Football became a passion of mine before my mom let me ride my bike to school. It was 1992, and I had recently shunned my dad’s silver and black for a noisy Dallas Cowboys windbreaker that swished obnoxiously while I practiced my Emmitt Smith juke moves on my buddies in two-hand touch. My parents had a rotary phone by their bed, a clock radio next to it, and quarterbacks were expected to stand in the pocket and sling it.

It has been 30 years since those days, but the classic drop-back field general quarterback hasn’t been entirely killed off of the NFL script. Zippy, dual-threat signal-callers are all the rage these days, but the game still demands accurate passes to the correct receiver at the optimal time. The incoming 2022 quarterback class has a lot of question marks around this attribute, but the one prospect who figures to ace that test is Carson Strong.

The imposing quarterback from Vacaville, California, is a throwback to the hulking gunslingers of yesteryear, such as Dan Marino, Drew Bledsoe, and fellow NorCal product Tom Brady. Strong also carries a Marino-esque medical history into the NFL, setting the Mountain West Conference ablaze over the last three seasons on virtually one leg.

His doctor advised Strong not to play in 2021 due to a second surgery on his right knee in February of that year that wouldn’t allow quite enough time to recover fully. However, he was coming off an outstanding 2020 season, garnering the Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Year over Zach Wilson. Despite an inauspicious start to 2021, Strong gained strength as Nevada’s season progressed.

He put forth an even more impressive campaign, passing for 4,175 yards and 36 touchdowns to only eight interceptions. Strong completed more than 70% of his passes for the second-consecutive season, repeated as the MWC OPOY, and was invited to the 2022 Reese’s Senior Bowl. Strong says his knee is fine and there have been no setbacks. So why, in a league where quarterbacks are plucked more prematurely than eyebrow hairs, would one of the most consistent players in the class be projected to fall into Day 2 of the NFL Draft?

Carson Strong Draft Profile

* Recruit stars via 247Sports

Carson Strong College Statistics

Carson Strong Dynasty Fantasy Analysis

Don’t mistake a lack of rushing production and scrambling yards as a lack of mobility. Carson Strong is a quarterback who can be elite in the NFL as a pure pocket passer. Pocket passing in the NFL does have certain requirements. However, mobility and awareness within the pocket are traits that this quarterback class is largely devoid of. Carson Strong stands alone with an innate awareness of pressure and savvy footwork and movement to step into accurate throws under duress. There is no other quarterback in this class who climbs the pocket to elude edge rushers and unleash downfield bombs like Strong.

Without the luxury of existing as a rushing threat, a quarterback must also excel in his pre-snap reads to identify exploitable matchups. Carson Strong is the only quarterback in the ’22 class who earned complete autonomy at the line of scrimmage. Strong was, in general, the second offensive coordinator. He was given latitude to audible to different plays at the line, check to an alternate set of hot routes, and adjust the blocking scheme before the snap. His efficacy in doing so was reminiscent of Peyton Manning in his Tennessee days.

Some may chide the fluttering passes he tossed in the Senior Bowl, but Strong put three seasons of remarkable arm talent on tape. Arm strength and arm talent are not as synonymous as they are loosely related and often mistaken for one another. Strong’s arm has plenty of juice, but it’s the ability to throttle up or down on various throws to render them more catchable that sets Strong apart. His zip on boundary throws is exemplary. His touch on vertical Go/Nine routes is superb. His anticipation and timing on Dig/Crosser/In routes is second-to-none in this class.

Carson Strong’s ceiling as a dynasty asset is certainly capped without so much as a whisper of Konami in his profile. There is little doubt that his prospects of developing into a serviceable starting quarterback in the NFL are multitudes greater than catapulting into the QB1 discussion for fantasy. Strong may never sniff relevance in 1QB leagues, but his prospects as a QB2 in superflex are more than anecdotal. I have little doubt that Strong will be a wonderfully lethal passer for whichever team calls his name on Draft Weekend. He is exactly the player who will make the most of his shot in the league when given to him.

Player Comparison

Dollar Store Dan Marino

Lost in the ashes of a Hall of Fame career was just how handicapped Marino was when he went from Pitt to the Miami Dolphins. Both of his knees were already compromised, rendering him completely statuesque in the pocket. Or was he? Marino combined pure football intelligence and stellar footwork with his legendary arm to shatter every passing record on the books at the time.

Carson Strong isn’t quite Marino, but he’s on a similar trajectory entering the NFL. Those Marino records were broken by another cerebral statue by Peyton Manning. Manning’s records were then usurped by two more of the same ilk — Drew Brees and Tom Brady. Strong would have first-round steam whistling if not for his medical history. The story of this type of quarterback will be written in his health and ability to command the huddle when thrust into action. Carson Strong will need to answer those questions before we can exhale.

Landing Spot and Dynasty Outlook

NFL teams passed on Carson Strong in the NFL Draft over concerns about his knee, but it didn’t take him long to land on a roster. Strong signed a “lucrative” UDFA deal with the Eagles. This is a low-cost and no-risk signing by the Eagles to bring Strong in for a look-see. He’s likely competing with Miami Dolphins cast off Reid Sinnett for third quarterbacking duties. Strong is a late-round rookie draft dart throw or a waiver wire pickup at best.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio

If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you navigate your season. From our Start/Sit Assistant – which provides your optimal lineup, based on accurate consensus projections – to our Trade Analyzer – which allows you to instantly find out if a trade offer benefits you or your opponent – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.