Projected to be one of the first quarterbacks off the board in this year's draft, Jared Goff's career at Cal speaks for itself. The 6-4, 215-pound signal-caller is the only quarterback in school history to start his first game as a true freshman. Over the course of his three seasons with the Golden Bears, Goff set 26 Cal records, including but not limited to most career passing yards (12,220), passing yards per game (329.7), touchdown passes (96) and pass completions (977). As a junior, Goff finished his collegiate career with a strong season, setting Pac-12 single-season records with 4,719 passing yards and 43 touchdown passes. He also led his team to a post-season victory for the first time since the 2008 season.
What may work against Goff as he transitions to an NFL-style offense is his experience in Cal's uptempo game. As noted by NFL.com, the 21-year-old saw snaps from pistol or shotgun 99.8 percent of the time in 2015. He may need to readjust his game to become more accustomed to working from under center. Additionally, some scouts questioned the quarterback's nine-inch hands during the 2016 Scouting Combine, believing they were too small, but it is unlikely for that to really make an impact on his draft stock come April.
Overall, Goff has the size and arm teams are looking for in a franchise quarterback, which is exactly why he is expected to be a top-10 pick.
Quality arm. Makes all the throws and can sling the deep out with velocity and accuracy. Clean release and snaps throws off with flick of the wrist. Drives hips through his release for extra heat. Pocket mobility and poise showed improvement from 2014 to 2015. Maintains proper footwork and readiness to throw as he slides inside the pocket. Speeds up internal clock when he feels pressure or recognizes blitz. Pocket climber. Able to run out of trouble rather than into it. Looks the part of a confident, first round quarterback when working from a clean pocket. Sells his play ¬fakes with purpose and draws linebackers forward. Has learned to expedite his throws from off¬-balance angles due to pocket pressure. Will throw receivers open in tight quarters. Has excellent trajectory and pillowy soft touch on touch throws down the field that give receivers a chance to make plays. Showed substantial growth with his willingness to attack intermediate areas of the field and did so with accuracy and relative success. Completed an impressive 43.8 percent of his deep throws. Competes on third and long seeking out first downs over check downs. – Lance Zierlein
What He Said
"I always want to go out there with something to prove. I always have a chip on my shoulder and I always want to go out there and prove people wrong, prove people right, whatever it is. I just go out there and try to do my best. By no means am I complacent at all. I want to go out there and do my best and hopefully play well." – Jared Goff on whether he has something to prove
