I've been waiting to write his NFL obituary since last year. he plays in a one-read system of five-yard throws. his deep ball accuracy is scattered. his Houdini scramble act isn't going to work against professional defenders.

yet as much as I wanted to let everyone know he's a mirage, when I watched his games this season he proved me wrong more times than not. he throws on time and with touch, meaning those five-yard passes often turn into 20-yard gains. he hits tight, contested windows. he doesn't have the purest arm, but his deep passes were much improved. his feet are quick and he can fling it on the move, so the scramble plays will still be there for him.

when OU played Texas they blitzed the hell out of him, and poked a few holes in his protection (he greatly benefits from the best line in the country). they got him to throw an interception (another was dropped) on a few disguised, NFL-style coverages. they won the third-down battle, and they had the athletes to keep him honest outside the pocket.

he still threw the game-winning touchdown on a perfect strike down the sideline.

that said, I'm not his biggest champion because of a few things. his height is the reason he breaks the pocket quickly, because he is affected when his guard-to-guard throwing lanes aren't super clean. quick feet or not, he gets away with holding the ball forever in college. he actively looks for contact in the open field, and despite his sturdy build, that's a really stupid thing to do in the NFL.

he's flawed, but he's also improved every single year, so whatever happens next should be really interesting. the Russell Wilson comps exist because they are pretty darn close. then again, I didn't think much of Wilson coming out of college either, so what do I know.