Zac Dysert 2013 NFL Draft scouting report

Miami (OH) quarterback Zac Dysert is the fourth of nine 2013 NFL Draft quarterback prospects that Buffalo Rumblings will profile this off-season. He's also the least known quarterback among the nine, playing in the Mid-Atlantic Conference without putting up big statistics or win totals. Dysert started four years at Miami, but did not dominate the Mid-Atlantic Conference, only leading the RedHawks to one winning season in 2010. Dysert missed his only bowl game opportunity in 2010 due to injury, a game the RedHawks won over Middle Tennessee State.

Dysert enters the 2013 NFL Draft as a potential future starting quarterback, but lacking a successful college track record in terms of winning games.

Zac Dysert | QB | Miami (OH)

• 6'3", 224 pounds
• Started 43 games over four seasons (15-28 record, DNP in bowl game in 2010 due to injury)
• Career stats: 1,066/1,672 (63.8% completions), 12,016 yards (7.19 YPA), 73 TD, 51 INT

Strengths

On the hoof, Dysert looks like an NFL quarterback. He's well-built with good height, and looks to be able to take the pounding that he'll get in the NFL. Dysert's arm strength allows him deliver the football at all levels with velocity, and although he won't be confused with Matt Stafford, he can easily execute all the throws an NFL starter is required to make. Of importance, Dysert's throwing motion remains mostly the same regardless of the throw. He doesn't torque his body to deliver throws requiring greater velocity. That's a sign of good mechanics and good arm strength.

He's more of a pocket passer than a runner, and his skill set fits that role. He ran offenses from under center and from the shotgun; he stands tall under pressure and delivers the football. Dysert remains accurate under pressure, and can change his throwing angle to get the ball out. Dysert not only throws well under pressure, but he reads defenses under pressure. When pressured, Dysert still progressed through his reads, and doesn't make a ton of mistakes by forcing the football.

Dysert is a quiet leader who carried Miami for most of four years. He's coachable and has learned two systems in college, both of which were pro-style offensive systems. He understands reads and progressions, and normally runs through them well. By all accounts, Dysert is a great teammate, never calling out others for mistakes when he was clearly surrounded by inferior talent.

Weaknesses

Dysert is not the best athlete in the 2013 quarterback class. He's a good athlete and can run. He's run an offense similar to a Mike Shanahan-esque rollout offense, where the quarterback makes throws on the run. That said, Dysert shouldn't be considered a runner or scrambler. A team looking for a runner would be better served looking at a guy like E.J. Manuel.

Dysert has some physical limitations. He hasn't mastered moving around in the pocket. Sometimes he'll drop and remain mostly planted to a spot. He doesn't collapse when pressured, which is good, but he also doesn't slide or step up to give himself more time. Dysert doesn't have a weak arm, but he isn't going to fire the ball around the field and beat teams with ball velocity, like Tyler Bray or Mike Glennon can. Dysert has average-to-small hand size, and will need to concentrate on ball security at the pro level.

Results matter, and Dysert hasn't achieved them. While he's started for four years, he sports a 15-28 record, including three losing seasons. When he was hurt in 2010, the RedHawks were 6-4. After his injury, they won the remaining four games, including their bowl game. Along with that, Dysert is not a vocal leader. Sometimes he's too nice. He needs to lay into folks sometimes when they aren't doing their job.

Outlook

Dysert is a day two quarterback prospect with not a lot of risk and some upside. At worst, Dysert can develop into a good backup quarterback with enough talent to get a team though games. Dysert's upside is around Matt Hasselbeck about a decade ago: not elite, but good enough to be considered a franchise quarterback. He's likely to fall into the Matt Cassel-range of quarterbacks: a great backup with enough talent to succeed with a lot of talent around him. He's certainly not going to carry an average team to wins; his college career shows that.

In terms of how he might fit into Buffalo's plans, he might be the perfect quarterback for Buffalo to draft. In a year where no quarterback has established themselves as a sure-fire future franchise passer, Buddy Nix might be better off passing on the position in the higher rounds. Selecting Dysert in the third round, for instance, might be the perfect compromise. Dysert is sufficiently talented enough to challenge Kevin Kolb and Tarvaris Jackson as the starter over the course of the next two years. And because he doesn't have many truly outstanding traits and played for a mid-level FCS school, he won't get drafted as high, and doesn't carry the same name recognition that would prevent Buffalo from drafting its franchise starter in 2014.