By Rob Rang | The Sports Xchange/CBSSports
With California cruising to a 55-36 victory over Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl on Tuesday, it is likely only a matter of time before junior quarterback Jared Goff officially announces that he will forgo his senior season and head to the NFL.
As such, the time has come to begin projecting which NFL team Goff -- who completed 25 of 37 passes for 467 yards and six touchdowns without an interception in the win -- projects to fit best.
Before taking a team-by-team approach, it is important to recognize what separates the 6-foot-4, 210-pound Goff from the other quarterbacks atop NFLDraftScout.com's board.
When projecting quarterbacks to the NFL, so much attention is spent evaluating arms. While velocity and accuracy are obviously critical for success at the position, footwork and poise are equally important. These are two elements in which Goff excels.
Goff has enough velocity to make every NFL throw and he has spectacular touch on intermediate and deep routes, as demonstrated by this drop in the bucket for a touchdown Tuesday.
And this one a few moments later.
As was highlighted by ESPN's commentators during the Armed Forces Bowl, however, it is Goff's fundamentally sound footwork which earns his accuracy.
While Goff isn't a true dual threat, he possesses the light feet and spatial awareness to buy time in the pocket, subtly side-stepping pass-rushers and stepping up when needed.
This is an important differentiation from stronger-armed passers like Michigan State senior Connor Cook and Penn State junior Christian Hackenberg, who occasionally spray passes because they fail to consistently step into their throws. These quarterbacks have the rifles to simply zip passes through the tight windows. Goff, conversely, relies more on anticipation and terrific ball placement to hit receivers as they make their cuts or simply lofting throws over the top of defenders.
Asking Goff to fire deep outs from the opposite hash or battle fierce winds in an outdoor stadium could lead to struggles in the NFL, which is why the Cleveland Browns, Chicago Bears or Buffalo Bills might want to look elsewhere if any of those franchises chooses to add competition at quarterback during the offseason.
While the ball-hawking secondaries of the NFC West would present a formidable challenge for Goff, the commitment to young running backs Todd Gurley and Carlos Hyde (when he's healthy) for the St. Louis Rams and San Francisco 49ers could make the Cal quarterback an intriguing option. With opposing defenses committed to stopping the run, Goff's technically sound footwork, accuracy on the move and touch on deeper passes could make him effective quickly -- in much the same way that the similarly slim-built Teddy Bridgewater has performed for the Minnesota Vikings.
Goff, who grew up a 49ers fan in nearby Novato, California, and wears No. 16 in tribute to the great Joe Montana, would seem an obvious candidate for San Francisco general manager Trent Baalke. The 49ers are currently projected to take Goff with the fifth overall pick.
While being selected by his "hometown" 49ers would certainly make for a terrific human interest story, teams draft players based on schematic fits, not zip codes.
Because Goff has good accuracy and enough athleticism to keep defenses honest as a runner, a creative offensive mind like New York Jets offensive coordinator Chan Gailey could find Goff especially intriguing, as could Houston Texans head coach Bill O'Brien, who worked wonders with Hackenberg while at Penn State but is likely to be out of the Goff sweepstakes with his Texans fighting for a playoff spot.
While Goff shows some upper level traits (like the ability to look off defenders) to get scouts excited, it is worth noting the relative simplicity of the offense he starred in at Cal, a spread attack with plenty of predetermined reads.
As such, like most young quarterbacks, Goff would be best served learning for a year or two before getting pushed onto the field. Serving as an apprentice behind Tony Romo in Dallas, for example, could be ideal.
In summary, Goff isn't a transcendent talent with the traits to wow scouts the way that Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota did a year ago. His blend of anticipation, accuracy, subtle athleticism and poise, however, project well to a quick-hitting offense that allows him to challenge down the seam and sidelines with his deft touch.
With California cruising to a 55-36 victory over Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl on Tuesday, it is likely only a matter of time before junior quarterback Jared Goff officially announces that he will forgo his senior season and head to the NFL.
As such, the time has come to begin projecting which NFL team Goff -- who completed 25 of 37 passes for 467 yards and six touchdowns without an interception in the win -- projects to fit best.
Before taking a team-by-team approach, it is important to recognize what separates the 6-foot-4, 210-pound Goff from the other quarterbacks atop NFLDraftScout.com's board.
When projecting quarterbacks to the NFL, so much attention is spent evaluating arms. While velocity and accuracy are obviously critical for success at the position, footwork and poise are equally important. These are two elements in which Goff excels.
Goff has enough velocity to make every NFL throw and he has spectacular touch on intermediate and deep routes, as demonstrated by this drop in the bucket for a touchdown Tuesday.
Jared Goff with the perfect strike to give Cal a 14-7 lead in the #ArmedForcesBowl Watch Rob Rang's Vine "Jared Goff with the perfect strike to give Cal a 14-7 lead in the #ArmedForcesBowl"
— Rob Rang (@RobRang) December 29, 2015
— Rob Rang (@RobRang) December 29, 2015
And this one a few moments later.
Just another drop in the bucket for Jared #Goff Watch Rob Rang's Vine "Just another drop in the bucket for Jared #Goff"
— Rob Rang (@RobRang) December 29, 2015
— Rob Rang (@RobRang) December 29, 2015
As was highlighted by ESPN's commentators during the Armed Forces Bowl, however, it is Goff's fundamentally sound footwork which earns his accuracy.
While Goff isn't a true dual threat, he possesses the light feet and spatial awareness to buy time in the pocket, subtly side-stepping pass-rushers and stepping up when needed.
This is an important differentiation from stronger-armed passers like Michigan State senior Connor Cook and Penn State junior Christian Hackenberg, who occasionally spray passes because they fail to consistently step into their throws. These quarterbacks have the rifles to simply zip passes through the tight windows. Goff, conversely, relies more on anticipation and terrific ball placement to hit receivers as they make their cuts or simply lofting throws over the top of defenders.
Asking Goff to fire deep outs from the opposite hash or battle fierce winds in an outdoor stadium could lead to struggles in the NFL, which is why the Cleveland Browns, Chicago Bears or Buffalo Bills might want to look elsewhere if any of those franchises chooses to add competition at quarterback during the offseason.
While the ball-hawking secondaries of the NFC West would present a formidable challenge for Goff, the commitment to young running backs Todd Gurley and Carlos Hyde (when he's healthy) for the St. Louis Rams and San Francisco 49ers could make the Cal quarterback an intriguing option. With opposing defenses committed to stopping the run, Goff's technically sound footwork, accuracy on the move and touch on deeper passes could make him effective quickly -- in much the same way that the similarly slim-built Teddy Bridgewater has performed for the Minnesota Vikings.
Goff, who grew up a 49ers fan in nearby Novato, California, and wears No. 16 in tribute to the great Joe Montana, would seem an obvious candidate for San Francisco general manager Trent Baalke. The 49ers are currently projected to take Goff with the fifth overall pick.
While being selected by his "hometown" 49ers would certainly make for a terrific human interest story, teams draft players based on schematic fits, not zip codes.
Because Goff has good accuracy and enough athleticism to keep defenses honest as a runner, a creative offensive mind like New York Jets offensive coordinator Chan Gailey could find Goff especially intriguing, as could Houston Texans head coach Bill O'Brien, who worked wonders with Hackenberg while at Penn State but is likely to be out of the Goff sweepstakes with his Texans fighting for a playoff spot.
While Goff shows some upper level traits (like the ability to look off defenders) to get scouts excited, it is worth noting the relative simplicity of the offense he starred in at Cal, a spread attack with plenty of predetermined reads.
As such, like most young quarterbacks, Goff would be best served learning for a year or two before getting pushed onto the field. Serving as an apprentice behind Tony Romo in Dallas, for example, could be ideal.
In summary, Goff isn't a transcendent talent with the traits to wow scouts the way that Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota did a year ago. His blend of anticipation, accuracy, subtle athleticism and poise, however, project well to a quick-hitting offense that allows him to challenge down the seam and sidelines with his deft touch.
