Former ESPN personality Merril Hoge has been known to have some extremely bold takes when it comes to quarterback prospects in the NFL Draft. Some have ended up being correct, while others he has been proven extremely wrong about. So it should come as no surprise that he has had plenty to say about this year’s quarterback class.
Hoge famously predicted that former collegiate star Johnny Manziel wouldn’t translate well to the NFL, which is perhaps the take he is known best for.
But in the same breath, he also once said that he liked Green Bay Packers formers second-round pick Brian Brohm over Aaron Rodgers as the team’s starter in 2008, a take that is now obviously laughable.
A forever classic (2008):Merril Hoge & Todd McShay tout #Packers 2nd Round pick Brian Brohm over Aaron Rodgers. pic.twitter.com/aKfglDPGYR
— Freezing Cold Takes (@OldTakesExposed) April 26, 2018
Hoge fired off a very hot take in a recent radio interview with WCCO’s Henry Lake, offering some criticism about UNC quarterback Drake Maye, who is projected by most to go near the top of the upcoming draft.
“Drake Maye is the kind of player that will get you fired,” said Hodge. “Especially if you draft him in the top five or top three, he’s going to get you fired.”
When asked to share why he believes that Maye could be a risky prospect for NFL teams, he said that he believes Maye can be a bit inconsistent, particularly on some of his deep passes.
“The one thing everybody said, which is true, from 50 [yards] in, he was not erratic,” Hodge said. “It’s when he went over [50 yards]. He could throw it 150 yards or 250 yards and that was absolutely true.”
He then even went on to compare him to Tennessee Titans quarterback Malik Willis, who once had a ton of hype as a prospect out of Liberty and has yet to live up to the expectations just yet in his career.
“(Malik) Willis might be the only guy that I can think of that is as erratic as Maye,” Hodge added. “I studied him for two years. I watched every one of his games last year. His last game against [North Carolina State] was probably the most embarrassing display I’ve seen from a guy who is supposed to be an elite franchise quarterback. He’s erratic. He’s everywhere.”
The quarterback class in this year’s draft is largely seen as a deep one by most. The likes of Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, JJ McCarthy, and Michael Penix Jr. could all find themselves go in the first round.
However, Hodge doesn’t exactly seem to be all that high on any quarterback in the class. He previously said that likely No. 1 pick Caleb Williams is “not special” and that his expectations may be higher than his skillset.
Only time will tell whether Williams or Maye prove Hoge wrong at the NFL level. But he has certainly shared a bit of a warning to NFL teams about the two prospects.
[Omny.fm]
