Denver Broncos: A lot to like about Trevor Siemian

With Brock Osweiler entering the final year of his rookie contract and Peyton Manning approaching the age of 39, there was plenty of speculation that the Denver Broncos could look to add a signal caller in the 2015 NFL draft.

A little over a week before quaretrback Trevor Siemian heard his name called Ron Clements of Sporting News reported Denver’s interest in the former Northwestern signal-caller.

Clements goes on to write that one of the Broncos seventh-round compensatory selections could be used to snag Siemian late in the draft. Sure enough, Denver selected the still-recovering Siemian with the 250th overall pick – saving him from the ranks of the undrafted.

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If the causal fan were to google Siemian, and check his college stats, they would likely come away unimpressed. Siemian completed less than 60% of his passes over his career and had threw more interceptions (11) than touchdowns (7) in his senior season.

Nov 22, 2014; West Lafayette, IN, USA; Northwestern Wildcats quarterback Trevor Siemian (13) looks to pass behind the protection of offensive lineman Paul Jorgensen (78) against the Purdue Boilermakers in the first half at Ross Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sandra Dukes-USA TODAY Sports

The stats may paint the picture of a mediocre gunslinger, but the game film reveals a promising pocket passer with plus mobility. Siemian faced pretty consistent pressure behind an inconsistent offensive line, and his completion percentage was hurt by a number of on target balls that were either dropped, or knocked away from would be receivers who struggled to gain separation.

What stands out most about Siemian, on tape, is his fearlessness in the pocket. He has a quick release and doesn’t back down from throws when the pressure comes, even if it means taking a big hit; which it usually does. Listed at 6’3, 215 pounds, Siemian has a solid frame to withstand the hits and the short memory to keep himself aggressive.

Arm strength has been a concern for some scouts, as Siemian didn’t consistently push the ball down field. Given time to step into the throw he’s got plenty of arm and pretty nice touch on his deep ball. In less than ideal circumstances the accuracy and distance of his throws predictably suffers. While I applauded Siemian’s fearless demeanor in the pocket he does struggle with feeling the rush and can inadvertently step into sacks or get caught holding the ball too long.

I mentioned his mobility and Siemian seems comfortable making throws on the run, keeping his eyes down field and squaring up his shoulders before making his throw. As a runner however he’s not especially fast or agile and can’t be counted on to gain more than a handful of yards on a scramble.

While Siemian was touted as a pro-style quarterback coming out of high school, the Orlando native operated primarily out of the shotgun at Northwestern. He’s also coming off an ACL tear that prematurely ended his senior season, so getting his footwork sorted out will be a top priority for head coach Gary Kubiak and the Broncos staff. Siemian had his surgery back in December and the recovery seems to have gone well.

Jan 20, 2015; Englewood, CO, USA; Denver Broncos executive vice president of football operations/general manager John Elway (left) head coach Gary Kubiak (center) and president Joe Ellis (right) pose for a photo following the press conference at the Broncos training facility. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

“I feel great now. I’ve been able to do everything they’ve asked me,” Siemian told Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post. “As long as I’m back before training camp, I think anything before that is icing on the cake.” Kubiak emains high on Siemian calling his limited throwing workout at this weekend’s rookie camp “impressive.”

It’s not hard to see why Kubiak has taken an early shine to his newest quarterback, but there’s still plenty to prove. Assuming he stays on schedule and is fully healthy come training camp Siemian is expected to compete with Zac Dysert for the third quarterback spot. If he continues to progress it’s not difficult to imagine Siemian pushing for the backup spot in 2016 if Peyton Manning returns.

It would seem unlikely, but it’s possible he could even push Osweiler, if he is retained, or other offseason acquisition for the 2016 starting job should Manning retire, though it’s much too early to speculate on that.

Siemian may never grow into an elite quarterback, and his best comparison may be to former Kubiak quarterback Matt Schaub, who made his name as a backup before becoming a starter. If you’re looking for a loftier projection, Siemian, at least on paper, bears some intriguing similarities to Tom Brady.

Both Siemian and Brady were Big 10 quarterbacks who split time as their team’s starter due to limited mobility, neither had stats that leapt off the page, but were both drafted late on day three of the draft, but were both highly thought of by the coaches who drafted them.

There’s a long way to go before any of the aforementioned similarities look like more than just coincidence, but the physical tools are there; with a head coach in his corner, and Peyton Manning as an on (and off) field example, the future looks bright for Trevor Siemian.

Next: Denver Broncos: Jeff Heuerman could be gem of 2015 draft class

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