Getty Utah's Tyler Huntley has been one of the top quarterbacks in college football.
Tyler Huntley has been a big part of Utah’s success this season and many fans are curious about the Utes quarterback’s NFL draft stock. Huntley is flying under the radar and is off most draft analysts’ big boards.
The good news for Huntley is that there is plenty of time for him to improve his draft stock. Huntley is absent from most mock drafts putting him in the Day 3 to the undrafted range. Heading into the conference championship weekend, Utah is a contender for the College Football Playoff where Huntley would have the biggest stage of his career. The Pac-12 title game combined with a potential playoff berth could help the quarterback improve his draft stock.
Several of Huntley’s teammates have already been invited to the Senior Bowl where the top upperclassmen get their first chance to compete in the NFL draft process. Huntley appears to be a strong candidate to eventually land an invite for Mobile which would be another chance for the Utah quarterback to show off his skill set.
Here is a look at Huntley’s NFL draft profile.
Utah Quarterback Tyler Huntley’s NFL Draft Profile
Strengths: Huntley has been a model of efficiency for the Utes completing 75.5 percent of his passes, one of the top numbers in college football. Huntley has passed for 2,773 yards, 16 touchdowns and just two interceptions. The Utah quarterback is also a threat with his legs as Huntley rushed for 255 yards and five touchdowns this season. Huntley has progressively stayed in the pocket more as his college career has advanced as he had 537 rushing yards back in 2017.
Huntley is not the level of athlete we have seen from top quarterback prospects like Kyler Murray but is still plenty mobile enough to make defenses have to prepare for his rushing ability. The Draft Network’s Ben Solak outlines some of Huntley’s strengths.
As a passer, can put zip on the ball getting it into the boundary: arm strength isn’t legendary, but it’s fine. Can throw with touch down the field and has a few bucket throws on tape, especially when hitting the outside shoulder on the boundary.
Weaknesses: Huntley does not have a cannon for an arm and does most of his damage on short to intermediate throws. Huntley does not have the ideal NFL quarterback size at 6’1″ and 190 pounds, but this does not have the same importance it did even three years ago with the way the pro game has evolved.
Unlike some of the other quarterbacks in this class, Huntley was not a highly-touted recruit coming out of high school. Huntley was ranked as a three-star prospect and the only other Power-Five offer came from Louisville, per 247 Sports. NFL Draft Network’s Trevor Sikkema noted prior to the season that he would like to see quicker decisions from Huntley.
Late to pull the trigger also causes accuracy issues. Needs more confidence in what he sees pre-snap and also when adjusting on the fly.
Summary: Huntley fits in the mold of NFL quarterbacks like Jeff Garcia if he can reach his potential. He is not going to wow you with his arm but can be a surgeon dissecting defenses in the short passing game. Huntley’s mobility is also an asset but his overall draft stock is still to be determined with December being the biggest month of his college career when it comes to the NFL.
It is hard to imagine a team not taking a late-round flyer on the Utah quarterback, and he has the potential to be a developmental player after a few years of NFL seasoning. Huntley’s stock would improve if Utah can make the College Football Playoff and the Utes quarterback shines in big-time moments.
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