Sam Ehlinger has been on the national radar for years now after getting some buzz as a recruit coming out of high school. He landed at Texas and immediately made an impact as a dual-threat QB. He led Texas in some big games and performed well at the college level.
He has the pedigree and background to capture NFL teams’ attention in the 2021 NFL Draft. However, does he have the talent to make it as an NFL QB? Or will he be viewed as a good college QB that won’t be able to make the jump to the next level?
These questions are answered here in our scouting profile on Sam Ehlinger:
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Sam Ehlinger (QB – Texas)
Vital Statistics
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 225 lbs.
Vertical Jump: 36.5
Broad Jump: 114
College Stats
Check out Sam Ehlinger’s detailed college stats here
Skills Legend
| 80+ | Generational Talent |
| 79 | Top-10 Skill |
| 78 | First-Round Skill |
| 77 | Second-Round Skill |
| 76 | Third-Round Skill |
| 75 | Fourth-Round Skill |
| 74 | Fifth-Round Skill |
| 73 | Sixth-Round Skill |
| 72 | Seventh-Round Skill |
| 71- | UDFA |
Skills Chart
Skills Breakdown (out of 100)
Accuracy (68): Ehlinger’s a resilient and tough QB prospect that most likely projects as a backup in the NFL. His accuracy wavers at all field levels, but he is proficient in leading receivers on crossing routes across the field. He is consistently overthrowing or under-throwing receivers deep downfield and missing receivers on comebacks. His mechanics are typically fine, which is very concerning when trying to determine the cause of his inaccuracy issues.
Decision-Making (69): Tends to hold onto the ball too long in the pocket, which then forces him to throw into some tighter windows rather than the easy layups before the DB can catch up to the receiver in his route.
Mental Processing (68): Struggles to go through his progressions quickly and get the ball out quickly. Even if a read is there, he tends to hold onto the ball for a second longer than he should, which then forces that window closed due to the defender reading his eyes. He needs to learn how to speed up his mental processing and get the ball out quickly when he sees a receiver open.
Arm Strength (75): He does have a solid arm and can send it downfield, but the inaccuracy of those throws makes his arm strength irrelevant.
Pocket Presence (73): Can step up into the pocket from time to time but tends to drop his eyes as soon as he feels pressure caving in. Due to his propensity for holding onto the ball too long, this happens often.
Mechanics (73): Fairly good and consistent mechanics. Could improve his footwork when dropping back occasionally and has a longer delivery than some NFL coaches may like, but the technique is fairly sound. This does lead to questions about his accuracy issues, though.
Improvisation (72): Possesses good mobility and has the ability to get out of the pocket when it does collapse. May tend to lean on this slightly more than NFL coaches will like, but he does have this aspect to his game.
Poise (70): Willing to stand in under pressure, but does become inaccurate with his throws. Again, a situation that he can avoid by getting the ball out quicker.
Athleticism (75): Good athlete, but not a superb runner in space. Able to be used on rollouts, etc., but won’t break away big plays in the open field.
Video Evaluation
FIRST PLAY OF THE GAME. TOUCHDOWN ????
Sam Ehlinger ➡️ Joshua Moore pic.twitter.com/knJM8wltvw
– ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) September 13, 2020
Sam Ehlinger JUST DID THAT on 4th and goal ???? @sehlinger3
(via @CFBONFOX) pic.twitter.com/viju1EzhKk
– The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) November 16, 2019
They Said It
Projected Draft Range
Ehlinger is most likely to go off the board late on day 3.
Ideal Fantasy Landing Spot
Because Ehlinger projects as a career backup QB, it’s difficult to locate a system that would be a good fit for fantasy for him. He’ll need to land in a system that utilizes a mobile QB.
Fantasy Comparison
Check out our complete list of 2021 NFL Draft profiles here
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Kyle Yates is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Kyle, check out his archive and follow him @KyleYNFL.
