Whitehurst is an interesting prospect because he has many of the tools to be a successful quarterback in the NFL and has the lineage (his father played quarterback for the Packers in the late '70s/early '80s). He is a tall quarterback with the smooth release and the arm to make all the throws with zip and accuracy. The trouble is that he does not consistently stride into throws and has a little bit of wind-up in delivery, which makes his throwing motion a little deliberate, which will allow NFL defenders to get good breaks on his passes. Overall, Whitehurst might have the physical talent to be a solid starting quarterback in the NFL if he can become more consistent throwing when under pressure, but he needs to go to a team with a quarterbacks coach who is very good at teaching in order for Whitehurst to become the player he is capable of being. In the end, Whitehurst probably will struggle to be a consistent NFL starter and end up as a top-notch backup who can do a very good job of finishing games and can be solid starting a few games a season as a fill-in.
CRITICAL FACTORS
Size
Athletic Ability
Strength
Competes
Play Speed
6.0
6.0
6.0
6.0
5.0
STRONG POINTS
Whitehurst is a tall quarterback with the arm strength to make all the throws when he strides into them. He makes throws of over 20 yards downfield without much effort. He is a smart quarterback who reads the defense well, can find the open receiver and will throw the ball away rather than force a pass. He just about never makes the big mistake or interception. When he maintains his focus and strides into throws consistently, he is an accurate passer. His ability to make good decisions and throw accurately helps him to consistently make big plays. He has very good touch on deep passes.
WEAKNESSES
Despite testing out well athletically at the NFL Scouting Combine, Whitehurst plays more like a limited athlete in games. He lacks quick feet to avoid sacks and cannot scramble for first downs. His lack of athleticism and struggles under pressure hinder his ability to consistently convert key downs into first downs against the blitz. He does not consistently maintain good technique under pressure. He ends up throwing flat-footed and falling backward, which leads to him losing accuracy on passes.
POSITIONAL FACTORS
Grade
Category
Comments/Description
5.5
Technique
Has a smooth, but somewhat deliberate motion, and is very inconsistent when it comes to striding into passes.
6.0
Arm Strength
He has deceptive arm strength. When he strides into them, he can make 20-yard-plus throws easily.
5.5
Convert Pct.
When he strides into throws, he makes good, accurate throws to convert key plays into first downs.
4.0
2nd Lives
Lacks foot quickness to avoid sacks and will throw the ball away rather than try to make something happen.
6.0
Accuracy Short in Pocket
When he strides into throws, he make good, accurate throws on short distance passes.
6.5
Accuracy Long in Pocket
He is a very good touch passer down field, but struggles when he has pressure in his face and has to put zip on throws.
6.5
Accuracy on the Move
He does a good job of staying under control and throwing accurately on the move.
6.5
Big Plays
Whitehurst's ability to throw the ball accurately and make good decisions helps him make big plays consistently.
5.5
Under Pressure
He feels pressure well and will throw the ball away, but his passes lose accuracy due to bad footwork against pressure.
5.5
Leadership/Poise
He is a good leader who takes charge of the offense, but when he is pressured, his throwing technique gets bad.
6.0
Read Defenses
He reads the defense quickly and can find open receivers easily, but does not always throw accurately under pressure.
8.0
Big Errors
Whitehurst does not make the big error, but it is concerning that he loses accuracy due to bad technique under prerssure.
ATHLETIC ABILITY
Section Grade: 6.0
Whitehurst's athletic ability is tough to fairly grade. On the field, he is only an adequate athlete who does not make plays with his feet. But in postseason workouts, he has shown he is clearly a good athlete with better foot quickness and speed than you see on film. On film, he does not show the foot quickness to avoid sacks consistently and is not going to scramble for the first down. He is, however, a very smooth and fluid athlete throwing the ball. He puts almost no effort into throwing passes of over 20 yards down the field. He has flexibility to bend his knee on the front leg when he strides into his throws. He is a coordinated athlete who keeps his feet well against defenders who are trying to reach in low and grab his feet.
Q.A.B.
Quick Feet
C.O.D.
Flexibility
Coordination
6.0
6.0
5.0
6.0
6.0
COMPETITIVENESS
Section Grade: 6.0
Whitehurst is a tough quarterback who consistently has shown a willingness to tough it out and play through pain; he pretty much stayed in the lineup despite the pounding he took. He did a good job of stepping up and making plays to convert in key situations. He did not always come up with the conversion, but never made the big error in key situations. His overall production was good in certain areas, but only adequate in others. He could make good, accurate throws on short, quick-hitting passes, never forced passes and consistently showed a willingness to throw the ball away to avoid a sack. However, he did not consistently stride into his throws, which limited his ability to accurately throw the medium/deep pass with zip. Additionally, when the pressure got into his area, he tended to throw flat-footed and falling away, which killed his accuracy. The biggest thing that Whitehurst has going for him production-wise is his smarts and ability to throw accurately on short passes when he strides into them. He is a competitive team player who not only played through pain, but consistently did whatever it took off the field to be the most prepared he needed to be in order to help the team.
Toughness
Clutch Play
Production
Consistency
Team Player
Pride/Quit
6.0
6.0
5.5
5.5
6.5
6.5
MENTAL ALERTNESS
Section Grade: 5.5
Whitehurst definitely is a smart young man who not only did very well on the Wonderlic, but has a smooth and compact delivery, makes good decisions and will not force passes into traffic. He has good instincts, which help him to consistently sense/feel pressure, but he lacks the foot quickness to consistently react quickly to the pressure and make plays with his feet. He does a good job of staying focused and maintaining his concentration, which probably is the main reason he is able to consistently make good decisions and not make big mistakes.
Learn/Retain
Instincts/Reactions
Concentration
6.0
5.5
6.0
STRENGTH/EXPLOSION
Section Grade: 6.0
He has good size, but on film he clearly looks thinner than his measured weight. He has been a very durable quarterback at Clemson; with his measured size and toughness, he has what it takes to be a durable NFL quarterback. He is not an explosive player. He lacks the burst of speed to get out of the pocket to make plays with his feet, and the ball does not jump out of his hand. He has good playing strength when standing in the pocket. He has shown the ability to make accurate throws while defenders are grabbing and pulling him to try and get the sack.
