Despite the presence of former second-round pick Geno Smith and the addition of Ryan Fitzpatrick, the New York Jets have work to do at the quarterback position.
Fitzpatrick is a veteran stop-gap, fallback option for the next season or two and Smith still has enough potential that new head coach Todd Bowles and GM Mike Maccagnan would probably like to see what he can do once they get their hands on him.
Still, with the draft looming a little more than a month away, Bowles and Maccagnan have begun to peruse the available prospects and may have focused their sights on a particular signal-caller from UCLA.
"I'm told New York Jets did a lot of classroom/white board work with Brett Hundley/QB after UCLA workout yesterday and came away impressed," reports Tony Pauline of Draft Insider.
Pauline reported yesterday that Hundley's Pro Day performance helped build momentum for the young QB heading into the 2015 NFL Draft.
"Quarterback Brett Hundley was the primary focus of today's workout, and by all accounts, the signal-caller threw much better than he did at the combine. He completed 57-of-60 passes, throwing the ball to receivers which included Greg Salas (New York Jets) and Jeremy Horne (Calgary Stampeders). The ball flew off Hundley's hand, and he threw with great accuracy all day," Pauline wrote.
The Jets finished last season ranked dead last in the NFL in passing yards per game. Smith, the second-year pro out of West Virginia, collected 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 14 games last year for a rating of 77.5. His career rating in two NFL seasons is 71.5.
He's got considerable physical talents but came from a spread, air-raid offensive attack in college and doesn't seem to possess the ability to go read-to-read at the NFL level - at least not yet.
Hundley, unfortunately, comes with many of the same concerns and even lower college production.
"Hundley flashes athleticism and talent, but his basic quarterbacking issues will take time to improve," reads Hundley's NFL.com draft profile. "In 2014, more than 54 percent of his pass attempts were from six yards and in, including 29 percent from behind the line of scrimmage, which is nothing like an NFL offense. Hundley is a 'flash' prospect who shows the physical tools to be a starter, but his internal clock and issues with reads and progressions must be improved to give him a shot at becoming a decent NFL starter."
Hundley seems to be the type of quarterback prospect - much like Smith - that will require seasoning and a patient coaching staff if he's to make himself into a quality starter in the NFL.
The Jets, with Fitzpatrick and Smith already in-house and Bowles and Maccagnan in just their first offseason with the team and most likely assured at least a few seasons of leeway, may prove the perfect landing spot for Hundley.
