Oakland Raiders: Draft Options at Quarterback
Jan 1, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Central Florida Knights quarterback Blake Bortles (5) against the Baylor Bears during the Fiesta Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium. Central Florida defeated Baylor 52-42. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Blake Bortles (6′ 4″ and 230 lbs.)- University of Central Florida
An impressive player with a very good arm, but one player who I don’t think will be available for the Raiders in the draft. This is due to the fact that he may not make it past the third pick in the 1st round. As a matter of fact, most Mock NFL Drafts have him going 1st or 2nd to either the Houston Texans or St. Louis Rams. If he makes it past those two teams, the Jacksonville Jaguars at #3 or Cleveland Browns at #4 are also in need of a franchise quarterback. However, stranger things have happened, and if he were to fall to the Raiders at #5 he may be the pick.
I definitely wouldn’t be disappointed with the Raiders picking him. He’s the ideal height and weight of an NFL quarterback on most team draft boards. He is being compared to Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Not a bad comparison if you ask me. He is considered to be one of the most NFL ready quarterbacks in the draft. His numbers in college weren’t too bad; 65.7% completion rate, 7,297 yards passing, 53 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions.
Bortles is considered to have the best footwork coupled with a strong-arm and quick release. He is a pocket first quarterback, but on some of his tape you can see that he is sneaky and elusive at times. One of the biggest issues I have with him is his deep ball threat. At times he tends to throw short of his mark, and other times he overthrows his receivers. The other issue is patience. For a pocket passer he must be patient, and I saw a lot of forced throws with Bortles when he didn’t need to. Also, he tends to take off running instead of waiting that extra second to let the play develop. He is one heck of an option at quarterback, but I still don’t feel his will be available for the Raiders in the draft. Here are some highlights of Blake Bortles courtesy of YouTube: