Kyle McCord Should Fix One Thing

When considering backup quarterbacks, two profiles stand out. The first is a highly athletic quarterback, like Malik Willis, who can still contribute if forced into the game. If Willis isn't available, Kyle McCord is a solid second choice. McCord is an exceptionally accurate quarterback, whether at Ohio State or Syracuse, and he possesses good ball placement. While he may not be very mobile, he can still pick up first downs when needed. McCord trusts his abilities to make critical throws when necessary.

However, McCord's main weakness is his lack of raw arm talent. The strongest review of his arm comes from Dane Brugler, who described it as "solid arm talent" with adequate velocity and arc when needed. Many backup quarterbacks with similar arm strengths wouldn't make it to the starting lineup, as seen with Matt Flynn and Scott Tolzien.

In baseball, where arm strength is crucial, there is a publicly available ranking of pitchers' velocity. In football, we don't have such a ranking, leaving us guessing about the arm strength of middle-of-the-road quarterbacks.

For a starting NFL quarterback, a 50 on a 20/80 scale would be ideal. However, Tua Tagovailoa and Brock Purdy, who are slightly below that mark, compensate with fast release times. McCord's arm strength is on par with theirs, but he lacks a fast release. While this could potentially be improved, it's not easily fixed due to McCord's accurate throwing mechanics.

Nonetheless, arm strength can still be enhanced, as seen in baseball's Driveline revolution. Key pitchers now regularly reach the mid-90s in terms of velocity, and similar training methods can likely improve quarterback arm strength.

McCord, a borderline case, should focus on improving his raw arm strength to become a more competitive backup. If successful, he could potentially evolve into a starter in the future.