Thursday 7 January 2010

Jevan Snead heading for the NFL

Ole Miss quarterback Jevan Snead will declare for the 2010 NFL draft. Considered by many to be a first round pick last summer, Snead endured a disastrous season that destroyed his stock. Too many mistakes, too many interceptions - ending with a temporary benching in the Bowl game (where he threw three more picks). There's no doubt that Snead has the tools to be a pro-QB - the big arm, shifty athleticism, prototype size. All comparisons to Matt Stafford are fair in that sense. Unlike Stafford however, he's not had a good enough year to convince anyone he deserves to be a first round pick, let alone a top one.

In a sense things got so bad he almost had no choice but to declare. His starting position was suddenly in doubt and he wasn't guaranteed to begin the 2010 season. That would likely have ended any chances of a career in the NFL. At least now he has a chance to work out for scouts and hope to convince someone the tools are enough to warrant selection. It wouldn't be a total stretch to suggest Snead could still go as high as the second round - you don't need to work on his mechanics and in a good scheme, he's worth a calculated risk. The decision making, accuracy and execution though will always be a concern and it's not easily taught.

He finished the year with 20 touchdowns and 20 interceptions, completing 54.4% of his passes. In his toughest match-up back in October, he threw four interceptions against Alabama completing just eleven of thirty-four passes for 140 yards. I'll leave the final word to Chris Steuber from Scout.com on his twitter page:

"Ole Miss QB Jevan Snead will enter the 2010 NFL Draft. A major mistake for the most overrated QB in college football."
- Chris Steuber, Scout.com

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

What is it with college QB's, Rob? First Leinhart & Bradford come back when they were at the top of most draft boards, now we have Snead (who could not have hurt his stock much more unless he hung out with Pacman Jones after games), and he's coming out. Now I have to worry about two QB's possibly being taken by the Hawks (Clausen being the other). I watched Snead play in 4 games this season, and he looked awful (and not just because of his hype, he looked awful for any QB). Everything from his decision making to his accuracy was well below average. Where do you see him being taken?

Also, I just saw a player ranked quite high on ESPN.com Scouts Inc. ratings that I had not heard of: UMass guard Vladimir Ducasse. They have him ranked higher than Iupati, which caught my eye. I was wondering if you have seen any film of him. Keep up the good work Rob.

- Chris (Seattle)

Rob Staton said...

Hey Chris,

It was a tough decision for Snead. He could've gone back next year, had a much better season and his stock would be repaired.

On the other hand, I just think he had to get out of that situation at Ole Miss. His play has been so bad - and I think the coaches didn't do a good enough job rescuing his season. They have to take some responsibility. He wasn't even a shoe in to start next year, it could've been a complete mess. He will be drafted this year, you couldn't say that this time next year if he went back and got benched.

The difference here was about getting paid period rather than only earning $15m instead of £60m. It was a horrible situation for Snead and although he's had a horrid year, I can see why he made the decision he did.

I've read about Ducasse and I noticed Scouts Inc have him rated very highly. However, they have Eric Berry ranked ahead of Ndamukong Suh also so it wouldn't surprise me if their backing the wrong horse on the interior line too. I'll try and get some tape on him or get some more information on the blog soon.

Mike Kelly said...

Snead has a chance to be drafted by a good team where he can sit for a few years behind a solid QB and repair his psyche. I would not mind seeing him here if we can get him in the 3rd (trade/Comp Pick) or 4th round. I think his tools can be harnessed and I would hope we get a chance if we do nto go QB early.

Rob Staton said...

I think he's best going to a good team with solid foundations - established coaching staff who won't be going anywhere soon, good defense and supporting cast on offense. Of course, you could say that about any young quarterback.

It really is mainly a mental block with Snead. We saw last year that he can make plays, he won't be completely error prone. I again come back to the staff at Ole Miss - I don't think they handled that situation well at all after he made a bad start to the year after all the summer hype.

A team like the Titans might be a good fit. He can sit well out of the way for now behind Young and Collins (as long as he reworks that contract, it's v. expensive for a backup). It's also a situation that he could potentially start in a couple of years down the line and they have good young playmakers on offense.

Anonymous said...

Nutt has a history of mishandling QBs. Snead could very well be the steal of the draft for a team who can be patient with him and give him good coaching.
This would be a great pick for Seattle if he drops as low as it sounds like he might.

Rob Staton said...

I think his stock today is at around the 2-3 round mark. He has time to solidify or improve upon that.

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