UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley is lighting up opposing defenses this season with career-best paces in some significant statistical categories. Among them: A 72.2-percent completion rate, a touchdown-to-interception ratio of nearly four to one, and an average of 9.4 yards per attempt.
But while those numbers might suggest Hundley is more ready than ever for the NFL, at least one NFL scout believes Hundley made the right decision to stay in school this year.
"I think he made the right decision coming back," the NFL scout told the Los Angeles Times. "He has holes, and scouts would have found them last year. He holds the ball too long. He's not as accurate in the pocket once you start charting him. Those things would pop up as scouts go through their evaluation of him."
Hundley's pocket awareness is another concern, particularly after he took 10 sacks in a recent loss to Utah. NFL Media analyst Bucky Brooks' interaction with NFL scouts has yielded some of the same sentiments.
"His stock continues to dip after his struggles as a pocket passer this season," Brooks said. "An AFC personnel executive told me that Hundley hasn't improved enough with his decision-making and pocket poise to feel good about his ability to play quickly as a pro."
The same executive expressed concerns to Brooks about Hundley's accuracy on deep passes, his touch, and his adaptability to a pro-style offensive system. Hundley could return to UCLA for still another year next season if he chose, but according to the Times report, his plan is to come out for the 2015 draft, and said this week that nothing has changed. To the scout, however, perhaps something should.
"We'll see where he's at in January," the scout added. "We'll see what that quarterback class looks like, who's decided to come out, who's staying. But I think he's got to really consider [staying] right now."
Hundley said his draft evaluation last year projected him as a first-round pick. Only time will tell if that projection survives for another draft or two.
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