Scout Report – Steven Montez

• Position: QB – Pocket Passer
• College: Colorado Buffaloes
• Gridiron Guy Position Rank: 10 of 11
• NFL Draft Tracker pos. Rank:

Age: 22 | Height: 6’5 | Weight: 230 lbs
NFL Size Comparison: Philip Rivers

Player at a Glance: A pretty average QB with solid throwing mechanics and a potential for some playmaking ability that is underdeveloped in the mental aspect of his game and quite inaccurate for a potential NFL prospect.

RESUME:

• 3rd most pass attempts in the Pac-12 (405)
• 5th most completions in the Pac-12 (255)
• 6th highest pass completion percentage in the Pac-12 (63%)
• Best Game: @ #24 Arizona State (W 34-31)
  • 23/30 | 76.7% | 337 pass yds | 3 TD – 0 INT | 2 att | 10 rush yds
• Worst Game: @ #13 Oregon (L 3-45)
  • 19/34 | 55.9% | 131 pass yds | 0 TD – 4 INT | 3 att | 12 rush yds
• Golden Arm Award Top 20 Finalist

Range:

• Pocket: ~50
• Range – Run: ~30
• Acc Run: ~30
• Arm Strength: ~25

Strengths:

• Throws with tense elbows and sharp shoulders/hips, giving himself a quick release that does not lose effectiveness when throwing on the run 
• Has the mobility to take it to the sideline if needed
• Solid stance and footwork keeps him in a position to throw passes at any point regardless of his position on the field
• Can put heat on the ball, getting deep without having to give it air
• Acceptable Pocket Presence, though nothing to write home about
• Can be effective on the run, with a range of 50 yards, though his accuracy is spotty past 30
• Decision Making is average compared to his peers
• 3 year starter with considerable experience
• Range in the pocket is only 50, making it acceptable, but considerably shorter than others in his draft class
• Can put the ball where it needs to be when throwing deep
• Tall stature at 6’5 and within ideal weight at 230 lbs
• Active going through progressions and eyeing the field
• No injury history to speak of
• Adequate pocket maneuverability

Weaknesses:

• Does not try to evade any sacks, simply taking the loss
• Impatient demeanor on deep routes, tries to force throws to the outside before they develop
• Plays with a gunslinger mentality, challenging coverage when he does not need to and trying to string passes through tight windows
• Lacking awareness of where the defense is positioned post-snap, has been caught throwing passes low over LB coverage, resulting in INTs
• Lacks vision to see a wide space of the field
• Relies too much on throwing deep on press coverage to draw the flag
• Below accuracy on short passes, either throws behind or throws overhead
• Little to no pre-snap reads
• Runs with ball extended away from the body, easy target for strips
• Passes past about 25 yards have a high arch on them, allowing for defenders to close the gap
• Poor accuracy and ball placement make any throw outside of perfectly ideal situations risky
• Throws off his back-foot way too often
• Poor faker on PA/RPO
• Not a superb ballcarrier if asked to pick up yardage
• Incredibly inconsistent in effectiveness for a QB with nine game of 30+ attempts
• Does not have the strength to make compromised throws with arm strength alone
• Can be shaken when under pressure, does not have that poise you would like
• Slow to identify coverage schemes, making for some rather drawn out plays

Bold Predictions:

• Draft Placement: 5th round
• Plays Like:
• Ceiling: 4 & Out
• Floor: Undrafted

Overview:

With little in the way of range, an underdeveloped mental game, and bad habits, Montez is a huge project player with a lot of time needed to develop his game for the next level. He has little presence on the field, and a lacking ability to make plays happen or be a legitimate weapon for the offense. Should he be drafted as a project player to a well established team, he would find the best success there, but as he is now, it is unlikely he will be an immediate impact in the foreseeable future.