Mitch Trubisky Scouting Report: The upside and the unknown

Mitch Trubisky
6025/220/rJR
2016: 281/408 3468 YDS 28 TD 4 INT
Career: 363/533 4482 YDS 39 TD 8 INT

Trubisky was the first big quarterback target for North Carolina in the Larry Fedora Era as a four star recruit out of Ohio. He sat behind the highly productive Marquise Williams (a guy I really liked as a mid to late round pick) for three seasons learning the system, and the offense didn’t miss a beat this year in Chapel Hill. Trubisky has taken full advantage of the opportunity and skyrocketed up everyone’s draft boards to become one of the top draft-eligible quarterbacks this season.

Fedora has put out that Trubisky won’t make his decision until after the bowl game and isn’t leaning one way or the other, but the rumor mill suggest the 22-year old junior will turn pro.

Physical (8):

Trubisky has adequate height coming in at 6’2.5” at his pro day last year, and 220 pounds. He has a thicker build and has shown gradual gains in the four years since high school, where he weighed 195 pounds. He has the frame to take punishment at the next level.

Arm Strength (8): The ball pops out of Trubisky’s hand and doesn’t lose velocity on passes that need to be driven. He shows the ability to make throws from messy pockets with little loss of velocity by only using his arm.

Accuracy (7):

Accuracy has become more than just looking at the completion percentage, with so many offenses calling for throws behind the line of scrimmage, or quick hitters. Trubisky displays great accuracy at every level of the field, giving his receivers the opportunity to get up the field to make plays.

Touch (8):

Trubisky displays a great understanding of what type of ball is needed for each route versus certain coverages. As I have said previously, this is a trait that comes with experience and age, and Trubisky is the oldest of the quarterbacks I’ve studied so far.

Set Up/Delivery/Release (7):

Trubisky is very polished fundamentally with a quick motion and delivery. His set up is very compact, with the ball in a secure position. Trubisky’s release is quick when he decides to pull the trigger while still keeping him from over striding on release. At times, he will rely on his arm more than he should and step across his body.

Scrambling (7):

Trubisky is a good enough athlete to pick up yards with his feet when flushed from the pocket, but running will not be a big part of his game. When on the move, Trubisky keeps his head up and eyes downfield in order to extend the play and look for his receivers.

Pocket Presence/Poise/Decision Making/Football IQ (7):

Trubisky can work the pocket when pressured with small, subtle slides in the pocket. He has shown the ability to play big in tough situations, completing 60% of his passes in third and long, and while trailing in games.

Overall (51/70):

Many will question Trubisky’s experience at this stage, and think he needs more time on the field at the collegiate level. The hang up will be his age if he stays for another season, as he will turn 23 next August, and enter his first NFL season at 24. Many analysts treat this is ancient for a rookie quarterback. To counter the experience concerns, Trubisky has 533 pass attempts entering the bowl game, and former number one pick Alex Smith had 587 attempts during his college career.

Trubisky is an above average athlete with a filled out, 220-pound frame. He has a plus arm that can attack all levels of the field, and a great understanding of the pocket with ability to manipulate defenses with his eyes. As with the rest of the top quarterbacks, there will be questions about transitioning from a spread concept offense into an NFL O. Trubisky physically is near max at his age, and now it will come down to the staff in place maximizing the traits he brings to the table at the next level. Expect to see Trubisky to be one of the first three quarterbacks taken in the 2017 NFL Draft if he declares.