Tom Savage has ‘legitimate’ buzz
Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Tom Savage (7) during the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
A long-time college football player, Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback prospect Tom Savage has seemingly come out of nowhere as a favorite of scouts identified in reports. It seems like teams and others are falling in love with Savage’s arm strength and physical tools, using his awful offensive line at Pitt to justify his issues under pressure, awful footwork, and erratic accuracy. He has all the tools to be an interesting project, but the 23-year-old never looked like a star in college.
The NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah reports that the recent buzz around Savage is “legitimate” and that he consistently hears Savage’s name when talking to those in league circles. It’s an interesting report but not a surprising one, as it confirms the myriad of things we’ve heard.
One of the greatest fears of most writers is that Savage will be taken before Teddy Bridgewater in this year’s draft, as Bridgewater seem to be sliding in reports due to a surprisingly awful pro day and concerns over his arm strength and size. I view pro days and his ticky-tack concerns as wholly exaggerated, and he’s still my top-rated QB. It would be a shock for Savage to be taken ahead of him, because Bridgewater is much more accurate, has much better technique, is much more polished, and is a considerably better decision-maker. Savage could pan out if developed correctly, but he’s far too much of a project to take before the third day. Meanwhile, I still think Bridgewater should at least be a top five pick and honestly the first pick overall for the Houston Texans.