Why the 49ers Shouldn't Put Stock Into Quarterback Pro Days

Tell me if you've seen this.

A quarterback has a Pro Day and makes a really nice throw during a scripted work out while wearing a T shirt and shorts. Then a clip of that one throw circulates the internet for a week, and people use that one clip as evidence to prove a quarterback's future greatness.

Excuse me while I roll my eyes.

All these Pro Day afficianados forget that almost any quarterback at any level of college football can look good doing a routine after rehearsing it for several months. It proves nothing.

The best way to evaluate a college quarterback is to watch his game film. Not practice tape. Not a workout routine. Live action. Real football. Because real football is a totally different universe than Pro Day football.

Some of the biggest busts of all time were Pro Day masters. JaMarcus Russell and Kyle Boller could throw the ball a mile from their knees. But in games, they were terrible.

Lots of athletes who throw well are terrible quarterbacks. Because what determines success in the NFL is knowing where to go with the ball under pressure and getting it there.

Jimmy Garoppolo doesn't know where to go with the ball when he's under pressure -- that's why he takes so many hits and sustains so many injuries. He doesn't react well with bodies around him. And that's one of the main reasons the 49ers want to replace him.

But I bet his Pro Day was outstanding.