Tanner McKee ranks as the best NFL Draft prospect in the Pac-12
The noise and hype surrounding Stanford's second year starter at quarterback, Tanner McKee, is continuing to skyrocket as we approach the season.
The Stanford signal caller is everything NFL scouts are looking for in a quarterback as he has the size, cerebral abilities, and the huge arm. We saw a flash last season as to why he would be such an attractive NFL prospect through the first five games when he completed 65% of his passes on 7.2 yards per attempt, while throwing for 11 touchdowns and no interceptions.
The second half of the season wasn't nearly as good as an injury he suffered along with injuries all over the offense really hindered his play, and decision making. However, even with the up and down year, he is still considered to be one of the best NFL Draft prospects available ahead of this next season. PFF's Michael Renner even went as far to rank him as the No. 1 prospect in all of the Pac-12 regardless of position ahead of players like USC receiver Jordan Addison and Oregon linebacker Noah Sewell. Here is what Renner had to say about McKee:
Even though he has just one year of starting experience under his belt, McKee is arguably the most polished quarterback in the 2023 class. His ball-handling, footwork and timing all scream NFL-ready. Now, he just needs to play more consistent football in Year 2.
If I were a betting man, I’d say we’ll see just that from McKee. A member of the 2018 recruiting class, he took a two-year LDS mission in Brazil prior to arriving at Stanford and was admittedly behind the eight-ball from a developmental standpoint. At 6-foot-6 and 226 pounds with easy arm talent and some athleticism added in for a man that size, McKee ticks a lot of NFL boxes. He just wasn’t helped out by a slightly archaic Stanford passing attack last season.
McKee will have ample opportunities to prove himself and this ranking, as this season he will be going up against the toughest schedule in the Pac-12 and arguably one of the most difficult in the country. His decision making was a question at times last season, but that also was in-part due to the inferior offensive line play. With. another offseason to improve and a slew of experienced weapons, this Stanford offense could be firing on all cylinders.
