Who's the Real Terrelle Pryor?

Make no mistake about it, I'm not going to beat a dead horse on the offseason situation of Terrelle Pryor. What I am going to talk about is how well Pryor can play at the next level at the quarterback position, considering he should be picked in Monday's NFL Supplemental Draft (potentially between rounds 3 and 5).

Pryor might even be more athletic than 2011 #1 overall pick Cam Newton, but has three years of starting experience (and a 31-4 record) to Newton's one; he's also played in a pro style offense. Both are strong runners with big frames, but Pryor measures 6'6, 233 pounds and possesses 4.4 speed and a stiff arm that pummels defenders to the ground to go along with excellent arm strength; he quite possibly could develop into the best NFL quarterback in escaping pressure.

However, questions will always surround Pryor's character, accuracy, and inconsistency. In some games, Pryor will have a tight spiral and throw beautiful passes to open receivers after scanning the field. In some games, he will look to run before anticipating his receivers' routes. His accuracy is the same way. Sometimes the ball is right on the money, but sometimes the throw is forced or thrown into double or triple coverage when he's pressured. Below is analysis from two of Pryor's biggest games in his collegiate career with opposite impressions.


Analyzing the Rose Bowl vs. Oregon


Terrelle Pryor was impressive against the Ducks, who possessed a quality defense. Pryor broke some longer runs on third down and was able to escape pressure and run for the first down several times. But what was most impressive was the way his eyes were downfield before he looked to run. He found open receivers that turned into long gains, whether it was his running back or wide receiver. He did not force throws and made good reads with an incredibly tight spiral 20+ yards downfield. Pryor's decision making single-handedly won the BCS game for the Buckeyes.

Tale of Two Halves


In last year's Sugar Bowl vs. Arkansas, Pryor's game can best be described as a tale of two halves. In the first half, he was nearly unstoppable. He ran for huge gains, threw beautiful passes to the outside of the field, and collected a pair of amazing touchdown passes (15-yard out pass to Dane Sanzenbacher and 43-yard pass to DeVier Posey down the middle of the field). With a 28-10 lead at halftime and Pryor breaking down the Razorback defense, it looked as if OSU was in total control. But in the second half, Pryor began forcing throws and his accuracy suffered. He also struggled to run the ball as Arkansas started to bring the blitz and frustrated him after several failed possessions. Though Ohio State held on to win the ballgame, Pryor's performance left scouts wondering which Pryor they saw that evening.


Final Thoughts

So what do I think? The consistency from game to game just is not there to consider Pryor to be a bonafide potential NFL starter, but his athletic ability and "wow" plays just make you feel like he could develop into something special with a coach who really cares and wants to make him better. About 10 teams scouted Pryor at his pro day, but not all see him as an NFL quarterback. Some believe he could be a wide receiver or tight end with his freakish size and speed, much like Arkansas's Matt Jones a few years ago. I believe Pryor will struggle to be a starting quarterback, but could provide a threat as a 2nd-stringer. I wish I would have been able to see the progression Pryor could have made his senior season, as he had improved his raw quarterback skills each and every year with the Buckeyes. The next chapter of Pryor's career starts tomorrow.