NFL Draft Profile: Kaleb Eleby, Quarterback, Western Michigan Broncos
#5
Pos: QB
Ht: 6006
Wt: 210
Hand: 928
Arm: 3058
Wingspan: 7568
Vertical: 25.5"
Broad Jump: 0903
DOB: 3/13/00
Eligible: 2022
Maryland Heights, MO
Pattonville High School
Kaleb Eleby
Western Michigan Broncos
One-Liners
Ezring: A middling athlete in terms of movement skills and arm strength, Kaleb Eleby’s accuracy and flashes of excellence on deep passes afford him starter potential in a west coast scheme.
Pros:
It is not easy to break out in the COVID-affected 2020 football season. That said, Kaleb Eleby thrived in the face of that adversity and continued his strong career in 2021. The intriguing passer boasts a reasonably well-built frame. Eleby plays with anticipation to attack windows and hit his receivers on their breaks. What’s more, he checks down when necessary. Additionally, Eleby has sufficient arm strength to attack the short and intermediate levels. He zips passes into tight windows over the middle. He also can push the ball downfield on deep shots. Similarly, the Broncos’ star exhibits a natural feel for touch; he regularly layers the ball between levels of the defense. Likewise, Eleby displays impressive accuracy and the ability to lead his receivers at all levels of the field. He has the ball placement to throw to space and away from defenders. He is not afraid to give his receivers a chance to make a play. The Broncos’ quarterback is able to step into his passes and transfer his weight properly. That said, the Western Michigan product is usually solid throwing off of an unstable base. With the ball, Eleby has sufficient movement skills to escape the pocket. He typically keeps his eyes downfield while scrambling to find passing lanes. As a ballcarrier, the Missouri native flashes craftiness to compensate for limited agility.
Cons:
Despite his various promising traits, the Western Michigan breakout star has multiple holes as a prospect. First and foremost, he has not proven himself against high-level competition. Additionally, Eleby tends to sense pressure early and bail from clean pockets. He does not navigate the pocket well. As a result, he sometimes walks into defenders. Once he senses pressure, his throwing technique disappears and he makes poor decisions. What’s more, Eleby does not have experience in an NFL offense. The Broncos’ standout rarely moves past his first read. Consequently, he forces passes and misses opportunities. While he occasionally makes outstanding throws into tight windows, the Western Michigan star often fails to see lurking defenders. Further, Eleby lacks differentiating arm strength. He does not consistently put zip on his passes and routinely underthrows deep shots. On throws outside the hashes, the ball hangs in the air and gives opponents the chance to recover. Moreover, Eleby’s ball placement falters at times; this is most evident on long throws with velocity. These errant passes are partially caused by his underwhelming arm strength, inconsistent weight transfer and his tendency to release the ball before setting his base. Unfortunately, Eleby’s movement skills are middling at best. He will struggle to consistently create and scramble in the league. He is unable to break tackles and does not exhibit sufficient change of direction ability.
Summary:
An intriguing quarterback prospect, Kaleb Eleby simply lacks differentiating arm talent and movement skills. That said, he boasts certain translatable strengths that can shine in certain schemes. The accurate passer understands touch and has impressive ball placement across the middle; he can also take advantage of open receivers deep. Eleby projects as a below-average backup with starter potential in a west-coast system.
Background:
Born on March 13th, 2000 in Maryland Heights, Missouri to parents Kenyatte Eleby and Milton Stith, Kaleb Eleby was an outstanding football player at Pattonville High School. In fact, he was a four-year letter-winner and a three-year team captain. The Missouri native had a particularly outstanding senior season. Eleby was named Class 5 Missouri Player of the Year, First-Team All-State, First-Team All-District and All-Conference. He led Pattonville to the Suburban XII South Conference title and the Class 5 state championship game. At the time of his graduation, Eleby held each of his high school’s passing records. Still, the now-college star was a multitalented athlete who ran track and played basketball. He received his school’s Elite Student-Athlete Award. In recognition of Eleby’s stellar career at Pattonville, 247Sports Composite Rankings listed the talented passer as a three-star recruit. The same service named him the 644th-ranked player nationally, the 27th-overall pro-style quarterback in his class and the 10th-best recruit from Missouri in his year. While Western Michigan was enjoying a period of stable quarterback play during Eleby’s 2018 freshman season, the first-year signal-caller was forced into action due to injury. He played in the last five games of the season, recording 1,092 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions on 62.6% completion. The next year, the Pattonville product did not play and exercised his redshirt. Eleby then broke out in 2020 after a COVID-affected offseason. He started each of the Broncos’ six games, posting 1,699 yards, 18 touchdowns and two interceptions on 64.5% completion. He was also named All-MAC Third Team. In 2021, he continued his impressive career as the Broncos’ reliable starter. In 13 games, he put up 3277 passing yards and 23 touchdowns to just six interceptions. He ran for an additional 87 yards and six touchdowns. He led Western Michigan to an 8-5 record. Eleby’s major is Recreation: Sport Management.
Grades
Current Player Value/Potential Player Value
6.8 / 7.9
Floor/Ceiling: Below Average Backup / Fringe Starter
Scheme Fit: West Coast Offense
Grade: Fifth Round
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