COSTA MESA, Calif. — Kyle Lauletta isn’t going to wow you with arm strength or big throws down the field, but I thought overall he a solid day during the quarterback workouts at the NFL scouting combine on Saturday.
Lauletta is better athlete than I thought, posting a 31-inch vertical jump and running an official 4.81-second, 40-yard dash time at 6-foot-3 and 222 pounds — plenty fast for a quarterback.
I also like his 64 percent career completion percentage at Richmond and the fact that he played in pro-style and spread systems in college.
“Accuracy is something that you can’t teach,” Lauletta said. “I feel like either you have it or you don’t. I’ve always had a good feel for where the receiver is going to be. Not just putting it on the money, but anticipating those windows and throwing it before the receiver breaks. I think that’s something that translates to the next level and will help me.”
A captain for two years at Richmond, a lot has been said about Lauletta playing lacrosse in high school. Add in the fact that he played at an FCS school, Lauletta’s lacrosse background is one of the reasons some draft analysts have him tabbed to go to the New England Patriots in the draft, with some comparing him to Jimmy Garoppolo (to be honest, I think Garoppolo has a bigger arm).
I think the lacrosse background helps Lauletta in terms of playing with anticipation and short-area quickness in football.
Lauletta finished 24-12 as a starter at Richmond and was the MVP at the Senior Bowl, completing 8-of-12 passes for 198 yards and three touchdowns.
Lauletta said he met with the Los Angeles Chargers that week. Lauletta also said he met with a couple of Chargers scouts at the combine.
He suffered a torn ACL in his right knee his junior season, so the medical exam will be an important piece of his evaluation. He could make sense for the Chargers as a developmental quarterback prospect on Day 2 of this year’s draft.
Lauletta pointed to Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Matt Ryan as quarterbacks he watched growing up and in college. Like Ryan, Lauletta is from Exton, Pennsylvania. Lauletta played for four different offensive coordinators at Richmond, so he has the ability to quickly learn and adapt to a new scheme. He’s also familiar with the RPOs (run-pass options) that have become prevalent in the NFL.
“I ran a few RPOs in my first couple years,” Lauletta said. “But that was more of a predominant thing we used in our last year. It’s interesting to see the transition in the NFL, they’re using quite a few more of those. I think offense are adapting in the NFL and starting to use more of these college concepts. So I’ve definitely run those and feel comfortable running them.”
- Here’s some quick thoughts on some of the other quarterbacks that could make sense for the Chargers:
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Baker Mayfield: I thought he’d run faster than the 4.84-second, 40-yard time, based on the plays he made with his feet at Oklahoma. But Mayfield’s elite arm strength and accuracy were obvious during throwing drills. Mayfield can sling it, and I think some team will take a chance on him in the top half of the first round. The Chargers are going to have to move up from No. 17 to have a chance to select Mayfield.
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Josh Rosen: This guy won’t be around when the Chargers draft at No. 17 either. Like Lauletta, he tested better than I expected going in. In my opinion, Rosen is probably the best pure thrower of the football out of all the quarterbacks, in terms of making all the throws at the next level. And he’s polished in his game-day mechanics, setting up pass protections and going through route progressions against complex, NFL defenses. I think Rosen is a no-brainer for the Arizona Cardinals and new offensive coordinator Mike McCoy.
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Mason Rudolph: I like his size and I thought he threw the ball OK. It’s interesting that he already has a relationship with Philip Rivers from his time working out with the veteran NFL quarterback a few weeks ago. So that certainly helps. And he’s a pretty good deep-ball thrower. However, Rudolph’s ability to move around and make plays with his feet is a concern.
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Lamar Jackson: Like Rudolph, I thought Jackson threw the ball solid and handled himself well during media availability. Because he didn’t run at the combine, Jackson’s pro day will be even more important. And the team that drafts Jackson needs to have a specific, short-term and long-range plan for his development. He’s a playmaker, and I think a team will take a chance on Jackson late in the first round. Head coach Anthony Lynn wants a dual-threat quarterback that can threaten a defense with his feet.
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