NCAA Scouting - Player Profile:
Colt McCoy - Quarterback - Texas
by Jody Jamieson
27/1/2010
 
Colt McCoy
Quarterback
Texas
6’2” 210 lbs
Born September 5th 1986
Senior
 
Positives : Colt McCoy is a natural born leader of men who will do everything he can to get the best out of himself and his teammates. He’s one of those guys you want to win for as he is very likeable and players don’t want to disappoint him. He’s a very experienced college quarterback, who had an excellent career that didn’t deserve to be cut short in the National Championship Game. He makes quick decisions and has a short, quick release. His accuracy is reasonable on short routes and he doesn’t regress as a passer when he’s on the move. Good scrambler who can give the offense an added dimension. Is comfortable throwing short and intermediate passes over the middle of the field. Also looks comfortable throwing from a three step drop.
 
Negatives : McCoy has a poor NFL arm by any standards and will not stretch the field. His accuracy is very inconsistent and he’ll disappoint you by missing a wide open receiver more often than not. While his release is quick, his footwork is very poor and completely ruins his accuracy at times. He’s not the type to stay in and finish his pass if he’s about to get drilled by a defender. He also has a small frame and is susceptible to getting beaten up over the course of a season. McCoy will occasionally escape the pocket unnecessarily to avoid a pass rush that is nowhere near him. When the rush gets to him, he’ll throw dangerous passes into coverage. The Texas offense doesn’t translate well to the pros and he hasn’t had to make many reads with the Longhorns. While he’s fairly athletic, he’s not fast enough to be a consistent threat with his legs. Doesn’t throw a particularly tight spiral and his deep ball tends to float as a result.
 
Where I think he will be drafted : I find it very hard to believe he will be a first round pick, but I think someone will take a flyer in the middle of the second round because of the name factor. Pick #45 makes a lot of sense, as Josh McDaniels is almost a guarantee to be interested, and Denver is likely his best chance to be a NFL starter. This is assuming McDaniels stops falling out with people and keeps his job.
 
Where I think he should be drafted : Colt McCoy will not become a legitimate NFL passer, and I wouldn’t take him in the first 5 rounds. I just don’t see where he fits in the pros and if he didn’t have the name factor, there’s a chance he may go undrafted.
 
Summary : Did anyone notice that former Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell retired this week to become a coach? That’s ominous for McCoy who has a similar skill set and played in an offense that specialises in emphasising strengths and masking weaknesses. I think McCoy is a better prospect than Harrell and will last longer in the league, but it’s far from a landslide. The biggest problem I have with McCoy is that a lot of his positives aren’t positive enough for him to get by in the NFL. He runs well in college, but doesn’t have the legs to get away from defenders in the pros. His short throws are ok, but they’re not good enough and accurate enough to sustain drives against teams who know he won’t be able to stretch the field. McCoy’s best chance in the pros is to become a reasonable backup, but he simply doesn’t have the tools to become a starter.
 
The best comparison I can come up with for McCoy is J.T. O’Sullivan. O’Sullivan was a 6th round pick by New Orleans and became nothing more than a serviceable backup with below average passing skills. O’Sullivan also had a bad habit of turning the ball over, and McCoy will likely have trouble with interceptions when he sees the field. Colt McCoy comes across as a likeable guy when he is interviewed and I’d love to eat humble pie as I watch him tear up NFL defenses on route to a long and fruitful career. I’ll believe it when I see it though and I think he’s going to be a major disappointment in the NFL.