Originally published by Brian T. Smith.
WACO — Bryce Petty spun perfect spirals that softly sailed into receivers’ hands deep in the end zone. He faked left, spun right and drilled wideouts along the sidelines. He unleashed an NFL-ready arm after beginning every snap under center. And the record-setting Baylor quarterback still has so much to prove.
Petty completed 69-of-77 passes Wednesday during the Bears’ pro day Wednesday inside the team’s workout facility, at times wowing watchers with the speed and precision of his throws. But while personal QB coach George Whitfield declared that his student pulled off the best Pro Day he’s ever been a part of, questions remained about Petty’s ability to successfully transition from Baylor’s wide-open spread offense to the structure and second-by-second minutiae of the NFL.
“People are going to like him or not like him and the big issue is going to be the transition,” NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said. “And from my perspective, he’s a year or two away from being able to compete as a starting quarterback. But the good news is, he has starter traits. So if you have starter traits, that puts you somewhere else in the draft than if they think you’re going to be a career backup. He has the right traits but he needs a lot of reps under center in real combat.”
Mayock acknowledged that Petty has the best pure arm in a draft already dominated by expected No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston. Petty’s pro day only backed up the statement, with the 6-3, 228-pound QB smoothly blending quick slants and crossing patterns with long-range outs, all while mixing up his steps and foot placement after taking snaps.
“He demonstrated he could make all the throws, which is necessary to play in the league,” said Dallas quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson, who after the workout spoke with Petty about a follow-up meeting. “He had good touch. Every time you see him, he’s a little more fluid dropping back under center. So, to the Senior Bowl to the combine to now, he looks a little bit improved.”
Oregon’s Marcus Mariota and Winston are the only QBs expected to be off the board when the first round is complete. With six weeks remaining before the annual draft, Petty is attempting to move past UCLA’s Brett Hundley and Colorado State’s Garrett Grayson to become the third quarterback taken. Despite possessing the sharpest arm available, Petty is viewed by many as a project who must adjust to everything from on-field playcalling to dropbacks and defensive reads in the pros.
“It was exactly what we wanted to do,” said Petty, who’s slotted between the second and third rounds in most mock drafts. “All my (game) tape’s in the gun, so we wanted to have every throw under center and say, ‘If you guys want me under center, I can play under center.’ I have history in the shotgun, so I don’t know if I necessarily have to show that.”
Baylor coach Art Briles watched Petty rack up 520 completions, 8,055 yards and 61 touchdowns the last two seasons, after the QB barely played his initial two years in Waco. Back-to-back Big 12 championships later, Briles isn’t backing down from his belief that Petty can last in the pros and is worthy of a first-round pick.
“Football is football. If a guy can play, a guy can play,” Briles said. “It’s all about being with the right people in the right system with the right mentality. If you’ve got a horse, it depends on how you’re going to let him run. Are you going to let him run fast or (are) you going to make him trot a certain way and make him look like every other horse?
“I’ve always believed in letting guys be their own selves that have ability — let them play. Then, if they don’t play, that’s your fault.”
brian.smith@chron.com
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