Ryan Mallett vs Alabama

This is a video of every offensive snap the Arkansas Razorbacks had against the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2010. I feel this is a good overall video that gives you a good view of the good, potentially great, and the very bad characteristics of Ryan Mallett's overall game. Note that I did not compile this video. This video was compiled by someone who posts at mockingthedraft.com.

[video=youtube;KQN35KzlRnA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQN35KzlRnA[/video]

This is a great example of how Ryan Mallett's play gave his team a chance to win the game, but it also shows how his play also lost the game for his team.

A few things. First, Arkansas plays a great deal out of the shot gun, but they are not complete shot gun oriented team. This is a spread formation, but this spread formation is a lot closer to what Dennis Erickson, Scott Linehan, and John L. Smith have used in the past as opposed to the spreads that we see at Texas Tech, Houston, Oklahoma, and Missouri. Ryan Mallett does take several snaps from under center and has experience with dropping back in the pocket.

Most of his drop back situations are three step drops. Arkansas also does a decent job of rolling him out off of play action. Ryan also seems to play well within the running game.

Early on in this game, you see the good and potentially great Ryan Mallett. He is doing a great job of scanning the field, going through his reads and progressions, and making good, quick decisions. He does a good job of progressing from reading down the field to coming back for his check down play. Many plays were designed plays to get the ball quickly to the running backs, whether they were screen routes or simple swing passes.

Overall, he sets up well in the pocket with a wide base.....has a short stride into his throws....quick release....his ball placement isn't the best in the world as several times his receivers had to go high for the ball or make some sort of adjustment....when he sets his feet, he typically delivers a good, accurate ball....the arm strength is obvious, probably the strongest arm in the draft.

One instance that shows some of the things he is going to have to learn happened early on in the game. Arkansas had a 7-0 lead and a chance to go up 14-0. They were inside the 20 yard line. On a third down play, I believe it was, Ryan throws an interception in the back of the endzone. This is an instance where Ryan shows that he can get a little greedy. The guy he threw the ball to was blanketed in the endzone, but Ryan threw it anyway. This is an instance where he got now points whereas if he just makes a good decision and throws the ball through the uprights, Arkansas comes away with a field goal and likely 10-0 lead at that time.

Another thing that I notice is that Ryan is very inconsistent with his mechanics. When he isn't paying attention to making sure he sets his feet, he has a tendancy to throw some very poor balls. Also, there are times where he shows he can side step pressure and step up in the pocket, and there are times where he completely lets his eye level go down and all hades breaks out.

Late in the game though, you see the bad Ryan Mallett. He gets greedy trying to do too much. With a 20-17 lead, Ryan has plenty of time to make a throw, and he makes a terrible decision trying to go down the field and throws an interception. Because of that interception, Alabama goes up 24-20. When he gets the ball back, he has time to take his team down the field. The final snap he takes in this game, he gets pressure and simply makes a terrible decision with how he throws the ball. It is hard to determine if he was actually trying to get the ball to the receiver in the area or if he was trying to throw it away. However, the game ended with an interception, and Arkansas loses.

The footage you see of Ryan Mallett here is basically a snap shot of what I've seen from him all season. There are times where he looks like the best quarterback in the country, reading the field, making good decisions, taking the check down when the big play isn't there, and making the big play when it is there. Then there are times where he just makes you scratch your head and wonder what in the hell he was thinking. The tools are there to work with. This is a player that you aren't going to have to coach very much to play in a pro style offense. You aren't going to have to break him down and teach him reads. The biggest issues on the field he has are mechanical and mental at times, and the latter is when he gets in that mindset that he can make every throw out there no matter how covered his receiver is.

Another thing I noticed in this game, because I noticed this against Mississippi State and against Ohio State as well. His receivers drop a lot of passes. Against OSU, I bet he had 6 dropped passes. In this game, I counted at least 3 dropped passes out of what, 12 incomplete passes.

If you are just looking at the film of him though, you come away with a solid first round grade on him. Yeah, there are some things he needs to work on, but he is not going to have to make a drastic chance.

Unfortunately, you have to take into account things that you don't see on film. This is a player who will have a lot of interest in his background and character checks. There are rumors out there, but rumors are just that. The only thing that is known fact at this point is that Ryan was arrested for DUI early in his Arkansas career. The rumors surround his use of illicit drugs such as marijuana and cocaine. Those are things that will be checked out by every NFL security staff.

Another thing we don't know is his work ethic off the field. Is Ryan Mallett a guy who is going to put the time in the film room and weight room to get better and keep his body in shape?

This is a guy that I would put his relative upside in the area of a Joe Flacco or possibly even as high as a Drew Bledsoe in his younger years. However, his down side could be as big as Ryan Leaf. If everything on him checks out, then I could get behind taking him with the 15th pick of the draft. If something comes up as a red flag though, then I don't take the chance.

 

Last year, that would have been the case. I feel that Ryan did a much better job of controlling his emotions in 2010, whether it was instances where he went ballistic on a teammate or an instance where he got himself too high with excitement after a good play and spent entirely too much energy.

 

He played in 37 career games, had 29 career starts, and his team won 21 of the 29 games he started. Arkansas won 18 of the 26 starts he had with them, and at Michigan, the Wolverines won all 3 games he started when he was playing for an injured Chad Henne during his true freshman season.