In today’s Fact or Fiction — NFL Draft edition — I look at three big recent topics around the NFL Draft and decide whether the statement is indeed FACT or if it’s FICTION.
1. QB Max Duggan killed his stock.
Farrell’s take: FICTION
He didn’t look great. The TCU QB and Heisman finalist was 4-9 for 26 yards with some bad incompletions and a horrible fumble in the game. But let’s not get crazy. While fans love to overreact to awful performances like this, Duggan was never a day two guy. He’s a mid-rounder and always will be and when you hit the mid rounds it’s based on fit and many other factors. Is a team looking for a solid backup? Are they hoping for a guy who can take over in a few years? How is he a fit in their scheme? Duggan was great on the field this season and not great at the Senior Bowl and honestly nothing has changed. He was mid round in January and he’s mid round in February.
2. QB Jake Haener is in the day two discussion.
Farrell’s take: FICTION
Haener was the MVP of the Senior Bowl and some good names have done that like Dak Prescott, Daniel Jones and Justin Herbert. But this is more like Kellen Mond or Davis Webb, other MVPs as well in recent years, to me. Haener isn’t very big and he has technical limitations. While Mond and Webb didn’t have size issues they each has serious quirks in mechanics and so does Haener. His ball floats and that’s dangerous as heck for a QB in the NFL. Even on his TD pass his ball was a wobbler. He was on the fringe of round three coming in and despite the MVP I think he slides to round 4 or 5 in the end.
3. The Gamecocks have two elite corners.
Farrell’s take: FACT
Remember the name Darius Rush. Everyone focuses on Cam Smith from South Carolina and for good reason as he’s a likely round one talent. But Rush is a day two guy to me at 6-foot-1 and 186 with a major wingspan and good speed. And he helped his stock at the Senior Bowl. If he runs well he could slide into round two and NFL Scouts are noticing.
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