2018 NFL Draft Profile: Colorado State QB Nick Stevens
Nick Stevens took over for Garrett Grayson and led the Rams to three straight winning seasons.
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What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Rams former signal caller?
Stevens was put into a tough position when he took the reigns for the Colorado State Rams. He was called upon to replace Garrett Grayon, who is the Rams all-time leading passer and was a 2015 third-round pick.
Stevens responded well and was given second-team All-Mountain West accolades in 2015 after completing 61% of his passes (211-for-347) for 2,679 yards and 21 touchdowns (12 interceptions). 2016 started rough for Stevens. He was named starter, lost the job, and regained it after an injury. He earned honorable mention All-Mountain West that year.
In 2017, Nick Stevens out-performed top 10 pick Josh Allen. Stevens completed 62% of his passes and threw for 3,799 yards and 29 touchdowns (10 interceptions). He was named first-team All-Mountain West. Nick got married to his high school sweetheart, Haley, in May 2016. She helps him study game film in their down time.
Strengths:
Nick was a team captain. He grew as a leader over his last two college seasons and is highly-respected by his teammates for his ability to fight through adversity.
The Colorado State offense gives him a leg up on most college QBs, as CSU ran a pro-style offense that had him under center. Stevens benching and his comeback make him a mentally tough player.
He’s able to make up his limited arm talent by throwing with timing outside the hashes. His ball placement and accuracy are good. Stevens puts nice touch on his fade routes near the end zone and he is able to throw receivers away from trouble.
Weaknesses:
Stevens will have durability concerns in the NFL. He did take a number of shots in college, but the violence in the NFL is a step up. His skinny frame and small legs will also lead to questions.
He doesn’t have NFL QB arm strength as he can’t generate velocity with his lower body. This causes his balls to float. Stevens had a poor TD-to-INT ration (16 to 9) on medium and long throws in the 2017 season.
Defensive backs with instinct will be able to quickly close his passing windows. Stevens’ deep sideline throws are inaccurate. Stevens is a below average athlete and tends to get happy feet when his early reads are covered.
Draft Projection:
7-UDFA
