2023 BCS QB Scouting Report
Player: Tanner McKee
School: Stanford
Year: Junior
Games Watched: Kansas State (2021), USC (2021), Washington (2021 & 2022), Notre Dame (2021), Utah (2022), Oregon (2022), BYU (2022)
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Accuracy: Accuracy was put to the test seemingly every week because of his receivers’ inability to separate. Saw diminished accuracy when he was forced off his spot or forced to deliver in constricted pockets.
Arm Strength: Rotational passer with little inability to generate power and velocity. Don’t see many passers with his height able to adjust arm angles and shoot the ball out of his hand like him. Ability to generate velocity and RPMs opens up the field, doing so even when he’s on the move.
Size: At 6’6”, 230 pounds, McKee physically looks every bit the part of the “prototypical” quarterback.
Mobility: Moves with quickness and fluidity in tight quarters beyond what you would expect for someone with his height, but his escapability has notable limitations.
Decision Making: Cut down on his high-variance play from 2021 though he took more sacks than desired. Generally isn’t one to take unreasonable chances with the ball, showing an understanding of his strengths.
Out of Structure Ability: Not much of a true extender or creator who’s going to consistently make the second-reaction throws and effectively work late in the down. More designed for a timing-and-rhythm passing game where he won’t have to regularly adlib.
Pocket Awareness: Struggles to sense movement up front and delayed rushers, causing him to drift into the face of it. Put a number of good reps on tape with his ability to find and create space as the edges collapse, he just needs to be more consistent as a whole.
Touch/Placement: Hasn’t mastered when to take some juice off the ball and layer/drop it in, showing a number of second-level throws that sailed on him and generally resulted in negative outcomes.
Upper/Lower Mechanics: Can over a longer windup created by his length for impressive release quickness and posture, shouldn’t have many issues getting the ball out on time at the next level. Has easy pump and reset skills. Lacks consistent balance and spacing in his base, most notably when setting up off of play-action.
Progressions: Mental clock has some speeding up that needs to happen, but there is still a relative lack of experience compared to most others in this class. Adept at hanging patiently in the pocket and allowing things to come open. Usually doesn’t look fazed or hurried in his process.
Accuracy (15): 11.25
Arm Strength (10): 8.75
Size (5): 5
Mobility (10): 5.25
Decision Making (10): 7
Out of Structure Ability (10): 5.5
Pocket Awareness (10): 6.75
Touch/Placement (10): 6.5
Upper/Lower Mechanics (10): 7
Progressions (10): 7
Grade: 70/100 – Day 2
Summary: McKee has something of a unique background: he beat cancer at 16 and has drawn recognition for the long sleeves he wears on gameday. He is also older than most true juniors because of a two-year mission he took prior to enrolling at Stanford as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He will turn 23 on the first night of the draft. There is plenty of upside with McKee that has resulted in first-round discussion, an understandable facet when you turn on the film and see the traits as a passer. McKee has the makings of a starting NFL quarterback in spite of his athletic limitations.
Report Author: T.J. Randall
Twitter: @TJ_Randall12