Draft Insiders' Digest Premier NFL Draft and Free Agency Publication
Rookie QB Joe Flacco gets Starting Call
Photo - QB Joe Flacco - Ravens (Delaware)
The Ravens announced that rookie top pick QB Joe Flacco will be their starting passer in the club's opener with the Bengals. It completes a mercurial rise over the past few seasons that saw this strong armed passer transfer from Pittsburgh to Delaware, start two seasons including the D1AA Championship game. His performance It led to a Senior Bowl invite and eventually he became the Baltimore #1 pick in the NFL Draft '08
Here is the Scouting report sent to a few NFL clubs last Nov. 2007. We recommended him for the Senior Bowl where he became a participant.
Joe Flacco #5 - 6'5" 230 lbs. - Delaware - Sp. 4.9 DOB - 1/16/85
Big strong armed senior QB has started the past two seasons after transferring from Pittsburgh. He displays all the physical talent to surprise and become a pro starting QB. He has put up big numbers working within the Delaware system, mainly operating in the shotgun. He is having a tremendous senior performance that has lead Delaware into the D 1AA semifinals. He is a long limb athlete at just under 6'6". He played at 232 lbs. when I interviewed him after the Richmond game in mid November. He has an excellent arm with fine throwing technique. For such a tall passer, his delivery is surprisingly compact and sound that allows him to make a quick release to deliver the ball in excellent timing. He has a strong live arm and get the ball into tight windows with very good accuracy. He has a fine sense of timing and touch and sees the field well when going through his progressions. He has shown the ability to look off the safety and find the primary and secondary receivers quicker with sound decision making. He shows courage in the pocket and will wait until a receiver runs his route before releasing. He is a strong athlete who successfully fights off rushing linemen. He has adequate lateral quickness in the pocket to create some time, though his footspeed breaks down poorly outside the pocket. He has 4.9 speed and is not a scrambler. Surprisingly, he throws well on the move with fine accuracy. He has improved his overall accuracy significantly with playing time and shows the ability to make the big throw when given ample time. He has taken another step up this fall with further playing time. He has certainly impressed during his final season at the D1AA level. He has refined his overall game nicely and should earn an invite in the postseason to a major All-star game. We recommended him for the Senior Bowl in late December. He had received an invite from East-West but left after the Senior Bowl invitation came in mid January. He has the arm to make all the throws with velocity and accuracy. He is strictly a pocket passer and after playing in the gun offense will need some additional time operating under center and develop further in his three, five and seven step dropbacks. He will have to show he can move quickly in his setup where he is currently only adequate. He will also have to show he can read defenses quickly, properly and make the sound decision with the same accuracy he has displayed working in the gun set. Fast rising prospect and early pick currently with real upside to start in the NFL in time. This kid is a gem down the road, though he needs time in a system and develop in a pro set.
Frank Coyle is a scouting consultant for the Senior Bowl over the past 12 years. He is a longtime Member of the FWAA and voter in College player awards - Heisman, Outland, Nagurski, Thorpe, etc. He is a voter for the Super 16 College Team Polls throughout the season for the Grantland Rice award and All-American teams at the conclusion of the season.