UCLA Football: Making the Case for Josh Rosen to be the No. 1 Pick in the 2018 NFL Draft

Making a Case for Josh Rosen (cont.)

Rosen has been sacked a total of 28 times and last year only made it through six games before succumbing to injury. However, Rosen has battled through dings before and displayed his toughness on multiple occasions.q

A prime example of this would be his late game score against the Stanford Cardinal in 2015. Facing a 3rd and 16 in the fourth quarter down by 36 points, Rosen continued to battle and found his TE Thomas Duarte for 38 yard score on an absolute dime between multiple defenders.

The willingness to fight and never give in occasionally comes back to bite Rosen especially on late throws or throws under heavy pressure but his “never say die” attitude is the mark of a true competitor.

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Maturity might be the only place where Rosen could be dinged and in 2015 and 2016 I would have agreed with that sentiment. It does seem to me  though that a quiet 2017 to this point demonstrates the measure by which he has grown.

While the media and fans came to expect and enjoy some brash behavior from their young QB, he has been very quiet and supportive of his teammates and coaches.

When you have a guy that may or may not have maturity issues, then is put through trials on the field like Rosen has faced and for him to come out and appear to be better for it, you have to believe you have a special kind of player on your hands.

The above highlight, although not of Rosen, demonstrate what he is capable of when he can be properly protected. If we put all of the elite physical talent, the drive to win, and the emerging maturity, I just don’t see how anyone could argue against him as the top pick next year. Of course there is plenty of time between now and the draft and there are plenty of other QBs at the top. Draft experts will change their minds and prospects will rise and fall.

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One thing remains a certainty for me. Rosen will make anyone who passes on him in the NFL Draft pay and make them pay for years to come.