QB, Stanford
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 230 lbs
Class: Junior
McKee has had an interesting route to becoming an NFL prospect. He beat cancer aged just 16, before becoming a four-star recruit and a top 50 prospect in the 2018 class. He was hotly recruited, earning 31 offers from the likes Alabama, Georgia, and Texas. As a California native he made the decision to stay closer to home, and made his commitment to Stanford.
McKee then delayed his chance to play college football in order to undertake his two-year LDS mission in Brazil. He returned to Stanford in 2020, where he served as the backup to Davis Mills. He was named as the team’s starter in 2021, a role he has held admirably ever since.
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Strengths
McKee’s ability to process the game is the foundation of his strengths. He is a noticeably cerebral quarterback who is adept at the mental components of playing the quarterback position. He does a nice job identifying coverages pre-snap to identify favourable matchups, whilst also having the intelligence to read and react to post-snap rotations. McKee’s ability to quickly respond to a changing defensive picture to find the right throw is hugely impressive. There were also numerous examples of McKee throwing with anticipation.
Another of McKee’s big strengths as a prospect is his decision making. He clearly trusts his eyes and is comfortable taking chances when he sees them. Because of his ability to read the field so well you also very rarely see him make poor decisions with the football. His turnover-worthy play rate of 1.5% was the third lowest amongst draft eligible Power Five quarterbacks. He also had the lowest turnover-worthy play rate under pressure of any FBS quarterback this season.
McKee also ticks the box when it comes to his arm strength. He showcases the ability to attack all three levels of the field with ease and is able to generate plenty of velocity on his throws. Stanford’s offense didn’t often have a lot of wide open targets, so McKee has plenty of experience driving the ball into tight windows. He is also comfortable working from a variety of arm angles and does not need to set his feet in order to deliver the football with good velocity.
McKee has also shown solid accuracy throughout his two years as a starter with Stanford. He has a good understanding of how to vary touch and placement to give his receivers the best chance of coming down with the football. He is particularly impressive when asked to operate quick game concepts, as he is able to deliver an accurate ball on time and hit his receiver in stride to maximise opportunities for yards after the catch.
Weaknesses
The most obvious limitation to McKee’s game is his mobility. He is not a statue in the pocket by any means, but he doesn’t have the kind of movement skills to be able to consistently extend plays with his legs. This makes him far more dependent on his offensive line than other quarterbacks might be and was a big reason for his 27% pressure-to-sack rate. This was the sixth highest figure amongst Power Five quarterbacks.
McKee also has issues with his mechanics. He has a long and winding release, which is partly responsible for the fact he had seven batted passes in 2022 alone. His footwork is also slow and it can take him time to re-align his base to ready his throws. This showed up a tonne on Stanford’s slow mesh RPOs, with McKee lacking the twitchiness to shift his base, line up his throw, and drive. This should be less of an issue in a more traditional NFL dropback offense, but it nonetheless remains an issue.
Bottom Line
McKee lacks the mobility and play extension ability you want in a modern NFL quarterback, but he has the other key boxes ticked off. He is a smart and cerebral passer with good arm talent and has the potential to develop into a starter at the next level.
Ideal role: Quarterback in a West Coast offense
Round projection: 2nd round
