Accuracy
On short passes (<10 yards), like slants and in-routes, Carson Wentz consistently threw behind and low. In a YAC-based system like the West Coast offense, Wentz is an awful fit until he can fix this. In my opinion, a lot of this results from him getting lazy footwork on his throws. After he plants he holds the ball with his plant foot forward waiting for his wide receiver to break open, then uses mostly arm to get it to them.
On medium routes between the hashes (11-20 yards), Wentz has fantastic accuracy. He rifles the pass into the body of his receiver on pretty much every attempt in his final year with North Dakota State. Having a good receiving tight end or a slot receiver that can take advantage of this will be great for his development in the NFL.
On medium length passes, Wentz’s accuarcy is spotty. He will sometimes throw a perfect strike to the sideline or will overthrow it sailing the ball out-of-bounds past his receiver.
On deep passes (>20 yards) Wentz tends to sail passes deep and long, but at times places them perfectly in the hands of his receiver. Going long is obviously much better than leaving them short for potential interceptions, but he won’t put enough air in his passes and his throws will be more like deep bullets.
On the run, Wentz is typically accurate moving well in space and stepping into his throw.
Overall, Wentz’s accuracy is spotty. In my opinion, a lot of this results from his footwork in the pocket which we’ll cover in a later section of this report.
Arm Strength
Wentz has a strong arm and he can make all the throws an NFL quarterback is required to make. The ball flashes out of his hands in a tight spiral with enough velocity to beat zone coverage.
If you return to the Accuracy section, you will see more examples of his zip and spiral.
