2017 NFL Draft: 5 Mid-Major Quarterbacks who Could be Drafted

NFL teams always turn up gems outside the Power Five, especially at quarterback. Which mid-major QBs might get picked at the 2017 NFL Draft?

The NFL is always on the lookout for a bargain, hoping to keep overhead low. No position is usually more costly than quarterback, and thus teams have an incentive to go looking far and wide for talent that can be developed. Sometimes that means going and finding a Carson Wentz or a Joe Flacco at the FCS level. More often it means scouting the Group of Five schools for players that can be found in the later rounds and honed into NFL players.

Sometimes those players shoot up draft boards, especially when they put together a transcendent final season with their college team. Some recent examples include:

What does this group of players have in common? They all won big at their respective schools. Also notable is the fact that they’re all big individuals — none of these six quarterbacks are shorter than 6’3″, showing that what scouts seem to prize from mid-major quarterbacks is size and a history of winning.

Who fits that bill? Here are five quarterbacks currently playing for Group of Five schools who might build a following and interest prior to the 2017 NFL Draft.

Dec 28, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Central Michigan Chippewas quarterback Cooper Rush (10) throws the ball in the first quarter against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

5. Cooper Rush/Central Michigan Chippewas (MAC)

At 6’3″ and 230 pounds, the redshirt senior out of Charlotte, Michigan has plenty of size to draw interest from NFL teams. Rush is not particularly mobile, he’s built more to stay in the pocket and absorb pressure, and he steadily increased his completion percentage and reduced his number of interceptions over each of the past two seasons. He’s a pro-style quarterback whose talents should translate immediately toward being able to absorb NFL schemes.

The one issue against Rush, who has been starting for the Chippewas since the third game of 2013, is that his skills have not translated into anything beyond mediocrity in the win column. As a starter he is just 30-27, including this season’s 49-3 opener over FCS Presbyterian College. Against Power Five competition he is 1-6 over his career, the only victory coming in 2014 against a Purdue team that finished the year 3-9.

Rush will have two more opportunities in his college career to make a statement against major competition, first on the road at Oklahoma State on September 10 and then at Virginia on September 24. If the Chippewas can finish the year back in a bowl game and win eight or more games, Rush will become an attractive option for teams seeking out a developmental quarterback in later rounds.

Sep 3, 2016; Greenville, NC, USA; East Carolina Pirates quarterback Philip Nelson (9) looks to throw the ball during the first quarter against the Western Carolina Catamounts at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

4. Philip Nelson/East Carolina Pirates (AAC)

Nelson is an enigmatic candidate on this list, having transferred twice before landing at East Carolina. As an underclassman he started 16 games at Minnesota before transferring to Rutgers in January 2014. Before playing a game for the Scarlet Knights, Nelson was dismissed from the team after being charged with two counts of assault in May 2014. He finally landed in Greenville as a walk-on to the football team in the spring of 2015.

In his debut for the Pirates against FCS Western Carolina, Nelson completed 28 of his 32 attempts for 398 yards and five touchdowns. At the pace he’s playing, he should eclipse his two years of stats from Minnesota by midseason. Given Temple’s expected regression this season, the AAC East is wide open and Nelson could provide the difference against teams like South Florida and UCF.

The competition ramps up over the next few games as East Carolina takes on NC State, South Carolina, and Virginia Tech in consecutive weeks to close out September. He is a bit undersized at 6’1″ and 216 pounds, but Nelson shouldn’t be overwhelmed by the ACC and SEC competition given his Big Ten experience. If he can pull off at least one Power Five upset for the Pirates he’ll put himself into the draft conversation come springtime.

Nov 26, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Central Florida Knights quarterback Justin Holman (13) throws a pass during the second quarter of a football game against the South Florida Bulls at Bright House Networks Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

3. Justin Holman/UCF Knights (AAC)

It has been an interesting tenure in Orlando for the man who was forced to succeed Blake Bortles as UCF’s starting quarterback, and Justin Holman has weathered some ups and downs throughout his time with the Knights. Last year’s 0-12 record wasn’t all Holman’s fault, but he certainly didn’t help matters with a 50.8 percent completion rate and a 7-to-14 touchdown to interception ratio. The fall from grace was as complete as possible for the 6’4″, 225-pound quarterback from Stone Mountain, Georgia.

UCF fans and NFL scouts alike are hoping that last season was an anomaly borne out of the disorder that came at the end of George O’Leary’s time with the Knights. In 2014 Holman compiled nearly 3000 yards passing and threw 23 touchdowns against 14 interceptions, displaying the ability to keep Central Florida in any contest in a season where they finished 9-4 and nearly beat Penn State and NC State on either end of the year.

Under new head coach Scott Frost, formerly the offensive coordinator at Oregon, the hope is that Holman can develop more fully as he nears the end of his college career. While he is a more raw package than his predecessor at UCF, Holman has all the physical tools to develop into a serviceable NFL quarterback. Whether he gets the chance will largely depend on how well the Knights perform in his final year at the head of the offense.

Jan 4, 2015; Mobile, AL, USA; Toledo Rockets quarterback Logan Woodside (11) drops back to pass against the Arkansas State Red Wolves during the second quarter of the 2015 GoDaddy Bowl at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

2. Logan Woodside/Toledo Rockets (MAC)

After Phillip Ely transferred from Alabama and won the starting job in 2014, it looked as though Logan Woodside was going to become an afterthought with Toledo. Then Ely was injured in the second game of the year against Missouri, and Woodside was pressed into action as a sophomore. He completed 62.5 percent of his attempts for over 2200 yards with 19 touchdowns and just eight interceptions, leading Toledo to a 9-4 record.

When Ely returned healthy in 2015 Woodside was once again relegated to the sidelines, and he opted to redshirt in order to retain two more years of eligibility. But if Toledo shines in 2016 and claims its division after years of Northern Illinois’ dominance in the MAC West, NFL teams could quickly develop interest in the 6’2″, 201-pound prospect from Frankfort, Kentucky. He opened the year with a career-high 371 yards with a completion rate nearing 75 percent, and he tossed three touchdowns in the win over Arkansas State.

There are no opportunities to take down Power Five competition this year, so Woodside will have to impress in the September 30 showdown with BYU and will need to dominate MAC opponents all along the way. If he can continue to excel like he did against the Red Wolves in the opener, Woodside possesses the side to keep NFL talent evaluators intrigued ahead of 2017 Draft weekend.

Sep 1, 2016; Bowling Green, KY, USA; Western Kentucky Hilltoppers quarterback Mike White (14) throws the ball during the first half against Rice Owls at Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joshua Lindsey-USA TODAY Sports

1. Mike White/Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (C-USA)

The pass-heavy Western Kentucky system certainly raises questions about the legitimacy of any quarterback that plays for the Hilltoppers. Last year Brandon Doughty led all FBS quarterbacks with over 5000 passing yards, meaning that anything Mike White does at WKU this year will be viewed through the lens of the big numbers put up by his predecessors. But there are several factors working in White’s favor as he is evaluated by NFL scouts.

First is the fact that he is a transfer quarterback who was thrown into the fire at South Florida as a true freshman in 2013. White started 15 games for the Bulls in his first two years of eligibility before deciding to transfer out of the system. He came to Western Kentucky and sat out the NCAA-required year as Doughty completed his eligibility, and now the 6’4″, 215-pound signal caller from Fort Lauderdale finds himself in the perfect opportunity to thrive for a conference contender.

During his time at USF White looked overmatched as an underclassman. Now more mature and more comfortable with the pace of college football, the redshirt junior will have the opportunity to make his mark in road contests against SEC opponents Alabama and Vanderbilt. More important will be defending the Conference USA title nabbed by the Hilltoppers last season, which could put WKU in position for a possible Access Bowl berth and prime-time exposure for White before the draft.