Alright, so today I wanted to chat a bit about Kyle McCord and his draft stock. It’s something I’ve been mulling over, you know, watching how things unfold for these college quarterbacks. It’s always a bit of a rollercoaster, and McCord’s journey is no different from what I’ve seen play out countless times before.
My Initial Take and Watching Him at Ohio State
I first really started paying attention when he was named the guy at Ohio State. Big shoes to fill there, always. So, I made it a point to catch as many of their games as I could. My process isn’t super scientific, mind you. I just watch, look for certain things – how they handle pressure, arm strength, decision-making, that sort of stuff. With McCord, right off the bat, you could see the arm talent. He could make some impressive throws, no doubt about it. There were moments, flashes, where you’d think, “Okay, this kid might have something.”
But then, there were the other moments. The ones that make you go “hmm.” Consistency, or the lack thereof, was a big thing that jumped out at me. He’d look like a world-beater on one drive, hitting receivers in stride, looking poised. Then, the next series, it felt like a different guy out there – a hesitant throw, a missed read. It was up and down. And look, playing QB at Ohio State, you’re usually throwing to guys who are absolute studs, first-round talents all over the field. So, I often found myself wondering, how much of this success is McCord, and how much is it just having an embarrassment of riches at receiver who can make any QB look good?
The Doubts Creeping In
As the season went on, I started keeping a mental checklist. Arm strength? Decent enough, sure. Accuracy on short to intermediate stuff? Generally okay. Deep ball? A bit hit or miss for my liking. Pocket presence? That’s where I started to see some real cracks. He didn’t always look comfortable when things broke down. And the decision-making under duress, well, that was another area I noted down as needing work.
I remember specifically keying in on some of the bigger games. You want to see how these guys perform when the lights are brightest. And, to be honest, I wasn’t always blown away. There were opportunities missed, plays left on the field. It wasn’t disastrous all the time, but it wasn’t the kind of dominant, take-charge performance you hope to see from a top QB prospect against tough competition.
The Transfer and What It Means for His Stock (In My Eyes)
Then came the news he was hitting the transfer portal and ending up at Syracuse. Now, that development really made me sit up and re-evaluate. When a starting QB from a powerhouse like Ohio State transfers, it usually signals a few things. Maybe he saw the writing on the wall, maybe the coaches weren’t fully sold, or maybe he just wanted a fresh start to truly be “the man” without the same level of internal competition or the same supporting cast. For his draft stock, from my perspective, this move was a bit of a yellow flag. It’s not a death knell, but it certainly doesn’t scream “future first-rounder” at that point.
So, where do I land on Kyle McCord’s draft stock right now, based on my observations? It’s definitely cooled off significantly from any early buzz he might have had just by virtue of being the OSU starter.
- Early Season OSU: Potential Day 2 guy if he ironed out inconsistencies.
- Late Season OSU: Slipping, more of a Day 3 question mark for me.
- Post-Transfer: Now, I’m thinking he’s more in the late-round pick to priority free agent category. He’s got a lot to prove at Syracuse.
He needs to go to Syracuse and really light it up. Show improvement in those areas I mentioned – consistency, decision-making under pressure, and elevating a team that doesn’t have the same level of talent as Ohio State. That’s a tall order. Can he do it? Maybe. But based on the tape I’ve seen so far, and the whole trajectory, I’m not holding my breath for him to be a high pick. It’s a tough business, and the NFL is even tougher. We’ll see how it goes, but that’s my honest take from following his path.
