20/20: Josh Rosen

Rob Willette Posted On February 13, 2018

Welcome to the 20/20 series. As part of our continued Dynasty Scouts coverage and in preparation for the NFL Combine, we will be profiling 20 of the top incoming rookies of the class of 2018 by giving you 20 facts you must know.

1.) Player name – Josh Rosen

2.) College – UCLA

3.) Height/Weight – 6”4/218

4.) Birth date – 02/10/1997

5.) Class – Junior

6.) College stats – 2015: 292/487 for 3,669 yards with 23/11 TD/INT; 2016: 137 of 231 for 1,915 yards with 10/5 TD/INT; 2017: 283/452 for 3,756 yards with 26/10 TD/INT.

7.) NFL Draft round projection – Early first.

8.) Current NFL comparison – While I am not big on stylistic comparisons, I believe Josh Rosen could impact an organization in a fashion similar to Matt Ryan. Ryan offers flashes of elite quarterback play, yet settles in as a quarterback in the league’s second-tier. You can win a lot of games with him and he can head your organization for a decade-plus. I feel Rosen will have a similar career.

[am4show have=’g1;’ guest_error=’sub_message’ user_error=’sub_message’ ]

9.) Best possible destination – In a touch of serendipity, Rosen’s best destination may also be his most likely: the New York Giants. A stable franchise with a newly-minted offensive-minded coach and premier young weapons is about as positive a situation as a young quarterback could ask for. While there would be some concerns it would delay his timetable due to the presence of Eli Manning, I am confident Rosen would surpass Manning early in 2018 if not beat him for the job outright.

10.) Worst possible destination – Is it too easy to say the Cleveland Browns? Perhaps, though it is also valid. Maybe getting their “football guys” in-house will end the maddening instability, but Jimmy Haslam has outed himself time and time again as an overmatched and impatient owner whose master strokes have been sullied by his own impetuousness. Toss in a coach quick to shift blame along with a promising yet wildly volatile set of pass-catchers, and it seems like a bad fit for just about anyone.

11.) Best current skill – From his footwork to his smooth release, Rosen’s mechanics could be turned into an instructional video. When strong play design meets flawless execution, Rosen is unstoppable as his mechanics and mental acumen are more than enough to eviscerate a defense.

12.) Skill that needs to be improved – On the flip side, when things unfold in an uglier fashion around him, Rosen can often put too much on his shoulders and place throws into windows which are non-existent. These last two entries could read as the strengths and weaknesses for most quarterback prospects – as there are plenty of quarterbacks who could succeed with a clean pocket or struggle with improvisation – but they’re exacerbated with Rosen’s skill-set.

13.) Past/current rookie ADP – He’s 20th overall (QB1) in our dynasty rookie rankings.

14.) Projected dynasty value – Outside of superflex leagues, it is difficult for quarterbacks to gain much traction. The very elite have a lot of appeal due to their relative longevity and durability, though even they’re afterthoughts compared to the heavy-hitters at running back or wide receiver. Rosen should net interest towards the back-end of round two in rookie drafts, though a deep class of rookie running backs muddies the waters. There should be an opportunity to acquire Rosen at a cheap cost this off-season.

15.) Personality – The UCLA product has interests outside of football and states his opinions with conviction, which is apparently a bad thing in the NFL. We will certainly hear a ton about how Rosen meshes with a team’s personality over the next two months, though much of it will be narrative-driven garbage. If Rosen fails to succeed at the NFL level, it will not be because he handles his business a bit differently than most quarterbacks.

16.) Injuries – Significant shoulder surgery on a throwing arm is a notable injury for any quarterback. Rosen had his throwing arm operated on in November of 2016, though it did not show many if any ill-effects in 2017. He took some beatings behind an overmatched offensive line during his days in Westwood, but outside of the shoulder and a late-season concussion in 2017, he has hung tough. Medicals, of course, will be important.

17.) As a Recruit – Rosen was one of the better quarterback recruits in recent memory. An advanced passer with the prototype frame, it is easy to see how he found himself atop the pro-style quarterback ranks of 247’s Composite Rankings in the 2014 class. He committed to UCLA over Stanford, Michigan, and Cal.

18.) Dorm Room Hot Tub – He put a hot tub in his dorm room, just because. Life as a premier Pac-12 quarterback is pretty good.

19.) Youth – Rosen turns 21 in February, making him younger than all the notable signal-callers in this draft save Sam Darnold. While certainly not undersized by any stretch, adding bulk as he enters his early 20’s could be a positive development.

20.) Not a Candidate for first Pick? – As expected, Rosen has already stirred up significant debate. A Tony Pauline note indicated a General Manager had stated “stay away” in regards to Rosen with a later Tweet from Pauline indicating it was John Dorsey. Dorsey later refuted the report, but you have to wonder if there is a match between Rosen and the Browns given the personalities at play.

[/am4show]