While quarterbacks like Sam Howell, Spencer Rattler, and Carson Strong are deservedly capturing much of the buzz regarding potential 2022 NFL Draft prospects at the position, Coastal Carolina’s 6’3″ 200 lb. passer Grayson McCall deserves to be on your radar as well. He will be a redshirt sophomore in 2021, making him draft-eligible in 2022, and is coming off a Sun Belt Player of the Year season in 2020.
Strengths: McCall is a very accurate passer to all levels of the field. His ball placement is high-level, as he consistently places the ball where only his receiver can get it, including on difficult tight window throws or contested catches. Back shoulder throws are a great example of this. McCall throws with great touch and anticipation, showing the ability to drop the ball into the bucket on a deep shot and leading his receiver to yards after the catch. He excels at layering the ball over second-level defenders. McCall possesses solid arm strength, throwing the ball with good zip and having a good deep ball game. McCall is a great decision-maker, rarely putting the ball in harm’s way. He also makes a lot of pre-snap calls/adjustments, and runs the RPO game well, indicating his mental game is good. McCall is a great athlete, possessing the twitchiness and quickness to escape pressure and the burst and speed to pick up chunks of yardage with his legs. He generally senses pressure well and uses his athleticism to his advantage. He excels at throwing on the run, appearing very comfortable doing so and throwing with very good accuracy while rolling out to the side. As a runner, McCall is fast, elusive, tough, and talented overall. He also already knows how to slide, which bodes well for his durability. These traits gift McCall impressive improvisational ability when the play breaks down. Coastal’s excellent season leads one to believe that McCall is a good leader and shines under the spotlight, especially considering his consistently high-level performances came as a redshirt freshman.
Weaknesses/Areas to Improve: McCall’s size is a concern, as his 6’3” frame only carries 200 pounds of weight, which is 20 under the typical desired NFL threshold. In order to stay healthy and convince NFL scouts that durability won’t be an issue long-term, McCall should look to add some positive weight. Level of competition will always be held against McCall, since Coastal Carolina did not play an impressive schedule in 2020 and their 2021 schedule is not much more daunting. Since McCall has only played one season so far, it is important for him to confirm his quality level of play in 2021. When he eventually transitions to the NFL, McCall could face a tough adjustment based on differences in competition level and scheme. On the field, McCall has surprisingly few weaknesses. There are a few instances of McCall forcing a throw when the play breaks down and not getting the ball out early enough against pressure, but it is not often. His throws are sometimes slightly behind receivers. Across the five games I studied, there were three fumbles in the exchange between McCall and the running back, so that will have to be corrected in 2021.
Bottom Line: I really don’t understand why McCall receives so little NFL buzz. Be it in 2022 or in 2023, I expect McCall to be a first rounder, and despite being a redshirt sophomore, I could see him having a Zach Wilson-type ascension in 2021 and being a high draft pick already next year. His arm strength, accuracy, escapability, and athleticism are all excellent, and his play on the field is remarkably clean and consistent for such a young quarterback. McCall has a bright NFL future ahead of him and I expect his name to heat up a lot over the course of the 2021 season.
