QB, Nevada
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 226 lbs
Class: rs-Junior
Strong was a three-star recruit in the 2018 class but after missing his senior season with a knee injury he attracted just one FBS offer. That was from Nevada and the rest as they say is history. Strong became the starting quarterback for the Wolf Pack in 2019 and has gone from strength to strength. He enters the draft with almost 10,000 career passing yards and two Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year awards under his belt.
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Strengths
Strong offers exceptional arm talent and is perhaps the best deep ball thrower in the class. His five completions of 50+ air yards led all FBS quarterbacks this season. He has shown himself to be capable of making every throw you want in a prospect and is comfortable working every inch of the field. His release is quick and compact and he shows a great understanding of how to use touch.
Strong pairs this arm talent with high level accuracy. He is consistent at every level of the field and logged an adjusted completion rate of 77.6% this season, which ranked seventh in the country. His ball placement is particularly impressive, and he is great at putting it away from defenders so that only his receiver can make a play on the ball. He did also demonstrate the ability to deliver the ball accurately on the run.
Another of his biggest strengths is his decision making as a passer. Strong doesn’t take unnecessary risks with the ball and logged a turnover-worthy play rate of just 2% in 2021. This was the sixth lowest rate of any FBS quarterback. He has also thrown just 12 interceptions on his 882 attempts over the last two seasons. His ability to remain composed and considered under pressure projects well to the next level.
Strong is also one of the best processors in this year’s draft, with the ability to progress through his reads quickly and identify favourable matchups. He is excellent at manipulating defenders with his eyes and already shows the ability to throw with anticipation. Nevada also gave him plenty of pre-snap responsibility and he is comfortable setting protections and calling audibles at the line of scrimmage.
Weaknesses
The biggest worry with Strong is his history of knee problems. An MRI in high school revealed an osteochondritis dissecans lesion, which required significant surgery and forced him to miss his senior season. He had surgery on the same knee in early 2021 to clean up cartilage, before undergoing an arthroscopy in August. Strong recently met with an NFL doctor, who indicated there will be no long-term concerns, but it is definitely an issue teams will want to assess carefully.
The other concern with Strong will be his mobility. Whilst he showcases good pocket presence and movement skills, he isn’t particularly athletic. He doesn’t offer anything as a runner and is limited when working outside of structure. This isn’t a major problem, but it does limit his scheme versatility. It will also mean that he will be more reliant on his offensive line than some other prospects in this class.
Bottom Line
Strong is the best pure passer in this class. He has the combination of arm talent and accuracy that teams want and displays good processing ability. His lack of mobility will concern some, but his pocket movement helps overcome some of his athletic limitations. If he can answer the injury concerns he should be in the conversation for QB1 in the 2022 class.
Ideal role: Starting quarterback in a vertical passing offense
Round projection: 1st round
