For the first time in a long time, a player will enter the supplemental draft this summer with a level of warranted intrigue.
Yet Brendan Sorsby, for me, is indicative of the growing desperation among NFL and draft media to elevate players beyond a level that is justified.
All you’ll have heard about the 2027 quarterback so far is highly positive. Respected draft pundits are suggesting it could be the best in years.
I would urge caution against that.
Let’s not forget, 2026 was supposed to go the same way too. A year ago many were suggesting Cade Klubnik was QB1 and destined to be a first round pick. The Jets rather generously picked him in round four instead.
There are a bunch of quarterbacks with ample potential but a lot to prove. There are players with tools and/or talent who need to take a big leap this year. Sorsby would’ve fit that profile perfectly had he spent a season with Texas Tech. Instead, he’s heading to the NFL.
The reason is down to gambling — and by all accounts Sorsby presents a very modern dilemma. America has opened itself up to legal sports gambling, something we’ve had in England for a long time. How you adjust to it’s sudden availability, rapid rise in popularity and relentless promotion will be a challenge — particularly when you’re judging what players themselves can or cannot do. Plus, how do you evaluate players who may or may not end up with a problem (as so many people do)?
First and foremost, before you get into the player evaluation, you’ll need to work out how you feel about Sorsby’s penchant for gambling — including betting on his own team when he was in Indiana. He reportedly recently entered rehab for gambling addiction.
The fear probably won’t be that in the future he’ll once again gamble on his own team. It could be, though, that his is an issue that isn’t readily solved. Gambling can really become a big problem for so many people. Quarterback is a highly demanding position and any distraction, such as money problems or the constant need to seek out the next bet, could be a fear for teams.
You will need to do extensive research on the person, the level of the issue and have in place proper care and guidance. Any team prepared to use a pick on him will obviously do this work.
So what about on the field?
I came away underwhelmed.
I thought his accuracy was a problem with wayward throws the biggest issue. He just doesn’t throw a catchable ball enough of the time, especially when attacking 1v1 in scoring position.
His completion percentage backs this up — his 61.6% mark ranked 84th among college quarterbacks last season.
There isn’t enough evidence of layered throws, accuracy into tight windows or fitting plays into difficult spots.
There were some oddities to his game too. For example, he surprisingly gets a lot of air on his ‘moon ball’ and the kind of loft you’d typically want when throwing downfield. Yet the throws often die at the last minute.
I’ll try to explain this the best I can. He can throw a 55-yard pass with great height on the delivery. Yet for some reason, the ball fades at the end. Receivers had to adjust too often late in the throw.
It suggested that mechanically there are some issues, or that he’s arming the ball out and he doesn’t have the natural combination of touch and strength to make easy throws downfield. He doesn’t throw with a great base.
He can hang passes too much. There was a throw on the run vs Kentucky last season where the receiver creates separation and is wide open. Just get it out to him for a score. The ball flutters in the air and lands about four feet away from the receiver. It should’ve been an easy touchdown.
In the same game, on another throw in a similar situation, he left the ball in the air too long that by the time the catch was made, the receiver was absolutely levelled (and luckily held on to the catch).
To me it felt like there was a bit too much RPO in the Cincinnati system and it propped him up a little bit. He could work on the short-intermediate throws off the play-fake and there was a lot of quick-hit, get the ball out stuff on tape.
When he kept the ball as a runner it was hit and miss. He has a Drew Lock level of mobility and that enables him to run around a bit. When he gets out into space he’s not a sloth as a runner. He has some athletic ability.
Yet he also runs into big hits far too often and seemed to trust his ability as a runner way too much. If he plays the same way in the NFL he’s going to be another Jaxson Dart, getting hammered all the time.
On the plus side — he can read and attack the intermediate level well especially off play-action. He also does have some ‘wow’ throws playing out of structure — and he can adjust his arm angles to make things happen.
He’s well sized and I think the aim should be to try and get him into a Shanahan-type offense where he can learn to better play within structure and his intermediate skill can shine — and not expect that you’re getting the next Josh Allen just because he likes to move around.
Purely as a football prospect I wouldn’t personally be spending a pick on him in the supplemental draft. I can understand teams who just want to take shots — especially the Cardinals with their new offense — being willing to maybe chance their arm with a third round dart-throw.
In terms of the Seahawks though — with an underrated topic on Sam Darnold’s potential future contract situation likely to emerge in the coming months, depending on how he plays in 2026 — I wouldn’t be rushing to bring in Sorsby as someone who could eventually replace him.
