2021 NFL Draft: What to expect from Golden Gophers QB Tanner Morgan

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Minnesota QB Tanner Morgan
Size: Morgan has good size and perhaps room to grow at 6’2″, 215 pounds. He has put on about 20 pounds after coming in as a 205-pound freshman in 2017.

Athletic Ability: Morgan has the ability to move around well in the pocket and has quickness carrying the ball when he needs to take off if the play has broken down on him. He has good feet and overall above-average mobility.

Arm Strength: The Gophers QB has some zip to his throws. He possesses plenty of trust in his receivers and shows good anticipation on receivers’ routes. He gets the ball where it needs to be and demonstrates a good ability to get inside windows before defenders can close in on the receivers.

Arm Accuracy: Morgan’s completion percentage shot up from 59 percent to 66 percent from 2018 to 2019. This was also with Morgan taking over as a full-time starter after sharing the job in 2018. He is more often than not on target with his throws, most of which come in the intermediate part of the field. He does flash potential as a strong deep-ball passer and he does a nice job finding his targets after he is flushed out of the pocket.

Decision Making: There are times when Morgan can be a bit reckless with the football and has thrown some bad interceptions. Overall, he moves the football down the field well, identifies open receivers, and takes what the defense gives him while also allowing his receivers to make plays.

Competition: There is no question Morgan has had the ability to face some of the top teams in the country in the Big Ten. Six Big Ten teams finished in the final AP Top 25 in 2019, with Minnesota finishing at No. 10 after posting an 11-2 record. Losses for Minnesota against Iowa and Wisconsin dented their record but defeats of Penn State and Auburn en route to their 11 wins were impressive. 2020 will see Minnesota face another strong level of competition, with a non-conference schedule that includes Florida Atlantic, Tennessee Tech, and BYU. In conference they will travel to Maryland, Wisconsin, and Michigan State while welcoming both Michigan and Purdue into their stadium for conference games.

Eligibility: While Morgan does have an extra year of eligibility due to redshirting in 2017, it is more likely than not that Morgan declares for the 2021 NFL Draft, especially if he has another strong season, striking while the iron is hot.

www.profootballnetwork.com

2021 NFL Draft: Golden Gophers QB Tanner Morgan | PFN

Golden Gophers QB Tanner Morgan had a superb 2019 season. What is his range of outcomes when the 2021 NFL Draft rolls around?
www.profootballnetwork.com www.profootballnetwork.com

Go Gophers!!
 

Small quibble but pretty sure 205 + 20 doesn't equal 215. Nice writeup on Morgan though and he is definitely gaining a lot of steam as a 2021 draft prospect. Will be very interesting to see what he decides to do if he has another big year.

I still won't be shocked if he is back again in 2022 (gut feeling) but if he grades out high enough he might decide to make the jump after next year.
 



march madness said:
Morgan has below average qb athleticism. His arm is average. He has superb touch, intelligence, and composure.
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Agreed on all counts. I'm not an NFL draft expert, but having watched every throw Morgan has made the past 2 seasons, I'm not sure I agree with the above analysis. Best NFL comp for Morgan is Tom Brady. Not that he'll ever win a Superbowl (or even become a starter), but without extreme athletic ability or an overpowering arm, Morgan gets it done. He's very accurate, reads a defense pre-snap, anticipates windows, throws WR's open, isn't afraid to throw into coverage if he trusts the WR, moves well in the pocket but isn't a running threat, etc.
 


MGGopher said:
Agreed on all counts. I'm not an NFL draft expert, but having watched every throw Morgan has made the past 2 seasons, I'm not sure I agree with the above analysis. Best NFL comp for Morgan is Tom Brady. Not that he'll ever win a Superbowl (or even become a starter), but without extreme athletic ability or an overpowering arm, Morgan gets it done. He's very accurate, reads a defense pre-snap, anticipates windows, throws WR's open, isn't afraid to throw into coverage if he trusts the WR, moves well in the pocket but isn't a running threat, etc.
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I've always thought he was a lot closer to Drew Brees.
 


march madness said:
Morgan has below average qb athleticism. His arm is average. He has superb touch, intelligence, and composure.
Click to expand...

Agree with this. Also I get its probably tough to come up with new/different descriptions when breaking down a QB but this is about as cookie cutter as you can be. Would not call him above average mobility wise and would not call him reckless with the football. That being said he and the gophers will gladly take the publicity.
 

I don't get the "more likely that he declares for the draft" notion.

if Morgan had an absolutely off-the-charts season, then maybe I could see it. But we still don't know what the 2020 season is going to look like. If the season winds up shortened due to the virus, that might change how players are evaluated and change perceptions.

right now, I would put it 50/50 at best that Morgan declares for the NFL. He might just be one of those guys who likes where he's at and would rather play another year in college. I don't get the sense that Morgan has much of an ego - he's not walking around telling people how he's going to be a hot-shot NFL QB.

(now, if Bateman has a big year - he gone. no doubt.)
 




He reminds me a lot of Brock Purdy of Iowa State. Same age, similar height, and stats.
 
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Not a huge NFL guy but I don't think he would go in the first round after next season without putting up crazy numbers and I don't think he'd declare early to go in a later round unless he was afraid of injuries.

I think he'll be a good backup and possibly be an okay starter but he doesn't really draw attention. It seems like some of his best qualities are ones that are hard to measure which will probably hurt him as well. And if the college season ends up significantly shortened or cancelled I have to think that favors the more athletic players and hurts guys who aren't great athletes but are great football players.
 




Going off the Drew Brees - Russell Wilson - Tom Brady examples I’ll guess Morgan will be a somewhere around a third rounder but let’s revisit this in 1-2 years. He’s a phenomenal QB in all the ways that matter in college but we have to admit he doesn’t have the elite measurables most NFL coaches and their fans are looking for. I’ve been a huge TM2 backer from literally the first time he saw extended action vs Nebraska but given what we know about the NFL it will be hard for him to break out of the second round at best. Which is still pretty damn good. Time will tell how elite he can really be. He’s already really, really good.
 

I would say Drew Brees is the closest example. TM is probably 6-1 at best. R Wilson is a phenomenal athlete at QB, TM is not. IF he couldn't throw he couldnt make the team at another position I am guessing.
 



Drew Brees is the best comp. His athleticism isn't very good and could use some seasoning when it comes to pocket awareness, but his leadership, anticipation, and accuracy are top notch. Another thing that is really important is that he is clutch. I would trust him to drive us down the field for a game winning TD, Iowa game not included.
 

I think one thing you guys are forgetting about is is his quick release. I think that makes an excellent NFL quarterback. They were talking about how long quarterback holds onto the ball.
 

What I really like about TM, is when ZA started at QB, and when a drive was over, ZA would go back to the bench. TM would always help him with advice, a pat on the shoulder, etc. At that moment, I was thinking that TM could possibly play behind ZA for 4 years, and he still had a great attitude. Tanner Morgan is a winner on many levels.
 

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