Boy, here we are, huh? Imagine a college quarterback tossing out nearly 4,800 yards like it’s confetti and hitting a groovy 66-percent of his passes, but somehow not bubbling up to the top of that NFL draft chatter. That’s Kyle McCord for ya, from Syracuse. Guy’s leading the Orange to a 10-3 season, caps it off with a victory over Washington State in the Holiday Bowl — which, I guess, is like the cherry on top, or maybe the whipped cream, who knows.
But you won’t find McCord’s name chiming in the same national anthem with Miami’s Cam Ward, Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, or Ole Miss’s Jaxson Dart. Former NFL head honcho Jay Gruden, who you’d think would be singing, has other tunes. He’s not vibing with McCord’s physical prowess—probably sees him as the guitarist with one string, metaphorically speaking.
“I don’t like the way the ball comes out of his hands,” Gruden said. He’s riffing on McCord’s technique — says it’s more shot put than spiral. Like, imagine pushing a watermelon rather than throwing a dart — maybe not quite that dramatic, but you get what I mean. He’s pegged McCord as more of a benchwarmer than a headliner, saying he’s got to hustle to make the team, even if he’s got an invitation to the dance. Maybe it’s one of those wallflower things.
Now, here’s a funny little thing: McCord’s supposed not to have the rocket arm, yet stats paint him almost like a sharpshooter long down the field. He’s nailing, what, 51.4% of his long throws over 20 yards? If you add the times his guys drop the ball (maybe stop buttering the hands before games?), it nudges to 54.2%. Eighth-best, mind you, across guys who flung the potato a hundred times or more last year.
Both Gruden and Tom Mead from Steelers Depot sniff out the arm strength issue. Not absent strength, right, but maybe not enough oomph for those daredevil NFL sideline bombs. It’s one thing threading needles in college—a whole other yarn ball in the pros. Opposing defenses are like hawks compared to the college’s, um, seagulls (sure, let’s go with that).
And there’s the athleticism thing. McCord doesn’t have that runaway freight train vibe like Jalen Milroe from Alabama. When the pocket goes bust, he’s not someone you’d expect to take the whole roadshow on his shoulders like Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen. Not that we’re all just fancy-footwork fans; sometimes, you just need a guy who gets it done.
The Steelers sort of have their eyes peeled, despite all that. Why pour their pre-draft visiting fuel (figurative, not actual gasoline) into meeting McCord if there wasn’t a spark? Gruden admits the guy’s got decision-making chops—quick on the draw, so to speak. He might not do the flashy “ooooh” plays, but he gets the ball where it needs to be most of the time.
Not a Houdini with the pocket eluding stuff or a cannonball-thrower, but, hey, maybe there’s room for a guy who’s cool-headed and knows not to fumble the script reads. Enough to get the Steelers scoping him out more before everyone’s lined up to claim their draftees like Christmas presents. Life’s little mysteries…
