NFL
By: Rick O’Donnell
The chances of QB Kyle McCord returning to the Syracuse Orange next season were ended this week. With the QB deciding to end his push for another season and declare for the NFL Draft, the Orange will have a new QB under center and Kyle McCord will have a new team. There should be no shortage of teams looking for a QB who led college football in passing yards and set multiple school records, but who would be a good fit for McCord?
Despite his success, it’s hard to picture McCord as a “Day 1 starter” in the NFL. it’s not that his talent isn’t there or he won’t have a long career and successful career as an NFL QB, but there will be a learning curve.
New York Giants
The New York Giants have been trying to find a QB to replace Eli Manning and more recently Daniel Jones. They invested plenty of time and money into Jones and finally decided that he wasn’t their QB of the future. The Giants have a lot of holes to fill in order for GM Joe Schoen and HC Brian Daboll to keep their jobs, but it doesn’t need to be QB on day 1 of the draft. If they can’t get a worthwhile QB to bridge the gap, it would allow McCord to pick up the speed of the game and develop his skills without pressure. By not selecting a QB in round 1, the Giants could also focus on their offensive line which has been a constant source of pain.
Indianapolis Colts
Yes, the Colts have Anthony Richardson but the Colts might not be sold on Anthony Richardson with a new GM. Indy would bounce back and forth between veteran QB Joe Flacco and Richardson this season but it seems as if it’s the younger QB’s job to lose. If the Colts are looking to keep up with the division-winning Houston Texans then maybe a quarterback competition is in order.
San Francisco 49ers
Would anyone be shocked if the San Francisco 49ers took a QB this year? Probably, but that doesn’t mean they should. While Brock Purdy has done a tremendous job going from “Mr. Irrelevant” to team leader, but that shouldn’t mean his job is secure. He threw for 3800+ yards this season but his INTs were a bit high with 20 TDs but 12 INTs. Teams should never get too comfortable with their starters especially one in a contact year. Purdy has played well enough to earn an extension but a message has to be sent that he needs to get to the next level or the next guy will.
Jacksonville Jaguars
This one might be a tough pill for Jags fans to swallow, but maybe Trevor Lawrence ain’t it. No, this has nothing to do with his injury from a gruesome hit and more to do with his play in general. Mac Jones came in for the Jags and was pretty close to Lawrence statistically, but Jones is a free agent this offseason. There’s also a rumor floating around that Trevor Lawrence might not love football the way the Jags need him to. He might be one of the highest-paid QBs in the league but he’s definitely not performing like one. If the Jags don’t want to set themselves back another 3-5 years, it might be time to pull the trigger on a QB they can develop now who could step in in a pinch.
Miami Dolphins
This one might be a bit of a stretch. The Dolphins think they have their franchise QB in-house and are all in on Tua Tagovailoa. However, the often injured QB has showcased their need for an able-bodied backup. Miami doesn’t need McCord to come in and win the starting job, If they bring back Tyler Huntley then they don’t even need to rush him in a backup role. Yet, McCord could provide the Dolphins with some much-needed QB insurance and a reason to move on if Tua can’t stay on the field consistently. McCord has similar skill sets but also similar drawbacks. Would he succeed in a Mike McDaniel-led offense with his quick release and pool of talent in Miami?
There should be plenty of suitors for the former Syracuse Orange QB. Where will Kyle McCord land in this year’s NFL Draft come this April.
