In my opinion, Max Duggan is basically Sam Ehlinger. Both players have very similar builds and skillsets, and I believe have the same type of NFL potential – it’s very limited. Duggan’s moxie and grit is inspiring. I have still never seen a performance like the one he played against Kansas State in the 2022 Big 12 Championship. At best, Duggan looks like a suitable spot starter who can win you a game or two when a starter goes down.

Duggan isn’t a huge upside project, even though some teams may hope to develop him from a QB3 to a QB2. He’s just too slow through his mechanics and there isn’t a lot you can do as a prospect to improve that. It slows down every facet of his game and forces you into situations where you take negative plays – and it’s not going to get any better. 

MAX DUGGAN ARE YOU SERIOUS?

TCU with ANOTHER touchdown to take a commanding 20-3 lead in the first half 🐸 pic.twitter.com/ObkYQhsQYW

— ESPN (@espn) December 31, 2022

Combine medicals are going to be huge for Duggan, who had open heart surgery in August of 2022. Suffered an injury in high school (2017) that forced him to miss the end of the season. Missed a couple of games in 2019 with an injury. Missed a couple of games in 2021 with a foot injury. Played through serious nicks in 2022. 

Max Duggan’s scouting report

Quarterback Ability (65)

Arm Talent: 20

• Arm Strength (7/10) – Has adequate arm strength. Can drive the ball into the short to intermediate levels of the field. Throws a beautiful spiral. Ball tends to die as it arrives deep down field. Arm strength is effective up to 40-45 yards. 
• Touch Ability (3.5/5) – Can throw a very nice touch ball. Almost has to rely on it to get the job done. 
• Release (3.5/5) – Release is fairly quick, and Duggan can work from multiple arm slots. 

Accuracy/Placement: 25

• Accuracy (8.5/15) – Isn’t the most accurate quarterback in existence. Struggles to get the ball close to the right spot consistently. Struggles under pressure and underneath. 
• Placement/Vision (6/10) – Placement is sometimes good, though a lot of times horrifically bad. A lot of inconsistency layering through windows, struggles to read where the throw needs to go. 

Pocket Presence: 10

• Pocket Positioning (3/5) – Tends to get overly deep in his drop. Doesn’t show a lot of ability to work back up off of his drop. 
• Pocket Maneuverability (3.5/5) – Flashes the ability to maneuver the pocket well. When he does, his pocket movement is incredible. Tends to want to stand in the pocket too long and is more comfortable forcing the ball downfield than maneuvering the pocket. 

Footwork: 10

• Consistency (2.5/5) – Footwork is not consistent. Plant angle is all over the place. 
• Quickness (2.5/5) – Slow feet. Shows very little control. Struggles to get through his drops effectively. 

Athleticism (20)

Mobility: 12

• Outside of the pocket (4.5/7) – Has the mobility to get outside of the pocket, but from that point he’s almost exclusively a runner. 
• Downfield Ability (4/5) – Decent but not a great downfield runner. Reminds me a lot of Sam Ehlinger with his run style and skillset. Has good speed and can work well in the open field. 

Improvability: 8

• Natural Improvability (2.5/4) – Shows a little improvability but not a whole lot. 
• Play Extension (2.5/4) – Shows some ability to extend plays but isn’t great at it. 

Intelligence (15)

Football IQ/Field Vision: 10

• Football Intelligence (3/5) – Can sift through zone coverages. Works through blitzes well. Tends to hold on to the ball too long trying to read the play. 
• Ability to read pre-snap (3/5) – Can get through simple pre-snap reads well and make good decisions. 

Overall: (64.5) – 7th Round/PFA