The Grades For The Stanley Pick
Iowa quarterback Nate Stanley was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in Saturday's seventh round of the NFL Draft.
Stanley was one of the most prolific quarterbacks in program history:
• Stanley went 27-12 in his career, not missing a start in his last three seasons.
• He became the second quarterback in program history to go 3-0 in bowl games, winning the 2017 Pinstripe Bowl, the 2019 Outback Bowl and the 2019 Holiday Bowl.
• He ranked second in program history in career touchdown passes with 68.
• He ranked second in program history with 8,302 passing yards, and third in total offense in with 8,197 yards.
A look at how the national analysts graded the pick:
ESPN
Analysis: "This marks the first time the Vikings drafted a quarterback since 2014, when they used the last pick in the first round on Teddy Bridgewater. Stanley, the fourth quarterback on the roster, has prototypical size and solid arm strength. His lack of mobility and inconsistency throwing the ball (he never completed more than 60% in a season) is why he lasted until the seventh round. Stanley is expected to compete with Jake Browning, who spent all of last year on the practice squad, for the No. 3 quarterback spot behind Kirk Cousins and Sean Mannion." — Jamison Hensley
"Stanley has prototypical size and good arm strength. He showed above-average command of a pro-style system and made strides in terms of his decision-making at Iowa. He's streaky with his accuracy and struggles with touch throws. He's not nearly as agile or mobile as most of the top quarterback prospects in recent years." — Steve Muench
NFL.com
Analysis: "Stanley's size and arm strength will catch your attention. However, he will have a tough time landing a backup job in the NFL unless he cleans up his accuracy and decision-making." — Mark Dulgerian
