Nick’s Quick Breakdown: Patrick Mahomes – Quarterback (Texas Tech)

After 108 votes in last Saturday’s Twitter poll, 53 percent of fans made Texas Tech junior Patrick Mahomes the latest NFL prospect for me to breakdown.

Our @NicholasMoreano is going to breakdown another prospect, who should it be?

— Da Bears Brothers (@DaBearsBros) February 18, 2017

The 6-foot-3, 219-pound Red Raider ended 2016 with 5,052 passing yards, 55 total touchdowns, 10 interceptions and a completion percentage of 65.7 percent. Mahomes can make every throw, regardless if he sets his feet or not. At times that led to some inaccurate passes and at other times, it led to plenty of spectacular plays. Once he is outside the pocket that is where he is most dangerous. He isn’t a run-first quarterback but can extend plays by juking defenders and doing things that you would only see in a pickup game at your local park. I don’t believe Mahomes is a day-one starter, but with some time to learn an NFL style offense, he can develop into one. This will have plenty of NFL teams interested. One of them could be the quarterback needy Chicago Bears, who may want to add to the position within the first two rounds. Bears general manager Ryan Pace has yet to draft a quarterback in his first two seasons and would be wise to do so in 2017 draft. The only way I don’t see the Bears drafting a quarterback is if they would trade for New England Patriots backup Jimmy Garoppolo. My guess is if the Bears don’t get Garoppolo, they will look to address the position with the 36th pick. In the Periscope below, I explain everything I liked and disliked about Mahomes from these three games:

• His best game against Louisiana Tech, where he completed 26 of 36 passing attempts for 470 yards, had five passing touchdowns, one rushing touchdown and zero interceptions in a 59-45 win.

 

• His worst statistical game against West Virginia, where he completed 28 of 44 passing attempts for 305 yards and had one touchdown and one interception in a 48-17 loss.

 
 

• The last game was a good matchup against TCU, where he completed 24 of 39 passing attempts for 206 yards, had two passing touchdowns, one rushing touchdown and an interception in a 27-24 double-overtime win.

 
 
 

Nick’s Quick Breakdown: Patrick Mahomes – Quarterback (Texas Tech) https://t.co/xCseW4IcA1
— Da Bears Brothers (@DaBearsBros) February 21, 2017

After watching the Periscope, take a look at the videos below that reinforce what I said.
Here is a great example that demonstrates Mahomes arm strength. On this play, he fakes the handoff to the running back, which makes the Louisiana Tech linebacker move out of position. Mahomes then waits for a second longer to deliver a strike through a tight window and the wide receiver accelerates up the field for the walk-in touchdown.

On this play, Mahomes displays why he is so dangerous when he gets outside the pocket. First, he avoids a defender and as he is running left sees one of his receivers open down the field. With a Matthew Stafford-esque throw, Mahomes lets the ball loose for the touchdown.

Against TCU, Mahomes feels pressure and instinctively moves to his right. Rather than looking to run, he instead, notices his receiver open and delivers a pass in stride for a touchdown.

Here is an example where Mahomes footwork gets him in trouble. Instead of rolling left and planting his feet, he shuffles, throws without setting his feet and that allows the defender to make a play on the ball.

Mahomes is a competitive player. There is no doubting that, but at times he looks to make something out of nothing. That has lead to negative plays and has put his team in bad positions.

In the periscope, I said that Mahomes at times doesn’t trust his offensive line. Here is a good example of that. Instead of staying in the pocket and looking downfield, he decides to look to run. He doesn’t find anywhere to go, takes the sack and fumbles the football.

Mahomes is an interesting prospect that has plenty of upside, and could to develop into a starting quarterback in the NFL … one day. He has incredible arm strength, mobility and competitiveness. If the Bears don’t acquire Garoppolo and decide not to draft a quarterback in the first round, and Mahomes is on the board for the Bears second-round pick, it will be interesting to see if Pace pulls the trigger on him.