By now we all know that NFL general managers earn their paychecks by their success in the later rounds of the draft and uncovering those hidden gems that can push a team over the top. With the bulk of the scouting just getting underway and many names being brought to the forefront who weren’t exactly on the tip of anyone’s tongues when the collegiate season started, this new segment called Under the Radar will explore just what scouts find attractive about certain prospects who may be available beyond the glamour rounds of the draft.

He has been called the Joe Flacco of this year’s draft class and for good reason as Fordham’s John Skelton is as physically gifted as they come at the quarterback position. At 6’5” 244lbs. Skelton has the prototypical build of the modern signal caller with the ability to scan the field over a number of huge bodies in front of him. His elite arm strength is what draws the most comparisons to Flacco as he has by far the strongest arm among this year’s crop of quarterbacks. His deceptive athleticism for a big man also lends to comparisons with Ben Roethlisberger who is fleet of foot and adept at escaping oncoming pass rushers.

One of the biggest knocks on Skelton is his lack of touch which makes it difficult for him to throw a catchable ball at times. His incredible arm strength needs to be tamed a bit for him to develop into the total package at the next level. Footwork is questionable as well when watching Skelton as he clearly feels the pass rush a bit more than scouts would like to see which sometimes causes errant deliveries. This sketchy footwork was all against a lower level of competition as well which may give some hesitance to any teams thinking about reaching to get a quarterback for the future if he can’t stare into the teeth of a blitz and deliver an accurate pass. Skelton’s upside will likely see him get drafted much earlier than most projections predict, but he could turn out to be something special in the 5th or 6th round.

A number of names will be called during April’s NFL Draft that seem to be from out of left field, but don’t let John Skelton’s be one of them. Keep looking out for more Under the Radar players shooting up draft boards or quietly lurking in the depth of this class that could make a huge impact over the coming years on Sundays.

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