In the NFL, Quarterback is arguably the most important position for a team, so teams are more apt to gamble on blue chip talents and players with high boom or bust potential. We take a deep dive into one of these prospects today, Conner Weigman.
Coming from Bridgeland High School in Texas, Conner put up PlayStation 5 like numbers (8,901 yards and 98 touchdowns through the air, 2,064 yards and 25 touchdowns on the ground) over 3 seasons as a starter in high school. These numbers led him to be named as a 5 star recruit by 247 sports.
In addition, Conner was also a dual sport athlete, as he excelled in baseball as well as football. However, once enrolling to Texas A&M, he elected to focus solely on the gridiron.
His first season showcased an excellent ceiling as a quarterback, limited by the playing time on the field. In 5 games, he threw for 896 yards, 8 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, and also added 149 yards on the ground rushing.
This start actually netted him ESPN Freshman All-American Honors, but only increased the expectations for Conner for his next season.
His second season saw him see a September foot injury that required surgery and limited him to only 4 starts. However, in these 4 starts, Conner showcased improvement, throwing for 979 yards, 8 touchdowns, and near 70% completion rate on his passes.
This season is imperative for Conner’s development, as this limited sample size for NFL scouts have left us wanting to see more, and will help determine whether he elects to declare for the NFL Draft or return to build further on his resume as a quarterback.
Player Info
Name: Conner Weigman
Jersey: No. 15
Position: Quarterback
School: Texas A&M
Class: Sophomore
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 220 lbs.
Conner Weigman’s Strengths
Conner has the arm strength to make every throw at every level of the field; from the short throws to the intermediate to the deep throws. He can drive these passes with zip and accuracy, as well as his compact release allows him to get the ball out quickly and from different arm angles.
Conner is also very scheme versatile, as he is comfortable operating from shotgun or from under center in a traditional offense. He can navigate a pocket from his feel for rushers coming around the edges, to being able to stand in the pocket and take a hit, or climb up in the pocket and avoid rushers.
He also shows high level athleticism from his time on the baseball field, which could mean a legit dual threat as a runner and a passer as well should he be able to harness this athletic skill set.
Conner Weigman’s Weaknesses
While Conner has an innate ability to handle pressure in the pocket, his mechanics breakdown when under pressure; get a free rusher on him, and everything he has learned as a quarterback goes out the window.
He also has a tendency to telegraph his reads in the offense by locking into a receiver with his eyes, or staring down a defender before the throw.
He also has to improve his processing speed on reading the field, in both pre and post snap situations, as this is imperative to his development. You’d also like to see Conner throw with anticipation more, as too often he is throwing to where his receiver is, rather than where his receiver is going to be
He also has limited reps against high-level competition, which is part of the reason why some of these weaknesses are magnified, as he doesn’t have enough experience to learn and grow from these weaknesses.
Draft Projection
Conner has a sky high ceiling as a prospect, especially with his overall physical traits, athletic profile, and his arm talent. When you turn on the tape for Conner, you see a lot of amazing, jaw dropping plays during his film. By that same token, you also see a lot of boneheaded mistakes that quarterbacks with more reps wouldn’t make.
I currently have a mid to late second round grade on Conner currently, and depending on how he finishes this season, he should return to school for another season of development. If he does declare, here are a few teams I could see being in on Conner:
- Los Angeles Rams (This would be a perfect landing spot for Conner, as he wouldn’t be asked to play early with Stafford still slinging passes in SoFi stadium. Conner would also be able to learn and develop with Sean McVay, one of the leagues’ bright offensive minds.)
- New York Jets (This would be predicated on Aaron Rodgers still having one or two seasons left, which would mean Conner gets to sit and develop. The concern here would be the offensive coordinator that eventually develops Conner would need to take a serious investment in Conners’ development with the expectation that he is far from a finished product.)
- Seattle Seahawks (This selection would be a great landing spot for Conner, as Ryan Grubb has experience with college offenses from his time at Washington, Geno Smith starting meaningful Conner can be brought along slowly, and there is plenty of talent around the quarterback to ease him in, which is important.)
Should Conner declare for the draft, teams will be salivating over the potential of Conner as an NFL quarterback. But any team making the selection has to know that he is far from a finished product, and will need some seasoning and time on the field to reach his full potential. Should he reach that potential, however, you could be looking at a quarterback that ends up among the league’s best in terms of the position.
My comparison for Conner Weigman: Carson Wentz, QB, Philadelphia Eagles/Indianapolis Colts
