In this edition of “Making the Case” I ignore all the naysayers and those burned out by the 2017 NFL Draft by telling you why UCLA Football QB Josh Rosen should be the number one pick next year.
The UCLA Football team hasn’t had a quarterback taken first overall since former Bruin great Troy Aikman in 1989. Sure UCLA has produced some very talented NFL players who have gone on to have long NFL careers but not many of them have had the physical tools and the highlight reel that Rosen has.
That’s why I have Rosen locked in as my #1 player in the 2018 NFL Draft.
We might as well get it out of the way. Rosen didn’t have a good 2016 season. In addition to having to learn a new offense in his second year, the offensive line kept him running for his life. He was knocked around and eventually knocked out for the season with a nerve issue in his throwing shoulder.
Offseason surgery and an offensive line coaching change will help to sure up Rosen’s arm and his protection respectively.
Now he just has to prove he’s rebounded from his injury (which he did this spring) and demonstrate his grasp of the playbook (a work in progress).
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I believe not only will he easily prove the doubters wrong, but will make believers of both the media and the NFL.
Let’s look at his physical tools first.
Rosen stands at 6-foot-4 and has added weight to reach around 220 pounds. He clearly passes the eye test. He also has the arm strength, throwing motion, touch and accuracy that makes scouts drool.
He can make any throw you ask him to make and can certainly make any throw he would be asked to make in an NFL playbook. He proved it as a freshman and again as a sophomore when he was throwing to a new wide receiver group.
Being a standout high school tennis player helped shape Rosen’s quick feet that allow him to slide in the pocket and that footwork gives him the base to step into his throws.
While he holds onto the ball too long sometimes, which leads to sacks but often he doesn’t receive enough time behind this current UCLA offensive line. However when given time, any semblance of time, he’s an absolute surgeon.