Jared Goff will rise up draft boards in 2015

By Ryan Ratty | Jun 1, 2015

The quarterback position always seems to be a need for a few teams each offseason. Jared Goff is a guy that could go No. 1 overall in the 2016 NFL Draft.

In today’s NFL, where passing the football and having a diverse offensive scheme is so vital, quarterbacks are extremely vital to a team’s success. The quarterbacks of the last five Super Bowl teams are (in order) Tom Brady, Russell Wilson, Joe Flacco, Eli Manning, and Aaron Rodgers. Each guy has shown the ability to overcome obstacles and win football games for their teams.

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With that being said, whenever a team is in need of a franchise quarterback, they normally don’t look to free agency to address the position. Instead, they look to the draft to bring in the guy who will lead their offense for years to come.

It’s a bit tough which team it will be as of now, but the fact of the matter is that a quarterback will likely be taken with the first pick in 2016 NFL Draft. Christian Hackenberg and Connor Cook are both tremendous talents and both are in the running to be the first player chosen in the draft. Cardale Jones and Cody Kessler are two other names that could be chosen in the first round. However, there seems to be a name many people are just starting to hear about.

In the coming months, you will hear a lot of comparisons between Aaron Rodgers, yes that Aaron Rodgers, and Jared Goff, the current quarterback of the California Golden Bears. Standing at 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, Goff is a guy that has the ideal size coaches and scouts love out of their quarterbacks.

Despite being 20 years old, Goff is extremely mature in the pocket, knowing when to scramble and having the toughness to withstand a hit while throwing the football. Let’s take a look at one of Goff’s throws when he’s under pressure:

When you watch Goff, it’s easy to see a guy that looks truly awkward. He has a slender body and long arms, but he has room to put on muscle. For a guy his size, Goff actually moves around in the pocket extremely well, as is the case by this throw right here:

The main flaw with Goff is that he doesn’t have best arm strength, but he’s an excellent decision-maker and truly is a quarterback that puts the ball only where his receivers can reel it in. Like Peyton Manning, Goff is extremely wise. He reads defenses before the ball is snapped and when the play does begin, he can recognize where his “hot” receiver is and gets it there with touch.

As I said at the beginning of the article, you’re going to hear a lot of comparisons between Goff and Rodgers, and while the main similarity is that they played at the same school, the in-depth similarities are because of his decision-making, his anticipation passes, and his ability to read defenses.

Going into the 2015 season, there’s not a player I’m more excited to watch than Goff. A true junior, Goff already has done enough to warrant NFL teams to give him attention. Entering the third season as the starting quarterback, Goff is only going to get better and better. I’m a firm believer that he’ll be one of the top quarterbacks taken in the 2016 NFL Draft.

Next: 2016 NFL Mock Draft: Way too early predictions

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