NFL Draft Profile: Phil Jurkovec, Quarterback, Boston College Eagles

NFL Draft profile scouting report for Boston College QB Phil Jurkovec

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#5
Pos: QB
Ht: 6041
Wt: 226
40: 4.76
DOB: 11/3/1999
Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA
High School: Pine-Richland
Eligibility: 2023

Phil Jurkovec
Boston College Eagles

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One-Liners

A talented-but-raw passer, Phil Jurkovec must improve his mechanics and processing to reach his solid-starter ceiling.

Evaluation:

A big-bodied, athletic quarterback with the traits to develop into a starter in the NFL. Phil Jurkovec has sufficient arm talent and movement skills to qualify as a dual-threat option. As a passer, the Notre Dame transfer exhibits the requisite arm strength to make any throw asked of him. What’s more, he has a solid understanding of touch and layering the ball between levels of the defense. Jurkovec also has a feel for space and coverages. He tends to throw to space and allows routes to develop under the ball. Consequently, he misses well. In other words, he consciously puts the ball where only his receiver can get it. Similarly, Jurkovec forces his receivers away from defenders with his ball placement. He also flashes a beautiful deep ball. As a runner, Jurkovec offers vision, power and leg drive. The Eagles quarterback rarely slides and uses his momentum to finish plays. Jurkovec’s best play comes under pressure. When forced to scramble, his instincts as a football player take the wheel. Jurkovec regularly breaks tackles behind the line of scrimmage and consistently keeps his eyes downfield while extending the play. He even directs traffic and communicates with his receivers mid-play. Jurkovec is capable of throwing across his body or off-platform and displays improved accuracy when escaping pressure. Despite his tools and efficacy out of structure, the Boston College passer is far from an NFL-ready product. First and foremost, his lower-body mechanics must improve. He does not properly transfer his weight in his passing motion and can get lazy with his lead leg. He also occasionally fades off of his back foot in his throwing motion. His inconsistent mechanics lead to volatile displays of arm strength and accuracy. That said, Jurkovec’s ball placement is erratic and inconsistent regardless of whether or not he plays with sound lower body mechanics. He regularly forces receivers back to coverage by putting the ball behind them. Similarly, he slows receivers down to wait for the ball which allows defenders to recover. Further, his passes tend to sink when he adds extra velocity to the ball. It is also worth noting that Jurkovec struggles with his progressions, though this may be partially attributable to his inexperience. The Boston College quarterback fails to get through his progressions and often locks onto his first option. As a result, Jurkovec often forces the ball into tight windows or double coverage and is regularly late to hit his second or third read. Finally, Jurkovec can struggle to sense pressure and takes far too many sacks while attempting to scramble. High-upside passers are often sought-after commodities on draft day. Phil Jurkovec has starter upside and athleticism. He has the requisite arm strength to make any NFL throw and the movement skills to be a legitimate dual-threat. What’s more, he thrives under pressure and has proven his composure and instincts while extending plays time and again. That said, the inexperienced passer must improve his mechanics and his ability to work through his reads. Phil Jurkovec projects as a developmental starter. 

Grades

3rd Round

Background:

A standout passer from Gibsonia, Pennsylvania, Phil Jurkovec earned a 4-star rating from 247Sports Composite Rankings for his performance at Pine-Richland High School. The same outlet listed the quarterback as the 4th-ranked dual-threat quarterback recruit in the nation and the second-best recruit in the state of Pennsylvania. Jurkovec’s 11,144 career passing yards were good for second-best in Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) history. He accumulated these gaudy numbers in just two and a half seasons (after missing time in his sophomore season with a thumb injury). His 3,969 passing yards during his senior season were the third-most in WPIAL single-season history. Jurkovec was also only the second quarterback in WPIAL history to throw for over 3,000 yards and rush for over 1,000 yards in a season. His 5,180 total yards in his senior season set a state single-season record. Jurkovec led Pine-Richland to a 2017 Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association 6A state championship. The 2017 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Player of the Year’s stellar high school career earned him an invitation to the Army All-American Bowl in 2018. At the event, he was named one of four finalists for the Felix “Doc” Blanchard Award - given to a player on the US Army All-American Bowl East roster that exhibits prowess both on the field and in the classroom. Jurkovec is enrolled in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences as an economics major. He received The Richard F. Powers, Jr. ‘40 Quarterback Scholarship Fund. 

Latest News:

NFL Draft Buzz Continues To Grow For Boston College QB Phil Jurkovec

During ACC media day, Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley noted the great strides that quarterback Phil Jurkovec made during the spring but specifically pointed out one attribute that has him really excited. “Confidence,” Hafley said proudly. “He's so talented. He can throw the ball all over the field. He's big, he's strong, he's hard to sack. He sees it, he can process. I saw confidence and I saw leadership coming in and out of the huddle as each practice went on.” Hafley also elaborated on some of the pro traits that NFL scouts will come to appreciate. “We're kind of different, we don't sit there and signal everything,” he explained. “We actually get in the huddle. The way this guy breaks the huddle and walks through the line and approaches it, you can see the confidence building, the leadership coming out of him, which is what excites me. But confidence and leadership is what I see. I'm really excited about it.” The Eagles showed some promise under the first year duo of Hafley and Jurkovec, earning a winning record (6-5), along with a bowl game birth. Jurkovec, who transferred from Notre Dame, demonstrated great pocket awareness, arm strength and decision-making, tossing for 2,558 yards, 17 touchdowns and five interceptions in ten games played. There is some talk that the redshirt junior could enter the 2022 NFL Draft with a strong showing this season. - (07/26/21)

"He is tough. He cares about his team. When he gets out on the field, there's nothing that phases him." -- Boston College Head Coach Jeff Haffley on QB Phil Jurkovec