Football Film Room Prospect Profile: Josh Rosen, QB UCLA

Josh Rosen, also known as "the Rosen One" is one of college football's very bright stars. He was a highly sought after high school prospect who eventually committed to the University of California at Los Angeles. Rosen quickly became a big name as he became the very first true freshman QB to start a season opener for the Bruins back in 2015. Now, as a Junior, he is considered by most to be the top quarterback prospect in this year's NFL draft.

Stats(through 8 games):

-Passing Yards: 2,713

-Passing TDs: 20

-Interceptions: 8

-Completion Percentage: 63.1%

So what can these stats tell us about Rosen? Well first of all, this kid puts up some big-time numbers with a below par offensive line. Through the 8 games he has played as a senior, he has already been sacked 19 times. Regardless of the pass rush he faces each and every snap, Rosen has still thrown 2,700 passing yards with 20 touchdowns. These 8 teams that he played were not always cake walks either, Rosen has played against 3 ranked teams (Stanford, Memphis, and Washington), as well as some very legitimate unranked teams (Utah, Colorado, and Arizona). Despite the tough schedule, Rosen has put up a very impressive statline, but has fallen to a 4-4 record.

Now, here is what I saw on film:

Good:

- Josh has an incredibly strong arm and can throw laser accurate passes. Time and time again, the film shows Josh throwing absolute rockets to his receivers, making his draft stock for NFL scouts a little more valuable.

- Josh has very good feet and mobility as a QB. For someone who stands at 6 feet 4 inches and weighs 220 pounds, he can move very well. Not only can he escape the pocket and avoid pass rushers, but he can also deliver very accurate passes on the run.

- Josh, playing in a spread offense, is able to read defenses well before the snap. His ability to do so will help him make audibles and play changes at the line of scrimmage in his future, making him a very valuable draft selection.

- Lastly, Josh seems to specialize in throwing corner and seam route passes. He seems very comfortable throwing the ball over the top of linebackers and over corners on both routes, and he has the arm skills to place them anywhere he wants.

Bad:

- Although Rosen is good at making pre-snap calls, his decision making when throwing the ball is questionable at times. Sometimes he rushes the read and throws a pick, but usually he simply misses his read/opportunity to make a play and it results in a check down. In the NFL you can NOT miss these types of reads, you need to take advantage of every opportunity to make a play.

- Josh also holds the ball for excessive amounts of time. His line does not provide the best pass protection, but sometimes the blame has to be put on him. He takes too long to make a decision and ends up taking a sack or throwing an in-completion, which needs to change. Sacks are tough in college, but the pass rushers are going to be bigger, stronger, and dirtier in the NFL and a franchise potential QB cannot take too many hits (see Andrew Luck).

-Another thing Josh needs to fix is his tendency to stare down one receiver. You simply will turn the ball over a lot in the NFL doing this, for the DBs are just too quick and too smart. Josh needs to develop trust in where his guys are, read the defense and make a smart throw.

Overall, we can conclude that Rosen is a very talented QB with extreme potential to be an NFL starter. Rosen holds great size, speed, and arm talent to incorporate into his game and he even has (will have) 3 complete seasons under a pro-style offense under his belt, which helps his transition in the near future to a NFL team. He does have a lot of fundamental work to take care of, but we have seen him progress during his time at UCLA, so NFL scouts will not be hesitant to scoop him up in April. In my personal ranking, I put him at the #3 QB prospect this year.