BYU QB Kedon Slovis erupted onto the college football stage with an incredible true freshman season in 2019, but five years later, he’s merely on the fringe of the 2024 NFL Draft crop with his scouting report.
What happened to Slovis, and can he recreate his magic from 2019?
Kedon Slovis Draft Profile and Measurements
- Height: 6’3″
- Weight: 215 pounds
- Position: Quarterback
- School: BYU
- Current Year: Redshirt Senior
Coming out of the 2019 season, Slovis was one of college football‘s biggest, most recognizable names. The former four-star recruit had just led the USC Trojans to an 8-4 record while completing a freshman-record 71.9% of his passes for 3,502 yards, 30 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
For a USC program that had produced CFB stars like Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, Matt Barkley, and Sam Darnold, Slovis appeared to be next in line. He’d won Pac-12 Freshman of the Year for his efforts and came into 2020 with high expectations — even some Heisman Trophy hype.
Over the next four years, however, Slovis would instead embark on a steady decline that spanned across three schools.
At the end of a truncated COVID-impacted 2020 campaign, Slovis suffered a shoulder injury that required surgery. In 2021, he visibly regressed and later transferred to the Pittsburgh Panthers to resurrect his football career.
Kedon Slovis is a QB prospect in the 2024 draft class. He scored a 9.34 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 66 out of 985 QB from 1987 to 2024. https://t.co/0ThMopaqSH pic.twitter.com/yRKAlaKQpr
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 15, 2024
At Pitt, Slovis instead had his worst collegiate season yet, throwing for 2,397 yards, 10 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. He completed just 58.4% of his pass attempts.
Slovis closed out his career as a grad transfer at BYU, completing 153 of 266 attempts (57.5%) for 1,716 yards, 12 touchdowns, and six picks. His stark downward trajectory begs the question: Is he still a viable 2024 NFL Draft prospect?
Slovis’ Scouting Report
Strengths
- Flashes enough arm strength to drive deep passes past the numbers with proper torque.
- Has above-average angle freedom and arm elasticity, and can adjust release points.
- Possesses a baseline level of linear mobility which he can use to scramble in open lanes.
- Has flashed the ability to climb the pocket and roll his base to maximize drive on throws.
- Mechanically sound thrower with controlled rotation, foot precision, and shoulder tilt.
- Able to keep his shoulders level and lead WRs away from contact on short RAC throws.
- Has shown he can place deep passes to the back shoulder and give his WRs chances.
- Possesses good touch on deep passes and can layer pace and loft to a degree.
- Able to keep his eyes forward to hold safeties before taking deep boundary shots.
- Has the steely poise to stand in the pocket and release with heavy contact incoming.
- Shares evidence of pocket navigation and evasive intelligence at the top of his drop.
- Has shown to quickly divert to his checkdown when he feels the blitz approaching.
- Able to take what’s given in the short range on quick slants and drag routes.
- Shows glimpses of anticipation when firing to WRs off breaks on sluggo routes.
- Good ball handler who makes an effort to mislead defenses on misdirection plays.
Weaknesses
- Arm strength is middling, and velocity outside the numbers could be more consistent.
- Lack of velocity makes it more difficult to compensate for missed and delayed reads.
- Commands little respect from defenses as a rushing threat or creator.
- Dropback footwork can be segmented and inefficient, causing delays on reads.
- Quickness of release can fluctuate, allowing defenders time to occlude passing windows.
- Is not a rhythmic passer with synched eyes and feet, and goes off-schedule as a result.
- Is sometimes late to progress from his first to second read, allowing windows to close.
- Relatively slow field processor who appears uncomfortable multitasking in the pocket.
- Doesn’t appear autonomous with pre and post-snap reads, showing little adaptability.
- Has yet to show he can consistently anticipate intermediate middle-of-field passing lanes.
- Sometimes forces second-read throws far too late when defenders have closed in.
- At times forces deep throws with multiple coverage DBs with his arm slowing arrival.
- Internal clock can run slow, allowing pressure threats to compress the pocket.
- Has dealt with shoulder and elbow injuries dating back to 2020.
Current Draft Projection and Summary
Slovis grades out as an undrafted free agent QB prospect on my 2024 NFL Draft board. There’s a chance he could field PFA interest with a good offseason, but he’ll have work to do if he wants to carve out a place in the NFL.
Slovis experienced a steady, five-year fall from grace after a historic true freshman season at USC. His final year at BYU was a continuation of the middling production he’d seen in years prior, but there are occasional flashes of his 2019 form.
When Slovis is confident, he can rip the ball with decent velocity and get it to his receivers on time, with precision. And his relatively sound mechanics help bring about consistent accuracy. Slovis’ problem is confidence — both in himself and in his reads — appears hard to come by at times.
As an independent processor, he leaves much to be desired. Slovis’ intermediate passing game is virtually non-existent with his lack of high-level velocity and anticipation, and his inability to consistently synch his mechanics to his eyes only exacerbates the issue.
There are selling points for Slovis, though. He’s tough as nails in the pocket, even if he can be late to sense pressure at times. And with his general accuracy, ball handling, and willingness to take what’s given, he can be a competent distributor in the short range.
All this being said, Slovis is an average physical talent, who can’t yet be relied upon as an NFL backup until he sees the field faster, becomes more anticipatory as a thrower, and hones his skills as a multitasker in the pocket. In the meantime, he’s worth a camp invite.
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