Cullen Harper QB 6'3 225 Clemson 5.06

Harper spent two seasons pretty much watching from the sidelines for the Tigers, but he put that time to good use. In his first season as a starter last year, Harper threw for 2,991 yards while completing over 65% of his passes for 27 touchdowns and six interceptions. It was a tough senior year, where he battled through injury, a benching, the loss of his head coach and Harper’s play suffered. He threw for 2,395 yards with only 11 touchdowns to 12 picks.

Strengths

Harper certainly looks the part of a top QB prospect. He is a pocket passer with the size to see the entire field and the arm to get the ball wherever it needs to go. He’s also a better athlete than you might expect, and has the ability to elude the rush in the pocket and keep things alive to make a play. As a junior, Harper displayed excellent accuracy and was very good at not forcing the ball into coverage.

Weaknesses

The strengths of Harper are true when he’s healthy, but he has battled shoulder problems. That is one injury you do not want to have if you are a QB. Harper injured his shoulder last year and had offseason surgery, but the shoulder bothered him again during the year. Harper really struggled this year, which has some scouts question his true ability level. He needs to learn to find his man earlier and get rid of the ball, and that is something that comes with more experience. Harper also criticized his coaches publically during the season, which is another question is he going to have to face in the post season, because it is simply something you cannot do. Especially if you are considered to be a team leader.

Future

Harper is a player that entered the year as one of the top senior QB’s available because of his big junior season. He suffered a major fall throughout the season, for a variety of reasons. He is now a guy that could be drafted late and kept around as a developmental prospect, but he will wait awhile on draft weekend. He displayed a lot of potential as a junior, so there are some things that build upon. A team could get a surprise late in the draft if they can tap into what made him successful as a junior.