Jordan Palmer QB 6'6 231 UTEP 4.98

The younger brother of Bengal Carson Palmer was not as highly touted as his brother, but that was because he did not play much football in high school. He landed at UTEP known only as Carson’s brother, but has made a name for himself for the Miners. A part time starter as a redshirt freshman, Palmer threw for 1,168 yards and seven touchdowns, but completed less than 50% of his passes, and was picked off 13 times. He really progressed as a sophomore, throwing for 2,818 yards, while completing 58% of his passes for 26 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. Palmer continued to improve as a junior, completing 59% of his passes for 3,503 yards and 29 touchdowns, along with 19 interceptions. He had another solid season as a senior, throwing for 3,595 yards and 26 touchdowns with 14 picks, while completing over 65% of his passes.

Palmer is the prototypical pocket passer. He is big, with a strong arm, and a gunslinger’s mentality. He has the arm to make all the throws, and shows the athleticism to maneuver around the rush in the pocket and throw on the run. He has shown improvement every year since leaving high school, and has a lot of upside. He obviously has the bloodlines, with his brother being one of the best QB’s in the NFL.

While the gunslinger attitude is a positive, it is also a negative for Palmer. He tries to throw the ball through the defense too often, relying on his arm to make plays. He needs to learn to take what the defense gives him more often, and not force the ball so much.

A lot has been made of him being Carson’s brother, but Jordan will have to make it on his own. He has the talent to develop, but he’s a project right now that will need work at the next level. He is a player that will probably be taken in the middle rounds with the idea of developing him over a couple seasons to see what he can become.