New York Jets select Bryce Petty in fourth round of the 2015 NFL draft

When analysts talk about Baylor's Bryce Petty, they usually start with his arm strength, and for good reason—there may not be another quarterback in this draft

Doug Farrar | May 2, 2015

New York Jets select Bryce Petty in fourth round of the 2015 NFL draft /

When analysts talk about Baylor's Bryce Petty, they usually start with his arm strength, and for good reason—there may not be another quarterback in this draft class who can throw downfield with more ease. And he's certainly been prolific—Robert Griffin's replacement in the Bears' program totaled 530 completions in 845 attempts for 8,195 yards, 62 touchdowns and 10 interceptions throughout his collegiate career. There are some who firmly believe that, based on his tape, Petty is the third-best quarterback in this group, behind only Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota.

If that's the case, why did Petty last until the 103rd pick? Put simply, accuracy. Petty has a 62.7 career completion rate, but that was fattened up by a lot of behind-the-line screens and easy-open routes. Far too often, when he throws deep, he also throws wild—and he'll miss those wide-open targets by yards at times. Petty is a great pick in the fourth round, though, because he's a player with a lot of raw talent who also needs development. Ostensibly, that's what he'll get in the Jets' organization.

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Strengths: Tough, competitive team leader. Good frame. Throws in rhythm with quick release. Has arm strength to make throws to all parts of the field and can squeeze balls into tight windows, which he was rarely asked to do in Baylor's offense. Not fast, but effective as a runner, especially in the red zone. Displays touch on deep ball, knowing when to take something off it. Impressed teams with throwing skills at combine and pro day workout.

Weaknesses: Played in spread offense. Struggled if first read wasn't available. Accuracy fell off with defenders at his feet. Can extend plays but prone to mistakes when moving outside the pocket. Fails to set lower body when hurried and throws just with arm. Fails to let play develop if feeling rushed ... leading to overthrown balls on open deep routes.

Player Comparison: Derek Carr

Grade: A-

Published May 2, 2015

DOUG FARRAR

SI.com contributing NFL writer and Seattle resident Doug Farrar started writing about football locally in 2002, and became Football Outsiders' West Coast NFL guy in 2006. He was fascinated by FO's idea to combine Bill James with Dr. Z, and wrote for the site for six years. He wrote a game-tape column called "Cover-2" for a number of years, and contributed to six editions of "Pro Football Prospectus" and the "Football Outsiders Almanac." In 2009, Doug was invited to join Yahoo Sports' NFL team, and covered Senior Bowls, scouting combines, Super Bowls, and all sorts of other things for Yahoo Sports and the Shutdown Corner blog through June, 2013. Doug received the proverbial offer he couldn't refuse from SI.com in 2013, and that was that. Doug has also written for the Seattle Times, the Washington Post, the New York Sun, FOX Sports, ESPN.com, and ESPN The Magazine. He also makes regular appearances on several local and national radio shows, and has hosted several podcasts over the years. He counts Dan Jenkins, Thomas Boswell, Frank Deford, Ralph Wiley, Peter King, and Bill Simmons as the writers who made him want to do this for a living. In his rare off-time, Doug can be found reading, hiking, working out, searching for new Hendrix, Who, and MC5 bootlegs, and wondering if the Mariners will ever be good again.