PFF scouting report: Brad Kaaya, QB, Miami

Name: Brad Kaaya

School: Miami

Position fit: Backup QB with starter potential

Stats to know: Passer rating of 113.0 from a clean pocket ranked 19th out of 133 quarterbacks in 2016. Passer rating of 59.2 under pressure ranked 85th.

What he does well:

Efficient delivery, very natural passer.
Shows consistent footwork and throws on balance.
Great understanding of timing and rhythm in the passing game.
Operated well under center with pro passing schemes throughout his career.
Comfortable and shows good poise and vision to get through progressions in clean pockets.
Excellent deep ball touch. Throws the post and go routes with ideal trajectory.
Plays well in the red zone. Shows the ability to make touch throws on fades as well as firm touch throws over underneath defenders to the back of the end zone.
Throws a very catchable ball and understands the different layers and trajectories needed for each part of the field.

Biggest concerns

Game changes significantly when forced to play under pressure.
Struggles with accuracy under pressure with feet and mind speeding up.
Soft thrower and lacks drive on the ball both outside the numbers and into tight windows in the middle of the field.
Not overly athletic to extend and make plays outside of the scheme.
Struggles to feel edge-rushers at times.
Will hold the ball in the pocket too long and take too many sacks.
Process gets sped up too much when facing tougher blitz looks.

Bottom line: Kaaya is a very polished passer in terms of his overall footwork and fundamentals it takes to operate from the pocket. When the structure of the offense goes on schedule from a clean pocket, Kaaya is a very efficient player with good accuracy to all levels and understanding of where the ball needs to go. His touch and ability to throw up and over defenders is one of the best in this class and gives him options as a passer. His two biggest weaknesses – lack of zip and how he plays under pressure – are major concerns in how his game will translate to the next level. Kaaya is a smart player and capable of running an NFL offense, but at this point is a backup-level quarterback with the hopes some team can help develop his weaknesses to become a viable NFL starter years down the road.