Can David Blough add a jolt of youth to Washington’s QB depth?

David Blough, QB
School: Purdue / Conference: Big Ten
College Experience: RS Senior | Age: 23
Height / Weight: 6-0 / 205 lbs
Projected Draft Status: 5^th-6^th round
Player Comparison: Kirk Cousins

College Statistics

Player Overview

One of the main underwhelming positions of the 2018 position was the performance from the quarterback position. Washington was forced to trot out a cadre of QBs (Alex Smith, Colt McCoy, Mark Sanchez, Josh Johnson) due to injuries and poor play. All quarterbacks listed are over age 30, some had various injuries and/or have history bouncing to various teams. None of the quarterbacks listed are considered long-term options. Washington doesn’t only need a franchise QB but an overhaul of QB depth.

David Blough is a prospect who should be able to learn the nuances of the offense behind possibly Colt McCoy. Blough is a fifth-year senior from Purdue who played in an offense where he was tasked to make quick reads and a lot of short completions. He led Purdue to 6-7 record this year with a 5-4 record in conference play. This year, Blough lead Purdue to quality wins against then #23 Boston College, #2 Ohio State, and #16 Iowa. However, he also been at the helm of bad losses against unranked teams including a drubbing by Auburn at the Music City Bowl. Under Blough, Purdue has the 11^th best offense in the nation.

Strengths

• Great accuracy and zip on short throws.
• Good footwork and mobility.
• Decisive decision-making.

Weaknesses

• Footwork falls off under pressure.
• Worked in an offense with a lot of short and underneath throws.
• Unable to consistently make the throws under pressure.
• Poor deep throws accuracy (balls often lands out of bounds).
• Needs to show how strong his arm and accuracy is on intermediate and deep throws.

Grade

Size (5 of 10)

A bit undersized for the position. He definitely needs to bulk up for the rigors of the NFL.

Arm Talent (5.5 of 10)

Not the best arm talent outside short passes. Short passes has great zip, speed, and comes out fast. Longer throws are often off-target, nowhere near for the receiver to make a play.

Accuracy (10 of 15)

Blough has improved his completion percentage each year up to 66.7%. His interception percentage during his senior year is ~1.9%. This throws, especially the short ones, are very accurate in ball placement and gives the receivers time to catch in strides for YAC opportunities. However, the higher accuracy percentage could be attributed to the heavy amount of short passes thrown.

Mobility (6 of 10)

Decent mobility. Can escape occasion pressure and scramble for some yards. Alex Smith-like.

Mental Processing (10 of 15)

Blough has shown to be proficient at making pre-snap reads. The offense however forces him to make a lot of throws off quick reads

Mechanics (7 of 10)

Blough has good footwork in the pocket that becomes decent when pressured. He throws a great ball with great accuracy within 10 yards pass the line of scrimmage. Fast throwing delivery. His accuracy and touch on deeper throws are off target and lacks zip.

Footwork, delivery, throwing motion, release. Impacts accuracy, arm strength, and ability to throw in a bad pocket. I’d say this is important for longevity and consistency.

Leadership (9 of 15)

Outstanding character. Known for his public servitude. His visits and volunteer efforts in a South African orphanage as part of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes has been well documented. Like Kirk Cousins.

On the field, he is a decent player who on few occasions have led his team to beat better opponents. Watched bowl game against Auburn. He tried his best to lead his outmatched unit against a stout Auburn defense. Didn’t lead to a victory but there wasn’t any deterrent in Blough’s effort.

Clutch (9 of 15)

Blough gets major points for defeating the then-No.2 Ohio State in a blowout victory 49-20. He also has quality wins against other ranked opponents such as No. 23 Boston College and No. 16 Iowa.

However, Purdue has been an inconsistent team as their record shows. There are moments where the defense puts the game out of reach for them to be clutch moments. One game this season against Michigan State, Blough failed to lead his team to a scoring drive in the 4^th quarter when the team was down 13-16.

Total: 61.5/100

How He Would Fit On The Redskins

David’s Blough offensive skillset fits perfectly for Jay Gruden’s West Coast offense which looks similar to the one ran at Purdue. He has great accuracy, touch, and ball placement in the short passing game with decisive decision-making. Those traits fits with other past QBs Jay Gruden prefers with to run his offense. Blough projects to be a backup quarterback in the NFL. In Washington, we can be the immediate backup for projected starter, Colt McCoy.