2014 NFL Draft Profile: Jimmy Garoppolo, QB Eastern Illinois
By Adam Carlson
Dec 13, 2013; Charleston, IL, USA; Eastern Illinois Panthers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) throws the ball during the fourth quarter against the Towson Tigers at O
At a time when big name quarterbacks are all the rage, Eastern Illinois quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is poised to be a solid pick for any team. He has shown the potential to develop into a NFL caliber starting passer and at the minimum a solid backup at the next level.
Jimmy Garoppolo continued to get better every year of his college career. He improved his touchdown to interception ratio and total passing yards with each season he played. It is encouraging to see a young quarterback being able to develop right in front of your eyes on tape as a scout, because then you can see if you think he can learn to work in your NFL team’s system.
Garoppolo stands 6’2″ and weighs in at 226 pounds. While he doesn’t have elite height or speed, he does offer a great eye for spotting open wide receives and a quick arm to deliver the ball accurately. He seems to work best when working with timing routes. He played at the same school as NFL star quarterback Tony Romo, and shattered all of his passing records while he was at Eastern Illinois.
Here are his statistics over 4 years at Eastern Illinois:
Aug 31, 2013; San Diego, CA, USA; Eastern Illinois Panthers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) looks to pass during the second half against the San Diego State Aztecs at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
45 games played
1668 pass attempts
1047 completions
62.8% completion rate
13,156 total passing yards
118 passing touchdowns
51 interceptions
166 rushing attempts
27 rushing yards
8 rushing touchdowns
1 catch
10 receiving yards
1 receiving touchdown
Strengths
- 4 years of college experience
- Strong arm
- Shows a good football IQ
- Shows good pocket presence
Weaknesses
- Can be a risk taker on low percentage passes
- Needs to be more patient
- Has an awkward passing motion
Fit For The Vikings
Minnesota is looking for their quarterback of the future that they can groom under Matt Cassel for a couple years. Garoppolo could fill that hole nicely.
My Take
While I like Garoppolo, I don’t love him. He will need time to develop. Minnesota could give him that chance behind Cassel for a year or two. If he can be had for in the second or third round of this year’s draft, he could be a guy Minnesota could put trust in for their future.