This prospect offers up a great underdog/redemption story, but can the football skills elevate to working at the next level?
Max Duggan, QB, TCU
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 204 (measured at Senior Bowl)
Duggan turns 22 in March
A starter for most of his four seasons with the Horned Frogs, Duggan surged in his final season with new head coach Sonny Dykes — who was Lions QB Jared Goff’s collegiate coach at Cal. Always known for his toughness, Duggan improved his accuracy and timing in the more pass-happy structure. He finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting, leading TCU to the national championship game.
Pros
- High-intensity leader and field general with loads of experience for being just 21
- Strong arm that can hit wide-side throws and downfield routes in stride
- Good athlete who can move the chains with his legs and is dangerous on boots and designed rollouts. Capably experienced in running read-options and RPOs.
- Improved his accuracy, both in ball placement and timing on delivery, in his final season. Proved he can drive the ball into tighter windows
- Good pocket awareness and tight-quarters agility to buy time, and Duggan keeps his eyes alert instead of bailing on a pass play
- Not afraid to challenge the defense down the field; will put his receivers in position to make plays
- Quick, consistent release with clean upper-body mechanics through his throwing motion
- Displayed outstanding toughness, both physically and mentally, during his TCU time
Cons
- Even though it improved in ’22, accuracy still has inconsistent results; there are a handful of throws in almost every game that are just “off” for no reason
- Will miss open targets over the middle by holding the ball an extra count than what’s needed
- Smaller than ideal with short arms for his height; built like the similarly sized Baker Mayfield
- Not always sharp on his pre-snap reads; more complex defenses (Kansas State, Georgia) fooled him with late changes and divergent pressure looks
- Lower-body throwing mechanics often go out the window when under pressure. Oddly enough, that only seems to happen in the pocket and not on plays where Duggan extends the pay outside the pocket
Overall
There is a lot to like about Max Duggan as an NFL prospect. His blend of toughness, leadership, arm strength and athletic ability checks a lot of desirable boxes. The very real improvement in his accuracy in a new offense in 2022, despite little change in the relative statistics, portends a higher ceiling after four years at TCU. There isn’t a better leader or field general in this QB class, period.
Alas, there are limitations. He’s not big and doesn’t protect himself from big hits well. There are still bouts of inaccuracy that don’t seem like they’ll ever go away, and Duggan still struggles to process more complex defensive looks.
His familiarity with how Goff was coached in college could be a valuable hidden resource, and also help Goff work with Duggan on how to adapt to the NFL too.
Duggan fits into the Taylor Heinicke mold, or for older fans, Jeff Garcia — a good backup who can take over short-term and provide a spark but isn’t someone you want as your full-time starter. That’s worthy of a fifth/sixth-round pick for a team with an established long-term starter looking to upgrade their insurance policy.
