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QB Battle: Daniel Jones (Duke) vs. Brett Rypien (Boise State)

Boone

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It seems inevitable that the Redskins will select a young QB in the 2019 draft. Alex Smith's future hangs by a thread. The only certainty is that he will not suit up in 2019. That leaves the Skins with an unproven and injury prone Colt McCoy, and...well...some other guys. With Jay Gruden's job on the line, and the Redskins fanbase mired in doom and gloom, drafting a youngster to lead the way in the future seems like an imperative.

And don't believe the pundits. This is a great year to do so. While it's true that many of the marquee talents at QB may not be available in this draft, don't be mistaken. There is talent to be had. And in a rare scenario, most of the teams drafting ahead of the Washington Redskins in Round 1 are seemingly set at the most important position on the roster. The Redskins have two choices. Draft one of a handful of more highly touted stars with their first pick, or try and beat the Vegas odds by picking up that hidden gem in later rounds.

Our first pre-draft QB battle is a perfect matchup of two such choices as we compare projected first round pick Duke's Daniel Jones to a far less heralded QB in Boise State's Brett Rypien. Let's take a look at the measureables and some draft profile projections before the bell rings and we get down to the nitty gritty.

Daniel Jones
Height: 6' 5"
Weight: 220 lbs
Career Passing Yards (3 seasons): 8,201 (2,734/season)
Career Completion %: 59.9%
Career Yards/Attempt: 6.4
Career TDs: 52
Career INTs: 29
Career Rushing Yards: 1,323
Career QB Rating: 122.9

Highlight Reel:

Conventional Wisdom: Many scouts and NFL evaluators LOVE Daniel Jones. He's got a prototypical NFL build, has a 'high ceiling' in terms of potential, and has a big arm. In the short game, he is outstanding and excels at carving up defenses, especially against the zone, from 10 yds in. Jones is quite athletic. Steps into throws consistently and has very good mechanics. A natural athlete, he consistently beat blitzing defenders with his feet and overall elusiveness in college. Jones is a durable and tough QB. Although he did suffer a broken collarbone in 2018, he was back practicing within 9 days of surgery, and missed just two games. Jones has good touch on his passes (he talks about this being a strength) but can also launch balls the distance when necessary. Finally, Jones is considered a smart QB, perhaps not a surprise for a Duke QB, who knows his own game well and generally avoids mistakes. Bottom line when it comes to strengths for Daniel Jones? He's a big, strong, smart athletic QB who has great feet, can throw the ball a mile, and no doubt will go in the first round. In start contrast to our next prospect, Jones can beat you with his feet, as evidenced by his impressive 1300+ yds on the ground during his Duke career.


Brett Rypien
Height: 6' 2"
Weight: 202 lbs
Career Passing Yards (4 seasons): 13,578 (3,395/season)
Career Completion %: 64%
Career Yards/Attempt: 8.4
Career TDs: 90
Career INTs: 29
Career Rushing Yards: (-) 102
Career QB Rating: 149.3

Highlight Reel:

Conventional Wisdom: Rypien, as a 4 year starter at Boise State, showed himself to be a highly productive and reliable pocket passer. He threw with great precision and touch, be it short passes or on deep routes. His touch on deep balls was particularly impressive. Rypien was very accurate throughout his college career, completing more than 60% of his passes in each of his 4 seasons, including hitting on 67.3% of his passes in his senior season. Rypien rarely made poor throws, tossing no more than 8 interceptions in a season during his entire tenure as starter, a pretty impressive accomplishment given more than 1000 career attempts. Rypien has received a lot of praise for his ability to read through full progressions and make good decisions, bringing some to call him one of the most 'pro ready' of the 2019 QB draft class. Rypien is not an elite athlete and his arm strength is considered just average. In shocking contrast to Jones, Rypien had negative career yards as a rusher during his 4 year tenure. Showed a willingness to stand in and take hits (could be a strength or liability). Rypien is tough and durable, and plays within his skillset, rarely making mistakes throwing the ball. Bottom line when it comes to strengths for Brett Rypien? He is a very accurate, heady QB who reads defenses exceptionally well, throws a very catchable ball, but lacks some of the physical talent of other QBs. Projected as a 5th round or later pick currently.


Fight!!

Like you all, I've seen a lot of QBs come to the NFL from the college level and go in my lifetime. There's no question that when comparing Jones and Rypien, Jones is the better athlete. He's bigger, quicker, and has a much stronger arm than does Rypien. But we also know that being a physical specimen alone does not equate to NFL success.

If one were to base a draft pick on stats alone, there would be no debate here. Rypien is the better QB. Of course, college stats never tell the whole tale (just ask Danny Wuerffel or Colt Brennan). What system a QB played in, the conference and level of competition, what that QB was asked to do - they all play a huge part in a college QBs success. This is even more true today than ever as many college QBs rarely play from the pocket making predicting how they'll transition to the NFL level even more challenging.

I'll go ahead and get my fight prediction out there and then give my rationale. Brett Rypien would be my pick in the 2019 draft and I might even use a 3rd rounder on him if that's what it took to ensure he's a Redskin. The Redskins connection is a nice story, but it has nothing to do with my belief he'd be the right choice. The rationale for selecting Daniel Jones would primarily be based on arm talent and measureables. As previously stated, he's big, he's very athletic, he looks like your protypical NFL QB. He can throw it a mile, and when need be, he can make you look silly with his feet. But several things concern me about him. Jones has decent, far from great, accuracy. And I think that's an absolute essential for an NFL QB. Jones accuracy falls precipitously off on throws downfield. Being able to throw it 80 yards is meaningless if the ball cannot be thrown accurately.

While he can throw it as long as any prospect in this draft, a lot of scouts have focused on a lack of velocity on his throws - something that gets a lot of young NFL QBs in trouble in the form of INTs and pick 6's. This is also a criticism of Rypien (I mention here only as a factor is assessing Jone's 'big arm'). Jone's critics also focus on his tendency to lock onto the initial read and force the ball instead of moving through progressions to other possible targets. Duke ran a 'quick' offense in which Jones excelled. But he'll likely be asked to run a more traditional offense at the NFL level and has yet to show he can have success reading complex defenses and making great decisions in an environment where the first 1 or 2 reads may be well-covered. Jones is no doubt the finest QB ever to stand under center of a Duke football team but I have wondered more than once if that hasn't resulted in some overhyping of his actual abilities and some glossing over of some significant flaws in his game. This is particularly true in the context of possibly taking him with the 15th pick of the draft.

I'd be very nervous watching my team spend a first round pick on a QB with as many question marks as there are with Jones.

Which brings us to young Mr. Rypien. I love this kid - and I'll tell you why. He's an extremely accurate passer - and it doesn't matter whether he's fitting a bullet into a tight window 4 yds downfield, or throwing a 60 yard post pattern. He has amazing touch and throws a beautiful and very catchable ball. Rypien was one of the most consistent college starters in his 4 years under center at Boise State, and had an incredible senior year. Rypien is a classic touch passer (think Drew Brees) and consistently hits his receivers in stride giving them the maximum chance for YAC. He is not without concerns (what NFL QB prospect is?). He has a tendency to hold onto the ball too long. He does not have great arm strength and may struggle throwing outs and other more challenging NFL throws. But I believe his accuracy and touch will allow him to mask those weaknesses.

NFL scouts and front office folks love to talk about 'ceiling' and there's no doubt that if you believe Daniel Jones can be developed that he is a superior athlete and prospect. But in this case I simply don't buy into that rationale for selecting Daniel Jones as our future QB, particularly with a first round pick. I have yet to see an NFL prospect with a 'high ceiling' and superior physical talent actually BE developed and become a perennial NFL starter. I believe, for the most part, that a QBs ability to complete passes is largely set by the time they reach the NFL level. A cumulative result of their arm strength, ability to read a defense, poise, and more than a few intangibles set a QBs tendencies and I believe those are extremely difficult to alter or mold.

So, if the choice for our beloved B&G comes down to either Jones or Rypien, for me it's not a tough one. Measureables are overrated. Intangibles are always undervalued. Rypien is the pure pocket passer with great accuracy up and down the field that the Redskins need. He makes few mental mistakes. During 4 years as a Boise State starter, when placed on the horns of a dilemma, he almost always made the right decision. And he's tough and smart. If we can get him with a bargain pick, all the better.

Bring on Brett Rypien.


***Next Up: Dwayne Haskins vs. Kyler Murray***



WARNING: Readers of the QB Battle Threads should embrace predictions with caution, as the creators of this feature may be wrong, misguided, or generally way off base. The author retains the right to totally deny such predictions, delete embarrassing content, or otherwise reject responsibility for statements that prove to be stupid, errant, or humiliating.
 
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Later in the week, I will post full scouting reports on both players. That will allow everyone to make comparisons and judgments.
 
No intent to get in your lane either BB. I have had a stomach bug all weekend and to top it off, threw my back out this morning, so needed something to distract me from the misery :)
 
No intent to get in your lane either BB. I have had a stomach bug all weekend and to top it off, threw my back out this morning, so needed something to distract me from the misery :)

No worries. This is a good thing to talk about and we need some lively discussions around here. Glad to do it.
 
Jones will probably be gone by 15 i'd imagine. If he's there, hoping we take Jones and grab a Duke wr to speed the process.

If not, solidify the o-line and TE positions and take Ryp in around whenever he's projected.

What it boils down to is who throws the better fade?
 
I'm not saying he'd be a disaster, but despite his supposedly strong arm, it takes Jones awhile to get the ball there. His windup reminds me a little of Jason Campbell. Between that, and staring down his primary receiver, I see a pick machine future. If we take him, I'll root. He is a monster when he takes off running though. And he does slide well, which would be something new in DC :)
 
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Yeah - still too early to have any idea how many QBs will go in the first and to where. If you look around at all the draft ranking sites, they are all over the map - there's literally no consensus which is pretty unusual. The combine will no doubt shuffle the deck some, and then the rumors will start and some guys draft stock will rise and fall. Interestingly enough, Walter Football has Jones as their #1 QB in this draft. But others list him anywhere from 4th to 10th best. It's a crazy year to be picking at that position.
 
It may be the toughest position to pick in football. And if Bert is the guy we covet, I might be scared to wait past the 2nd round.

Hell, he could go in the 1st for all we know.
 
What strikes me is how this class of QBs has no sure fire support for any one of these guys from the pundits.

I take a pass on QB until the latter rounds - say 4th round. Draft some real talent and depth. Then pick from a much better slate of candidates (according to the folks who track this stuff) in 2020. The Skins have too many holes to waste on a "prospect/project". A mid-tier rent-a-QB can do well with a strong team. And that's what concerns me - the FO appears top think they have a strong roster that is simply snake bit by injuries/bad luck. uh huh.

Addendum. Just had a thought. I don't know anything about the draft and football so take my post with a grain of salt. Puts me on a par with the FO so my view has that going for it when it comes to the draft!
 
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The problem with wait till next year strategy is this...

When you have ‘heralded' QB classes, the top tier ones will all go in the top 10 of the first round (and often in the top 5).

That means if we hope to get some ‘can't miss' superstar QB, we can't win more than a few games. We will win more than a few games next year. Contrary to Skins fan belief, we have some great talent. So unless we want to give up 3 first rounders again, we aren't drafting a top tier QB in 2020 even if those guys are their.

We may actually in a better position to grab a talented QB without having give away the farm this draft when few teams drafting on front of us need one.

It really all comes down to whether the 1 or 2 guys we may have highly rated are there at a pick we feel good about using.

In my humble uneducated opinion we need to draft a QB soon and the only reason not to do it this year is if there's no one on the board we have confidence is a great fit and that can be the guy. Don't believe we should ever draft entirely for need.


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I'm not saying he'd be a disaster, but despite his supposedly strong arm, it takes Jones awhile to get the ball there. His windup reminds me a little of Jason Campbell. Between that, and staring down his primary receiver, I see a pick machine future. If we take him, I'll root. He is a monster when he takes off running though. And he does slide well, which would be something new in DC :)

Daniel Jones looks pretty polished.
Everyone talks about his intelligence so him looking off safeties will not be tough to learn.
He does not have the short, compact delivery of Drew Brees but it is not as long as Jason Campbell or Kerry Collins. He does not have the cannon of Drew Lock.
 
I like the idea of not investing too much into this crop of QB's...like Boone, I would have no problem using our 3rd round compensatory pick, or 4th rounder on Rypien. If he ends up not being there, there are still 2 QB's with massive potential that are not getting as much attention...maybe for a reason, but could still be wise investments in round 6 or 7, Trace McSorley or Easton Stick.

I am not going all in on either, but if we decide to wait for a later round flier, and miss...either one of these guys could be a diamond in the rough. I am going off word of mouth on Easton Stick, but a winner is a winner, is a winner. The kid wins. As for McSorley, that kid is a tough nosed football player. How that translates into an NFL QB is difficult to say, but we need a backup QB to our backup (McCoy), who will be backup to Teddy Bridgewater.

What I'd absolutely hate to see is Daniel Jones get drafted, named the starter on day 1 because our FO thinks we're actually competitive, and be shell shocked like Patrick Ramsey. I am convinced Ramsey could have been a good QB in this league had he not been thrown to the wolves as he was.
 
What I'd absolutely hate to see is Daniel Jones get drafted, named the starter on day 1 because our FO thinks we're actually competitive, and be shell shocked like Patrick Ramsey. I am convinced Ramsey could have been a good QB in this league had he not been thrown to the wolves as he was.

If I remember correctly it wasn't half as much the wolves as the ole ball coach's "chuck and duck" min protect passing game. That kid never stood a chance. I bet he still has nightmares; heck, that scene from Wedding Crashers where Vaughn keeps hollering "hot route" at Wilson probably made him either walk out of the theater or shut off the DVD player due to a PTSD flare-up.
 
What I'd absolutely hate to see is Daniel Jones get drafted, named the starter on day 1 because our FO thinks we're actually competitive, and be shell shocked like Patrick Ramsey. I am convinced Ramsey could have been a good QB in this league had he not been thrown to the wolves as he was.

The two things aren't necessarily linked though Brian. Joe Gibbs saw what he had in Ramsey almost right away, which is why he went out and got Mark Brunell. Gibbs wanted to give Ramsey a chance, but at the very first opportunity replaced him. Ramsey really was nothing special. He wasn't particularly athletic, he had at best an average arm, and he didn't have the instincts to overcome those factors. You're right that he got zero help from Spurrier, but I don't think he was ever destined to be a long-term starter in the NFL. Just my opinion. He had a full 7 seasons to prove he could be. He was sure easy to root for though. Talk about a humble guy who never said a negative word. I would've liked to have seen him thrive. Maybe Gibbs should've given him more of a chance, but I think he knew he was only going to coach for a short while in his return and probably felt tremendous pressure to rejuvenate the franchise and didn't feel like he had the luxury to grown a young QB.
 
The two things aren't necessarily linked though Brian. Joe Gibbs saw what he had in Ramsey almost right away, which is why he went out and got Mark Brunell. Gibbs wanted to give Ramsey a chance, but at the very first opportunity replaced him. Ramsey really was nothing special. He wasn't particularly athletic, he had at best an average arm, and he didn't have the instincts to overcome those factors. You're right that he got zero help from Spurrier, but I don't think he was ever destined to be a long-term starter in the NFL. Just my opinion. He had a full 7 seasons to prove he could be. He was sure easy to root for though. Talk about a humble guy who never said a negative word. I would've liked to have seen him thrive. Maybe Gibbs should've given him more of a chance, but I think he knew he was only going to coach for a short while in his return and probably felt tremendous pressure to rejuvenate the franchise and didn't feel like he had the luxury to grown a young QB.

You have to remember, Gibbs has always liked veteran QB's over young guys anyway. I do not think Ramsey would have been a world beater, but look what Gibbs did with lesser Qb's...Todd Collins. I do believe Ramsey was timid in the pocket for a reason, when I remember early on with Spurrier he stood his ground in the beginning until he was detroyed. Holy crap Spurrier was a miserable failure in the NFL. And we replaced Marty for him? Ugh!
 
If I remember correctly it wasn't half as much the wolves as the ole ball coach's "chuck and duck" min protect passing game. That kid never stood a chance. I bet he still has nightmares; heck, that scene from Wedding Crashers where Vaughn keeps hollering "hot route" at Wilson probably made him either walk out of the theater or shut off the DVD player due to a PTSD flare-up.

That's what I meant by thrown to the wolves, he was shell shocked after Spurrier got him destroyed in pass protection.
 

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