UCF HC George O’Leary discussed his QB Blake Bortles and how he projects in the NFL during a recent interview with Sports Radio 610 in Houston.
“I think a franchise quarterback comes out once every 10 years, and he came out last year in [Andrew] Luck,” O’Leary said. “The ones I see succeed are understudies.”
“Blake has all the things you’re looking for in a quarterback as far as size and mental capacity to handle a lot of things,” O’Leary said. “But that first year is tough because those guys are moving a lot faster than the college guys.
O’Leary isn’t saying that Bortles can’t be a franchise quarterback with time, but normally you’ll see college coaches touting prospects to the point where you’re wondering how much of what they’re saying is actually realistic. Instead, O’Leary looks to be offering a fair take on his college quarterback.
“Blake is going to be fine-tuned to what he needs to get done in the pro ranks,” O’Leary added.
Overall, it sounds like O’Leary assessment coincides with what a lot of NFL scouts and draft analysts have been saying of Bortles in recent months. There is still a contingent of experts who believe Bortles is worthy of the No. 1 overall pick and could end up being the best quarterback out of this year’s draft class.
It will be interesting to see if he participates in all of the passing drills in this year’s Scouting Combine as he is said to be mulling over his options as of now.
We have Bortles being selected by the Vikings at No. 8 overall in our most recent 2014 NFL Mock Draft.
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