One-hit wonders exist in every professional industry around. For one great season back in 2021, Devin Leary looked like a potential first-round NFL talent as a quarterback prospect. His final two years were still productive, but he did not reach the heights of his promising redshirt sophomore campaign.
Here is everything you need to know about Leary and his evaluation as a prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft.
How Tall Is Devin Leary?
The ideal quarterback size profile has changed a bit over the last 15 years with teams operating out of the shotgun and utilizing quarterbacks in the running game far more frequently than in the past. But Leary still comes in at the 17th percentile in the height department, standing at 6’1”. His hand size (9 1/2”) and arm length (30 7/8”) both fall below the 50th percentile at the position, as well.
How Much Does Leary Weigh?
Despite having a solid build, Leary still tips the scales at only 215 pounds, which puts him in the 27th percentile for his position.
Leary finished two of his seasons with negative rushing yards, which means his weight isn’t going to play as big of a factor for him as it would for a dual-threat prospect, but he is still on the smaller side across the board for a quarterback entering the NFL.
How Old Is Leary?
Leary enters the NFL Draft at 24 years old but will turn 25 at the very beginning of his rookie campaign. Outside of Sam Hartman, Leary will likely be among the oldest quarterback prospects to hear his name called during the 2024 NFL Draft.
What School Did Leary Go To?
Leary spent the first five years of his college career as a member of the North Carolina State Wolfpack. He made the move from the ACC to the SEC ahead of his super senior season in 2023, where he finished his days on the college gridiron as a member of the Kentucky Wildcats.
Revisiting Leary’s College Career
After redshirting his entire true freshman season in 2018, Leary saw a decent amount of action in his second season at North Carolina State. He threw for 1,219 yards and eight TDs over eight games in 2019. In a pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, Leary’s numbers were relatively similar — 890 yards and eight passing TDs — despite playing in only four games.
After flashing some nice moments during his first two years of action on the field, Leary produced an exceptional season in 2021 with 3,433 passing yards to go with 35 TD passes with only five INTs. His breakout year helped put him on the map for top potential signal callers ahead of the 2022 season.
Unfortunately, his swan song at NC State would see his production drop across the board on a per-game basis, throwing for just 11 TDs and 1,265 yards over his final six games in a Wolfpack uniform.
Leary transferred to Kentucky for the final year of his collegiate career and delivered mixed results. His yardage (2,746) and TD production (25) both improved drastically in comparison to his 2022 season, but he set a career-high in the turnover department by throwing 12 INTs in 2023.
Leary’s Potential in the NFL
Leary is a fascinating quarterback prospect who does have an elite season’s worth of production on his resume back in 2021, but the fact that he was unable to either sustain that level of play or elevate his game over his fifth and sixth years in college is a bit perplexing.
Leary has enough arm talent to make NFL throws outside the numbers, isn’t afraid to stare down the barrel of the gun when forced to deliver throw the ball when incoming defenders are bearing down him, flashed the ability to navigate through a congested pocket and then quickly reset his base to make throws down the field, and is willing to work the middle of the field.
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Yet, the processing is a bit inconsistent, the accuracy is a bit erratic, and the ability to operate against pressure for a projected pocket passer in the league is less than ideal.
Ultimately, Leary projects as a Day 3 prospect under center who needs some time to improve his weaker elements while he competes for a backup position in the NFL.
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