Nate Sudfeld: Will A NFL Team Select Him in the 2016 NFL Draft?

Nate Sudfeld is not a huge name in this year’s rookie quarterback class. However, he has a lot of skills that many NFL teams want in a quarterback.

In three seasons at Indiana University, Nate Sudfeld started all 31 games he played in. In his first two seasons as the starting quarterback, he was often subbed out during the game because the Hoosiers also utilized run-option quarterbacks. In Sudfeld’s senior season, Hoosiers’ head coach Ken Wilson made Sudfeld the primary quarterback and let him run the offense. The Hoosiers benefitted from this decision.

Nate Sudfeld racked up 3,573 passing yards, 27 passing touchdowns and five rushing touchdowns. He also limited his turnovers as he only threw seven interceptions and only lost two fumbles all season. His solid numbers were the reason why the Hoosiers made a bowl game in 2015. Unfortunately, they did lose that bowl game to Duke University 44-41 in overtime.

Sudfeld finished his Hoosiers’ career with the school’s career leader in passing yards with 7,879 and in passing touchdowns with 61. While the hype surrounding him has been relatively small, his college success is drawing some interest from prospective teams.

Teams like the New Orleans Saints have a good reason to see Sudfeld work out in person. He has a lot of physical characteristics that make him an enticing developmental quarterback.

Scouts love Sudfeld’s 6-6, 234-pound body frame. His height allows him to see over his offensive linemen and scan the field while his large body can help him shake off weak tackles. He has good footwork and awareness inside the pocket, which allows him to evade blitzing players and throw the ball downfield with power. While he has solid positive traits, he also has a few negative ones that are hurting his draft stock.

While Nate Sudfeld possesses great arm strength, he often relies on it too much. He often tries to make the harder throws with his arm strength rather than making the easier and open throws. Also, scouts notice he does not fully rotate his hips when throwing the football. As a result, he puts a lot of strain on his arm when making long or power throws.

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Nate Sudfeld is viewed as a developmental quarterback, which is why he is draft stock is not very high. For this reason, it is hard to see him getting drafted before the fourth round.  Some people actually think Sudfeld could go undrafted. However, his college experience and physical characteristics are too enticing to ignore. It would not be surprising to see a team take a chance on him in the fifth or sixth round.