Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book has turned heads just months before the 2021 NFL Draft. A true senior, the Fighting Irish signal-caller poses as a threat with his impressive athleticism and strong throwing mechanics. Here’s a breakdown of the Californian quarterback’s best and worst traits.
Make sure to check out all of our other 2021 NFL Draft Scouting Reports.
Player Bio
Name: Ian Book
Jersey: #12
Position: Quarterback
School: Notre Dame
Class: Senior
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 203 lbs
Awareness (6.5/10)
Ian Book has shown that he feels free when running. In fact, when he is mobile, he has great awareness. He knows when to make a move to turn a pass play into a quarterback run, when to run out of bounds or throw the ball away, and when to find a receiver while scrambling. This has worked out for him in college, but the NFL is a whole new beast. Book will still be able to use his mobility, but not as much. He has shown signs of poor awareness in the pocket, which could hurt him drastically in the pros.
Mobility (9.5/10)
The term mobility accounts for all facets of a quarterback’s running game, including speed, vision, and awareness on the run. Book is nearly flawless when moving around with the football in his hands. His film shows just how much he uses his body to slip away from defenders to extend a play. Book’s mobility will benefit him greatly in the NFL.
Athleticism (7.5/10)
Turn on Book’s film and you will see him using more than his legs and arms. When Book scrambles to extend a play, he showcases how athletic he is by maneuvering away from defenders to keep plays alive. He can be a bit sloppy at times, which is why he did not garner a perfect grade in this category. Nevertheless, Book’s athleticism helps his draft stock and should give scouts and prospective teams confidence.
Vision (6/10)
Judging the vision of a mobile quarterback can be tricky, especially when you’re looking at someone like Book who impresses on the run but lacks awareness in the pocket. Ultimately, Book’s unwillingness to settle for a sack or incompletion has caused him to make some poor decisions as a passer, leading to risky throws. For the most part, he has received some of that Irish luck and avoided too many horrendous interceptions. However, he may not be so lucky in the NFL. His vision needs to improve if he wants to succeed at the next level.
Anticipation (6.5/10)
A growing trend here is the focus on Book’s struggles in the pocket. Yet again, while he has good athleticism and the ability to adjust on the run, his anticipation pre-snap and immediately after the snap is concerning. It’s too early to say Book will never have good anticipation, but as of now, it is one of his glaring weaknesses.
Strength (6/10)
Tell Book to throw a pass within 15 yards and he will pepper it with strength and velocity that nearly blows your mind. However, if you tell him to throw further downfield, his passes start to get shaky and lack the zip that is required to send a ball by defenders and into the hands of a receiver. Book has a decent arm but absolutely needs to add some more strength and power to his deeper throws.
Accuracy (6.5/10)
Once again, Book can be accurate in the short game, but ask him to throw long and you will instantly be met with concern. Book has an overwhelming tendency to throw significantly short or wide of receivers streaking down the sideline. This could be improved with added strength and confidence, but it’s certainty a concern right now.
Velocity (6.5/10)
There’s not much more that needs to be said here considering Book’s velocity was touched on in the “strength” category. He has impressive short-throw zip for someone his size but needs to improve when throwing deeper.
Production (3.5/5)
Book had decent production against varying levels of competition in college. He completed 63.6 percent of his passes in 44 games, accumulating 8,718 passing yards, 72 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions. He also added 1,462 yards and 16 scores on the ground.
Speed (3.5/5)
Book is a mobile quarterback, so he definitely has speed. However, it might be better to describe him as quick than speedy. He can break big plays, but he’s no Lamar Jackson. Still, he gets the job done in the running game and his threat on the ground helps him become a dangerous passer.
Leadership (4/5)
Several reports out of Notre Dame indicate that Book has grown immensely as a leader. Voted as a captain of the Fighting Irish, Book is a confident and hard-working leader who has a positive impact on his teammates.
Poise (2/5)
It’s hard to give Book a grade of two here after issuing a bright report about his poise on the run. However, it all comes back to his pocket presence. Book lacks poise in the pocket and quite simply needs to be better. His throwing mechanics (such as on deep throws) can be improved, but it’s meaningless if he crumbles under pressure.
Player Summary
All in all, Ian Book has shown promise in his time at Notre Dame. His skills were put to the test in a huge game against Clemson earlier this year, and Book led his team to victory. However, it is obvious that he has some glaring weaknesses, too. He needs to improve in the pocket, especially considering NFL coaches will never let him run as much as his Notre Dame coaches do. His throwing mechanics are solid, but he would benefit from building arm strength in order to improve his accuracy and velocity. Book has room to improve, but he remains a solid prospect who should be selected in the final round of this April’s draft.
Final Grade (68/100): Seventh-round pick
Player Comp: Trace McSorley
Check us out on our socials:
Twitter: @PTSTNews and @TalkPrimeTime
Facebook Page: Prime Time Sports Talk
Join our Facebook Group: Prime Time Sports Talk
Instagram: @ptsportstalk
Follow Andersen Pickard on Twitter @AndersenPickard
Main Image Credit:
0 Responses