2021 NFL Draft Profile: QB Sam Ehlinger

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:

Check out the rest of our 2021 NFL Draft prospect profiles

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


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

Easton Stick.

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.