Brian Quick, WR, Appalachian State
Burst: In terms of acceleration, Quick is average coming off the line. He does display quick change of direction when setting up routes, but he is not going to gain separation right away with straight-line explosiveness.
Catch in Traffic: One of Quick’s best attributes. Having to play with poor quarterback play, Quick is not hesitant to extend his hands and expose himself to make a play. His large frame certainly helps him out-muscle defenders. He knows how to shield his body and take a hit. He shows exceptional balance taking hits and staying on his feet.
Leaping Ability: Another strength of Quick’s. Quick is not going to necessarily burn defenders with speed, but he can win a jump ball with defenders around him. Has a knack for attacking the ball at its highest point. His 6’4 frame is certainly helpful in the red zone, where he was often utilized inAppState’s offense. Has the ability to shield defenders and use the sideline to his advantage.
Lateral Quickness: One of Quick’s best attributes is his great balance. He can get in and out of his breaks quickly without wasting motion. His quickness allows him to set up routes and get away from defenders after making a catch.’
Route Running: Brian ran a very simple route tree atAppState, and is a bit raw in this area. He has shown the ability to set up defenders with subtle movements, but it was usually against lesser competition. The transition to an NFL offense may take some extra time, but the ability is there.
Press Coverage: Unfortunately, Quick did not see a ton of press coverage, coming from a IAA school, and this will make the adjustment to the NFL game more difficult for him.
Run After Catch: This is one of Brain’s biggest strength areas. For a man of his size, he shows incredible balance to catch a slant route, shake the defender with his back turned, and turn it into a huge gain. Quick is not the fastest guy, but he gains speed as he goes, and is tough to bring down with just one defensive back.
Size: At 6’4, Quick is great red-zone target and is the kind of big target quarterbacks love to throw to. He can sometimes be a bit reliant on his ability to get jump balls because of his height, as he is not the kind of player that is going to torch a secondary with pure speed.
Overall: Brian Quick has a ton of raw ability that is going to excite scouts. To me, he is like a poor man’s Plaxico Burress: A lot of big-play ability that comes from winning jump balls and shaking defenders after the catch, but he is not going to necessarily scare a defense with pure speed. He is not going to get wide open very often, and quarterbacks are going to have to trust that he will come down with the ball in traffic more often than not.
Still, there is always the worry whether his ability will translate from a smaller school to the NFL level. He ran very simple route trees at Appalachian State and did not face great competition. I expect him to come off the board in the mid to late rounds.
Ryan Alfieri.com 