There is much debate on who will be the third quarterback off the board following Alabama’s Bryce Young and Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud in the 2023 NFL Draft. One main player for that spot is Miami’s quarterback, Tyler Van Dyke. Van Dyke burst onto the scene for the Hurricanes in 2021 after taking over early in the season for their previous starter, D’Eriq King. Van Dyke led the Canes to a 6-3 record as a starter while throwing for 2,900 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. His numbers were particularly impressive for not being the opening day starter, but the question remains: Did he show enough to solidify himself as a first-round talent in next year’s draft?
PROFILE
Age: 21
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 224 lbs
Position: QB
Games Watched: Pittsburgh (10/30/21), Florida State (11/13/21), Virginia Tech (11/20/21), Duke (11/27/21)
STRENGTHS
He has an NFL frame and flashes some impressive arm talent. He can make different velocity throws easily and has excellent ball placement deep down the field and on his touch throws. While he has good, not great arm strength, it is more than enough to get by at the next level. He puts an impressive arc on the ball and showed that he can look off the safety or change the play at the line of scrimmage to isolate a matchup he likes. He also keeps his head up in a collapsing pocket and can move through his reads fairly quickly. He is a stride thrower that can shorten his step and torque the ball when he needs to and has shown the ability to hit his receivers in stride deep down the field.
WEAKNESSES
He has average mobility and doesn’t seem fully comfortable playing the position yet. He doesn’t have game-breaking arm strength or speed out of the pocket. His throwing motion is elongated and his release speed is average. He also keeps a wide base that causes passes to sail on him at times. He relies on the deep shot a little too often and ran a limited playbook in his first year as a starter. He struggles to throw with anticipation over the middle and can get caught up on one read for too long at times, resulting in a sack or a risky deep throw.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Van Dyke is an NFL-built quarterback that has the potential to make extremely impressive throws with consistency if he is coached correctly. Like a pitcher in baseball with 4 or 5 pitches, he can change the velocity of his throws and place the ball where only his receiver can make a play on it. He needs to get more reps and continue to become more comfortable and natural at the position and open up the playbook more, especially over the middle on shorter throws. He can already read a defense fairly well but can improve on when to take the deep shot and when it’s too much of a risk. His throwing mechanics need to be tightened up to speed up his release quickness and prevent the deeper passes from sailing on him. With the right coaching, Van Dyke has the potential to make a couple of pro bowls in 3 or 4 years and run a spread or west coast style of offense very effectively. As for the 2023 Draft, Van Dyke’s natural progression at the position should position him to be at least a top 25 selection given the positional value that quarterbacks carry.
Pro Comparison: Mac Jones
