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Dan LeFevour
6-3/238
Central Michigan Senior

PROS: He has good size and good arm strength. You like his mobility, able to extend the play outside the pocket and make plays with his legs when things break down. He's a good, tough runner that can make guys miss in the open field. He shows pretty good footwork in the pocket, able to move to find throwing lanes despite working exclusively out of the shotgun. He's a good decision maker that doesn't force throws. He'll go through his progressions and knows how to check down. Shows decent accuracy and anticipation.
CONS: Can press at times and needs to do a better job setting his feet and not throwing off his back foot. At times he'll be too quick to tuck and run if the first read isn't there. Other times, he'll hold onto the ball too long when he's working outside the pocket looking for something to develop. Struggles when he's asked to throw downfield, putting too much air under the ball and underthrowing receivers on the deep routes.
OVERVIEW: There is nothing special about LeFevour's game, but it's nice and well-rounded.
NFL FORECAST: LeFevour is a nice developmental player that has the tools to succeed at the NFL level. I'm not sure he's a starter in the future, but he could make a nice backup. Despite playing in a shotgun-heavy spread attack, his learning curve is probably not going to be as high as others. The problem that faces LeFevour is that I'm not sure he excels in any area enough to think that an NFL offense could really take advantage of his skillset when he's on the field. He's accurate with a good arm, but in relative terms they are just above average. His size and mobility however might be his best asset and in that regard there is a bit of a Roethlisberger-aspect to his game. If he can improve his deep ball, he stands a good chance of sticking as a No. 2 for a long time in the NFL. Otherwise, he'll have to play in an offense that doesn't like to challenge downfield.
ATL FORECAST: LeFevour could develop in Atlanta. He doesn't really have the upside that Wilson or Shockley have, but he could push either guy for the No. 2 job down the road. He's not quite good enough to think he can come in right away and land a roster spot, but he could be a nice option on the practice squad for a year or two to let him develop some.
VALUE: He's a nice late roudn pick. The earliest he should go is the fifth round.

Pros: Good size, decent arm strength and good accuracy. He has good mobility and is a threat to pick up yardage with his feet. He has good intangibles and has shown the ability to lead his team down the field late in games when the game is on the line. He will not force throws into coverage, and does a good job of checking down when nothing is there. Shows some zip on short and intermediate passes, especially down the middle. Throws a pretty good deep ball despite only decent arm strength.

Cons: He doesn’t have a NFL arm and it shows when he tries to throw deep outs or deep curls towards the sideline. His passes hang in the air a bit too long and don’t have good zip on them. He throws a good deep ball but his passes have too much air under them which makes it easier for defenders to catch up to and make a play on. Despite his mobility he doesn’t throw well on the run and will miss high or away when throwing to the sideline. He is vastly more effective when he can set his feet, and his accuracy deteriorates quickly when he can’t. He also doesn’t seem to handle pressure well, especially when he has a defender in his face. He operated exclusively out of the shotgun and his offense was predicated on short, quick throws which boosted his completion percentage, and was clearly taught to run if his first or second reads weren’t there.

Overall: LeFevour is a perfect example of a good and very productive college player who just doesn’t have the tools to make a successful NFL player. He could end up being a quality back-up and maybe a spot-starter in the NFL, but that is his ceiling. He doesn’t have the arm strength to make some important NFL throws, and many of his passes lack zip, and his deep passes hang up in the air too long. He has good intangibles and I think he can pick up a NFL play-book and get comfortable in a NFL offense given a couple of years of coaching and development, but I don’t think he will ever be a starter.

Projection: 5th-6th round: He doesn’t have a high enough ceiling to warrant a early or mid-round selection, but in the 5th-6th round he would be worth a pick-up as a developmental back-up.

SKILLS
1-poor, 2-weak, 3-above average, 4-very good, 5-elite

ARM STRENGTH: 2.5
ACCURACY: 3.5
MOBILITY: 3.5
DECISION MAKING: 3.0
MECHANICS: 2.5
POCKET AWARENESS: 2.5
INTANGIBLES: 3.5