Oregon State has enjoyed the best two-year streak the program has produced in the last 15 years. Senior quarterback DJ Uiagalelei has been a major part of the Beavers’ success in his first year with the program. The former Clemson QB has produced the best season of his career.
But has Uiagalelei been good enough to hear his name called in April’s 2024 NFL Draft? We dive into Uiagalelei’s accomplishments and his scouting report below.
Will DJ Uiagalelei Be Selected in the NFL Draft?
Statistically, Uiagalelei will have one of the strongest résumés in the 2024 draft. He enters Week 12 with a 9.1 yard per attempt average, 20 touchdowns, and only four interceptions. His 158 passer rating is easily the best of his career.
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Combine the raw numbers with his massive 6’4″, 250-pound frame and strong arm, and that’s probably enough for Uiagalelei to earn at least consideration for a late-round draft pick. Uiagalelei’s physical traits are impressive, and coaches will want to see if they can harness his gifts, even if his career completion rate is an alarming 59.5%.
Diving into Uiagalelei’s play shows some needed context. Clemson put Uiagalelei into a tough situation as he was surrounded by a weak cast of playmakers, but an offense that called for a steady stream of vertical passes. Uiagalelei played his best as a freshman when the unit had more varied throws with better receivers.
His play was inconsistent, including a brutal 2021 season where his accuracy was uncontrollable and decision-making was slow. He looked nothing like his freshman campaign. He bounced back enough in 2022 to see some of the potential, creating big plays with his own pocket manipulation and improved leverage reads.
Transferring to Oregon State was a perfect fit on paper. Oregon State needed a vertical passer and more competence in the position. Uiagalelei offered elite experience and an arm that would make defenses respect the threat of the deep ball. The Beavers run the ball well enough never to throw it, so the upside of having someone who can provide chunk plays through the air was huge.
The gamble on Uiagalelei has paid off relatively well, and his individual play has grown. Uiagalelei should absolutely earn consideration to be drafted on Day 3. He’s still not a high-level processor who can execute an NFL offense at a high level, but the usual approach of breaking in a young quarterback with half-field reads will work with Uiagalelei.
Uiagalelei’s game hasn’t changed much at Oregon State, but he’s thrived in a more controlled role with better structure. He projects relatively well to a similar run-heavy, under-center offense in the NFL. Most offenses don’t operate that way in the NFL anymore.
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Still, most offensive coordinators would be tickled to install a traditional system if Uiagalelei had to play an extended amount of time in relief.
It’s unlikely that Uiagalelei would ever become an efficient playmaker who could carry an offense. His physical gifts are immense but also limiting. His bulk and long limbs seem to affect his accuracy, and his mental processing isn’t what you’d hope for out of a player with so much experience. Those limitations could cause him to go undrafted, but it’s not clear either way since every team wants something specific out of a backup.
Uiagalelei’s Scouting Report
Strengths
- He has tremendous experience under his belt, playing 35 games at Clemson and the 11+ games he’s had at Oregon State.
- Massive frame that towers over most teammates besides trench players. He’s difficult to bring down as a rusher and is a red-zone weapon.
- Shows aggressiveness when targeting downfield receivers, keeping defenses on their toes and unsure whether they can afford to stack the box.
- Touch passes in 2020, 2022, and 2023 were better than in 2021. This helps show he can bounce back and improve upon stints of struggles.
- Allows his receivers to compete for the ball relatively well for a variance passer.
- Brings value as a big-play hunter who can overcome inconsistency to deliver chunk gains in the blink of an eye.
- Strong arm that fires passes into windows.
Weaknesses
- Is a statue in the pocket who doesn’t move his feet unless he intends to run downhill to pick up yards. He can be an easy target for defenders who get penetration.
- Struggled with consistent accuracy at Clemson, largely due to his inability to control the amount of touch he puts on the ball. It’s unpredictable whether the pass will be a soft touch attempt or a bullet.
- Shows a long, winding passing motion that starts low and has too much room for error. Shortening this could bring stability to his accuracy.
- More dependent on his supporting cast than he is a creator for the offense, as he’s not a dynamic runner or a reliable enough passer to sustain a consistent offense.
- Has issues leading his receivers upfield, often throwing to where they are rather than where they’re going.