For Jake Locker, success in the NFL may come down to finding a team with the right scheme. With athleticism that rivals any quarterback in the 2011 NFL Draft, Locker can throw on the run, make plays with his feet and use his speed to his advantage. His ability to take off and run has helped mask his inability to throw an accurate ball, though scouts have been picking apart his mechanics and accuracy ahead of the draft. With that in mind, it would make sense if Locker was drafted by a team with an offensive scheme that’s more dynamic, with less of a West Coast philosophy.
Mike Mayock took a look at Locker’s skill-set and determined he could find success in the NFL. But it will take a specific scheme to fit Locker while utilizing his biggest weapon: Throwing on the run (via Washington Post).
"Locker likes getting out on the edge and he’s mostly accurate off play-action rolling out right or left," Mayock said in a teleconference with reporters Wednesday. "That’s what Mike Shanahan’s scheme is. It’s a lot of play-action. It’s a quarterback making a decision on half the field. … If he has a chance to play early and play effectively, I think that’s the kind of system he’s set up for."
Locker still faces a difficult road ahead and will need time to develop, but Shanahan’s system fits him well. But with the No. 10 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, it may be a reach to snap Locker up, though the Washington quarterback has been rising in many mock drafts. Would the Redskins trade down in hopes of picking him up later or would they pull the trigger at No. 10?
We’ll find out as the 2011 NFL Draft gets started on April 28. For the latest on Locker and his draft stock, stay tuned to this StoryStream.