ESPN Breakdowns Texas QB Quinn Ewers NFL Draft Potential

Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers enters year two with a lot to prove after scuffling in his first year in Austin, but he could find himself as a top-quarterback prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers battled injuries last year in what was an up-and-down season in his first as a collegiate starter.

Ahead of what needs to be a bounce-back year for Ewers, ESPN's Jordan Reid broke down what he excels at, what he needs to work on and what is intriguing about his first-round potential in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Reid said Ewers has an "effortless side-arm" throwing motion while not exerting much energy to generate "velocity behind his throws."

"He showed plenty of promise in finishing the 2022 season with 2,177 passing yards, 15 touchdowns passes and six interceptions," Reid wrote. "His first-quarter performance against Alabama in Week 2 was perhaps the best highlight of his first season as a starter. Prior to exiting the game with an injury to his nonthrowing shoulder, he completed 9 of 12 passes for 134 passing yards against the Crimson Tide's tough defense."

Reid said Ewers needs to play with more week-to-week consistency in 2023.

"His play was too uneven, and we saw the low end in Week 8 against Oklahoma State (19-for-49, 318 passing yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions)," Reid wrote. "In watching his tape, I think he needs to find more rhythm between his upper and lower body. Ewers relies too heavily on his upper-body strength to drive the ball, which can result in poor accuracy and misfires all over the field."

Ewers enters 2023 with high expectations, ranking as a Heisman Trophy contender on a roster that has potential to win the Big 12 and make a push for the College Football Playoff.

Coming out of Southlake Carroll High School, Ewers was compared to longtime NFL great Philip Rivers and was a projected first-round draft pick.

Reid said "all of the ingredients" for Ewers to be a first-round pick and a successful quarterback are there, but he needs to figure out "how to blend them to reach the next stage of his development."

"Another year in Texas' proven system and under the guidance of a quarterback developer like Steve Sarkisian — he developed first-round picks in Tua Tagovailoa (2020) and Mac Jones (2021) — will do Ewers well," Reid wrote. "If he puts it all together, he has a high ceiling."

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You can follow Casey Smith on Twitter @casey_smith2419

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