Breakdown on Glennon coming into his bowl game.
This game will make or break him, a decent game and he cements himself as the #1 overall pick.
Tom O Brien says Glennon is a better prospect coming out of college than Matt Ryan was ( and O Brien coached both of them)....
Quarterback Mike Glennon stands a staggering 6′-6″. A size that rivals other NFL quarterbacks like Joe Flacco, Brock Osweiler, and Ryan Mallet. Glennon entered North Carolina State ranked as the 3rd best pro style quarterback in the nation. Andrew Luck just happened to be 4th on that list, and a plethora of well known passers are also among that group.
Coming this April, Mike Glennon could possibly be drafted in the first round of the NFL draft. This just happens to be a time when the Kansas City Chiefs are in dire need of a franchise signal caller (Shocker, I know). But it’s not just his measurables that have scouts, and coaches intrigued. He operated a system that had a fair amount of pro style looks during each game. Being able to take the snap from under center sounds like such a simple aspect, but it’s something all teams love in a quarterback. It brings a different element than what a pure spread, shotgun quarterback can allow a team to do.
Strengths: Glennon was able to make a comeback, game winning drive against the best defense in the nation against the pass, Florida State. The drive was only 43 yards, but he converted a clutch 4th and 2, and a 4th and 10 at one point. He can make any throw in the game, and has great velocity on his throws. His height is an advantage, although even at over 230lbs, looks like he could add a little weight to his frame. He’s a true pocket passer, and really shouldn’t be used outside the pocket very often. Does a great job of driving off his back foot, and can hit the three-step out route with ease.
His release is over the top, quick, and doesn’t have much wasted motion. His throwing motion reminds me of Eli Manning. He can throw the deep ball with the best of them. Puts a solid arch on his deep passes, and shows nice touch on the underneath routes. He isn’t overly elusive in the pocket, but will usually do a solid job shuffling his feet, and feeling the pressure around him.
He will go through hot streaks where he seems unstoppable, and will consistently hit all of his throws, but it will fade away during a game. He spreads the ball around very well. Won’t just hit one side, or one receiver all game. He hits all nine zones of my passing chart in most games. He does an excellent job of using his body to align himself better for making throws to his 2nd or 3rd read, and reads the blitz very well and accurately hits the hot route, usually a shallow cross.
Weaknesses: Will have a few errant passes each game that just seem to happen for no reason. He plays extremely conservative against good defenses, and will check down on plays where a deeper route may have been open. At times he will mis-read a zone defense, and appears to just forget when a route should be coming open against a specific alignment. Against the blitz he will routinely throw off his back foot, and will not step into his throws. It effects his velocity on the throws, and accuracy. He will take the shots in the pocket, but will not put his body second to make a perfect throw. He needs to work on becoming more consistent with moving the safety with his eyes. On certain routes, he will stare down his #1 read, and then force a pass regardless of coverage.
Although NC State ran plenty of I-formation looks, he didn’t sell the playaction very well on a consistent basis, and at times just seemed to go through the motions. His ball placement is just average in man to man situations. Seems to be a space thrower. I’d like to see him do a little better job of leading a receiver and throwing away from the defender consistently. He has a habit of getting stripped in the pocket when taking a sack. He will test his luck and throw back across the field at times. Was nearly intercepted on his game winning drive against the Seminoles because of this.
Summary: Glennon comes across as a poised leader on the field, and just the way he handles his team on the field and during each play. He’s a competitor, and even if his team is behind by a large margin, will continue to battle back. He’s a guy that could probably be plugged into an NFL system from day one, and learn that way rather than sitting for a year. I could see him having a season similar to that of Andy Dalton in his first year in the NFL, but he needs to be on a team with some talent. NC State receivers dropped seven passes against North Carolina this year. The key to Glennon being successful in the NFL will be his ability to not be afraid to take a hit against pressure, and keep his eyes downfield against the blitz. To me, he’s worth a mid-first round pick only because quarterbacks hold more value than any other position, and because he has all the physical tools you look for in a QB.
