Merril Hoge: Matt Barkley is a project
Matt Barkley - QB - College Player
March 7, 2013 - 10:35 AM ET
After a five-game study of USC QB Matt Barkley, ESPN's Merril Hoge believes Barkley is a "project" who deserves to be drafted in the third or fourth round.
NFL Films' Greg Cosell recently called Barkley a "fourth-round talent" on tape. "He's a flat-footed thrower, which I haven't seen (before), quite honestly," said Hoge. "And that really affects his ability to drive the football. And he doesn't have a big arm anyway. He's very sloppy and erratic in the pocket, as well. And that combination is a little disturbing when you're transitioning to the NFL. ... At the line of scrimmage, I didn't see a guy who really understood the protections and all the pressures. Made a lot of mistakes, threw a lot of bad balls. And those type of things would concern me."
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