There’s no question Washington quarterback Jake Locker is a physically gifted athlete, possessing the size and speed that makes NFL scouts drool. However, Locker has been unable to shake questions about his accuracy and decision-making at the quarterback spot, even with the strong week he’s been putting together at the Senior Bowl. His tendency to throw into coverage, or mis-read the defense at times, has been the biggest knock on his game, and one that’s unlikely to go away ahead of the draft.
National Football Post’s Wes Bunting is in Alabama this week, scouting our the draft prospects at the Senior Bowl. Today, he took a look at the quarterbacks, and noted Locker will likely need time to develop at the NFL-level in order to be a successful signal-caller.
However, even vs. seeing exclusively cover one and cover three looks the past three days he just doesn’t seem to trust his eyes. The game seems to be moving too fast for him at times, he’s not overly decisive with the football and his eye level too often drops at the first sign of pressure. Plus, his balance in his base is really poor when asked to set and throw from center, causing him to struggle to properly drive off his back foot and accurately deliver the football.
Bunting notes that the problems Locker has can be fixed, but they should give teams pause when considering spending an early pick on him. He calls Locker a “reps guy” in his assessment while saying it will take time for Locker to adjust to the game at the next level.
For the latest on Locker’s performance this week, check out the rest of our 2011 Senior Bowl StoryStream.