Seattle Seahawks Draft Target Profile: QB Ryan Aplin
By Keith Myers
Jan 06, 2013; Mobile, AL USA; Arkansas State Red Wolves quarterback Ryan Aplin (16) passes the ball during the first half against the Kent State Golden Flashes at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports
This is the final of 4 possible QB targets that I can see the Seahawks selecting on draft day. Arkansas State’s Ryan Aplin isn’t a household name, but he’s also the type of “under the radar” talent that John Schneider seems to find every year.
Ryan Aplin is one of my favorite QBs in this draft class, though that doesn’t mean he’s a great prospect. He’s smart, hard working and surprisingly honest when being interviewed. He’s not afraid to own his mistakes and works hard not to repeat them. As a person, he’s the type of guy you want in your locker room.
As a player, Aplin lacks ideal size for an NFL QB, but that clearly isn’t a problem to the coaches in Seattle. My biggest concern about his size comes from the fact that he doesn’t have a knack for avoiding big hits.
As a passer Aplin isn’t an elite talent. He has some strange mechanics (he never fully extends his arm) that leads to sporadic accuracy issues. Ryan’s arm strength is fairly average. It’s good enough to make all the throws, but it certainly isn’t elite.
Ryan has good pocket awareness, and isn’t afraid the throw the ball when there’s a defender in his face. He’s also surprisingly good at breaking tackles for a QB of his size. He extends the play well and is good at throwing on the run, because he properly his shoulders while on the move. He can also pull the ball down and pick up yards with his feet with nothing is there.
When he does run, Aplin has a decent combinations of speed and shiftyness. He has good form and fairly quick feet. He’s also a sure ball carrier who doesn’t have ball security problems. He’s also not afraid to take a hit, but that isn’t necessarily a good thing for a QB.
Any discussion of Aplin would not be complete without mentioning his sister Carlye, who has Smith Magenis Syndrome, which causes dysmorphic features and random behavior patterns. Working with Carlye has given Ryan a maturity and self awareness that is very rare in someone his age.
Draft Projection: 7th Round – Undrafted Free Agent
Pros
- Decent Arm
- Natural Leader
- Natural Runner for a QB
- Good in-pocket footwork
Cons
- Inconsistent throwing mechanics
- Sporadic accuracy
- Doesn’t avoid big hits
Game film provided by