Davis Webb out to prove himself in unconvincing QB class
This year's draft contains an intriguing group of quarterbacks, but it's widely accepted that it lacks the top-level prospects the draft has boasted in recent years.
Deshaun Watson, Mitchell Trubisky, DeShone Kizer, and Pat Mahomes are widely expected to be taken in the first round of the draft, but none are slam-dunk franchise-level players, meaning teams could look beyond the top 32 picks for a sleeper quarterback prospect.
One of the names who teams could be eyeing in the middle rounds of the draft is former Cal standout Davis Webb.
The 6-foot-5, 229-pounder produced great numbers at Cal in 2016, replacing 2016 No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff, and believes that if teams want a high-ceiling quarterback with the dedication to match, he's their guy.
"My work ethic and competitive drive (sets me apart from other QBs in this class)," said Webb in an interview with Brooke Cersosimo of NFL.com. "Where I'm at right now, I'm pretty dang good. But in a couple years down the road or 10 years, I'm going to be a lot better than some other guys because of my work ethic and how important this game is to me.
"Some people draft people based on college stuff, and they don't think five years down the road. I think in five years, I'll be way better than I am right now, and in 10 years, I'll far surpass that. My potential is through the roof, and I'll get there because of my work ethic."
Like Goff before him, one of the knocks on Webb is that he lacks experience running a sophisticated system, and therefore will need time to transition to the professional level.
With his pro day set for March 24, Webb is intent on proving he can handle the rigors of an NFL offense.
"(At Cal's pro day,) I just need to continue to be accurate and show that I can take a snap from under center. I want to show that I can play in an NFL system and it's not a knock against me that I played in an air raid offense. I was just asked to do that. I have the capability to learn any offense. All I need to do is be given the information. I'm a cerebral guy and that plays into my favor."
It remains to be seen how high Webb can climb - he's currently theScore's No.7-ranked QB - but the young pivot has his sights set on the big picture.
"I'm not working for the pro day or draft - I'm working for one year, two years, five years from now to be a much better quarterback," said Webb.