NFL Draft Profile: QB Clayton Thorson, Northwestern

Clayton Thorson

Northwestern

HT- 6’3” WT- 225 lbs
DOB- 12/25/1995
Year- RS Senior
Recruit- 4 Star
Grade- 71
NFL Comp- Eli Manning
Games Scouted- @ Iowa (2016), @ Wisconsin (2017), Vs Michigan State (2017), Vs Notre Dame (2018).
Injury History- ACL (2017). (-5).

Assessment

Arm Talent: Really nice arm talent. Has a good, live arm with better than average arm strength, and shows good touch and good velocity on the appropriate throws. 16/20.

Accuracy/Placement: Good accuracy, more consistent than most of the class. Best in the short to intermediate area, consistently under throws the deep ball. 13/18.

Field Vision: See’s the field well, can make it to his third or fourth read. Timing is impressive, can make the correct throw and time it very well. Anticipation is real. Will try to force things under pressure and make very bad decisions. 12/15.

Release: Very quick release. Can make throws while moving and might be more efficient moving. Excellent release on the bootleg. 12/15.

Pocket Movement: Good footwork on his drop back, and steps correctly into throws. Often times feels pressure that isn’t there. Will try to move out of the pocket at the faintest sign of pressure. 7/12.

Mobility: Very mobile, especially for someone his size. Doesn’t have flashy speed but is quick and can move. Tough, physical runner. 7/10.

Leadership/Attitude: Shows good attitude and promising leadership. Excellent never-quit attitude. 6/10.

Overall: Clayton Thorson can be a very good west coast QB in the NFL with a little development. Mechanical fixes with his arm and some practice could make him more effective with his deep ball. Until then, Thorson is a serviceable back-up in the league in a west coast system. 73/100.

Personality Assessment:

Personality reminds me of Phillip Rivers. Really humble, says the right things, smart and a good guy. (+3).

Stats:

Career: 53 Games, 1697 Att, 991 Comp, 58.4 Comp%, 10,731 Yds, 6.3 YPA, 61 TDs, 45 INT, 118.1 Eff Rate.