Norv Turner ‘intrigued’ by Tajh Boyd
Tajh Boyd speaks at the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Pat Lovell-USA TODAY Sports
Clemson Tigers product Tajh Boyd is a potential backup quarterback for teams looking to take a flier on somebody on the third day of the 2014 NFL Draft, and I don’t think it’s fair to state that Boyd is an undraftable quarterback. While I have never been a fan of his game and generally consider myself to be a harsh critic of his, I think it’s just unreasonable harsh to state that he deserves an undraftable grade. He’s much better than Logan Thomas and Stephen Morris despite their superior physical tools, because Boyd is a whole lot smarter than those two QBs and possesses more consistent decision-making and downfield accuracy. I don’t think Boyd is accurate enough or good enough at progressing through reads, and I don’t think he has the physical tools to make up for those flaws and his lack of technique.
However, he is worth drafting as a backup quarterback, and I might rather have him than Tom Savage, who is gaining ground despite his spotty accuracy, decision-making, horrific footwork, and issues with pressure (to be fair, Pitt’s OL was beyond hopeless last year).
It’s going to be interesting to see where Boyd gets picked, but the Minnesota Vikings look like a potential landing spot. Draft insider Tony Pauline reports that the Vikings could take Boyd in the later rounds of the draft, because new offensive coordinator Norv Turner is “intrigued by” Boyd. Rick Spielman has shown considerable interest in drafting two quarterbacks, and I think they could draft a guy like Derek Carr in the first or second round and then pull someone like Boyd in the sixth or seventh.