how to be a QUALITY professional - Makes throws off platform unlike anyone in this class - Plus, plus arm strength - Never backs down from a challenge - Creates throws to avoid being sacked or hit - Makes the PROPER throw on the run, difficult to do on a dead sprint - Touch and zip - Football IQ - could change any play he wanted at Texas Tech - Risk taker What needs some work - Loses patience in the pocket - Never played under center - Footwork is tragically horrid at times - Throwing mechanics go awry at times - Transition from his offense to pro offense will take time. - Believes in his arm a bit too much, attempts throws he shouldn’t - Risk taker Projection Mahomes has plenty of work to do to be a face of the franchise NFL quarterback, but then again, which quarterback in this class walks right in and starts from jump? The fact that Mahomes is making the transition from a shotgun-based Air Raid offense to a more traditional, Pro-style offense makes some nervous. I’m not one of those guys. He can eventually succeed in any offense that he’s put in charge of in the future. He’s cocksure but that’s far from a bad thing for his future team. As a professional athlete’s son who chartered his own course in the sports world, Mahomes is destined to be a quality NFL quarterback. He might be maddening to coach with some of the risks that he takes, but in due time, he’ll figure out what his checks his arm can cash and which ones make the most sense to turn down. I’ve previously compared him to Ben Roethlisberger and there’s a little of Aaron Rodgers game in Mahomes style as well. Both of those future Hall of Famers have that “the play’s not over until I say it’s over” mentality and it got them both in a bit of trouble early in their careers. Mahomes will have some of that trouble too, but it’ll even out once the game slows down for him. Back in February, I mocked him to the Chicago Bears at No. 3 in my Washington Post mock draft. My editor emailed me thinking I’d made a mistake or lost my marbles. Far from it, on both accounts, really. The Bears signed Mike Glennon, so succeeding mock draft iterations, I’ve slid him down a bit. The lowest I’ve put him, though, is No. 13 to Arizona, where he was rumored to have had a tremendous private workout. Is there a chance he goes well before the Texans select at No. 25? Absolutely. Could he be there at No. 25? I could see it, but I doubt it. People are starting to catch on too. Prominent draft expert Mel Kiper put out a mock draft at the same time as I did when I put Mahomes at No. 3 and he didn’t have Mahomes in it. Nowhere. The next one? He put Mahomes at No. 13. We’ll see which team ultimately drafts the Texas Tech gunslinger, but just know that it’ll be worth the call.