NCAA Scouting - Player Profile:
Matt Ryan, QB
by Sam Monson
25/2/2008
 
The NFL never really changes you know, and the guy that everybody wants is still the Franchise Quarterback. The NFL finds itself with some elite, star quarterbacks like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, but also with a lot of teams still hoping to find that gem.
 
Matt Ryan is the top of the 2008 draft class at quarterback. After an injury plagued junior campaign, Ryan led Boston College to an 11-3 record as a senior, showing a good arm, and top notch intangibles along the way. So is Matt Ryan the answer to a quarterback-starved team's search? Let's take a look.
 
What we like about Ryan
 
'Intangibles' is the buzzword surrounding Matt Ryan, as he showed the leadership and teamwork to step up and raise his game when it counted at Boston College. Ryan is an excellent passer on the move, and seems most comfortable when the play breaks down and he's forced to extend it with his feet.
 
Scouts will love Ryan's coolness under pressure, as he showed great pocket instincts and the ability to make good decisions with people in his face during his college career.
 
Ryan is excellent throwing in the short to mid-range, rarely misfiring and consistently hitting his targets in stride.
 
The final thing that all scouts will love about Ryan is he fits their checklist of NFL size – 6'5 and 225lbs.
 
Question marks about Ryan
 
The deep ball. There's no doubt that Ryan has an NFL arm, but he has shown a consistent tendency to make his mistakes on the deep pass, with 9 of his 10 interceptions as a junior coming on deep passes, and 13 of his 19 interceptions as a senior. His deep throws often lack velocity and accuracy, and it's an area he's going to need to address to be seen as a franchise quarterback.
 
Highlight of his college career
 
Going out on a high by leading Boston College to a Bowl victory over Michigan State in his final game for the Eagles. Ryan threw for 3 TDs and only 1 interception in the win that saw Boston College reach 11 wins for the season.
 
Other Snippets of Information

• Ryan set an ACC record with his 4,507 yards in 2007.

• Ryan's 31 TDs as a senior broke the Boston College record of 27, held by Doug Flutie.

• Matt Ryan was awarded the 2007 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, given annually in the United States to the Nation's most outstanding college football senior quarterback

• NFL Players he could be compared to are Ben Roethlisberger (without the arm), or Matt Schaub.

• Potential good fits: Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Miami Dolphins.

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