What Scouts Said About Sean Clifford

The Packers selected Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford with pick 148 of the 2023 NFL Draft. Here’s what experts had to say about Clifford prior to the draft.

Strengths

Lance Zerlein, NFL.com — Four-year starter and four-time team captain. Mobility to exit the pocket and move the chains. Shows talent to throw on the move. Throws with proper touch underneath. Able to operate zone-read concepts.

Ian Cummings, Pro Football Network — Superb pocket operator with poise, navigation ability, and adaptability. Great mechanics in structure. Utilization of pump fakes to open short windows. Quick release and good velocity in short range. Underrated athleticism and creation capacity. Can throw with touch in tight situations. Can work through progressions

Kyle Crabbs, Draft Network —  Sean Clifford is a long-tenured, accomplished college quarterback who has done well for himself to forge his name on the Penn State passing leaderboard. He has mobility to boot; Penn State has long been using him (and his backups) to further weaponize the running game with the added element of a runner. Clifford has shown some natural feel when looking to move to both throw and run as well—getting outside the pocket is a strength.

NFL Draft Buzz — He’s a pure athlete, loose-limbed and flexible. Clifford has the speed to pick up yardage in scramble situations. Physically, Clifford is a natural athlete who plays with the balance and light feet to float in the pocket. He’s good enough as a runner to work read-option plays, keeping back-side defenders in place. He plays with a confident demeanor and has the athleticism to move out of the pocket and create plays out of structure. From a physical standpoint, a prototypical modern quarterback. Clifford must be accounted for when used in the read-option game.

Weaknesses

Lance Zerlein, NFL.com — Turns rhythm throws into extended plays unnecessarily. Ball doesn’t come out on time. Sloppy getting feet set to the target. Engages in long staring contests. Lacks desired NFL arm talent.

Ian Cummings, Pro Football Network — Visibly lacks elite creation capacity and arm talent. Accuracy and precision can be volatile. Inconsistent anticipation and sometimes misses middle-field reads. Will stare down quick reads at times and be flat-footed. Sometimes tries to force throws beyond his arm caliber. Over-aged.

Kyle Crabbs, Draft Network — For all of Sean Clifford’s accolades and production, I do think there’s going to need to be a quantum leap in his play in 2022 to inject enthusiasm into his NFL draft profile. Clifford has struggled in more traditional concepts to read the field of play and I’m not sure a sixth-year senior is going to get the benefit of the doubt if this is still in question when he leaves school. 

NFL Draft Buzz — Clifford gets sloppy with his mechanics on the move, losing accuracy as Clifford relies too much on his arm. Too often fails to give receivers a chance to make a play after the catch. High completion percentage padded by many quick screens. Clifford has a bad habit of fading and throwing off his back foot when the pocket gets muddled, and he is too often all arm when throwing on the move, sacrificing accuracy.

Overall

Dane Brugler, The Athletic — Overall, Clifford throws well on the move and NFL teams love his toughness and smarts, but his current decision-making and ball placement are too inconsistent for what is required at the next level.

Lance Zerlein, NFL.com — Mobile four-year starter with desired NFL intangibles and leadership, but a lack of passing talent. Clifford will have his moments, but he doesn’t consistently deliver the ball with accuracy and timing. His arm strength falls below the mark.

Ian Cummings, Pro Football Network — Clifford is part of a large cluster of QBs in the late-round, fringe-draftable range in the 2023 NFL Draft. At best, he’s a Day 3 pick. If he does come off the board, Round 6 or 7 seems most likely. In that range, however, Clifford does have a few traits that can help distinguish him from his competitors. At the very least, Clifford’s experience as a four-year starter, and his leadership ability as a four-year captain, will endear him to teams looking for a potential backup option. Those cosmetic factors alone ensure that, even if Clifford isn’t drafted, he’ll earn a camp opportunity.

Where Sean Clifford ranked on evaluators’ big boards

NFL Mock Draft Database Consensus Big Board - 423