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Washington State University quarterback Luke Falk threw at Utah State’s pro day, and the Bengals sent quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt to check out the NFL hopeful.
WSU QB Luke Falk worked out today at Utah State pro day in front of 29 teams. Bengals sent their QB coach.
— Gil Brandt (@Gil_Brandt) March 28, 2018
I was told he had an outstanding workout, throwing beautiful long ball, with velocity, accuracy. Threw 51 passes, 5 that were uncatchable. Mid-round pick. https://t.co/fmKxrAOzpE
It seems like it was a fairly good day for Falk. The Bengals have maintained a significant level of interest in backup quarterbacks they could potentially draft. This has continued even after the team signed Matt Barkley to a two-year deal to compete with Jeff Driskel.
Falk was throwing at Utah State’s pro day for a very particular reason, despite it being close to where he lives. It was his first opportunity to throw after fully recovering from a wrist injury to his non-throwing wrist. He had already thrown at WSU’s pro day as well but wanted to show that his non-throwing hand is now fully healthy and not in a brace.
Falk is a tall quarterback (6’4”) who seems like a solid all around player. He is a jack of all trades but master of none type guy. He won’t wow you with arm strength or mobility, but neither one is a huge cause for concern. He needs to show the ability to anticipate throws more consistently at the next level. He probably also needs to learn that sometimes it is better to just take a sack then throw up a wild pass.
He also ran a very conservative offense where most of his throws were within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage. He did show off an ability to hit back shoulder throws with consistency, but you need more than that to get by in the NFL. Overall Falk has an alright tool set to work with, but his ceiling may not be very high unless he figures out how to correct a lot of these issues. He tried to prove his arm strength shouldn’t concern scouts at the pro day by completing two passes over 65 yards in a row, according to Tony Pauline of Draft Analyst. Pauline also notes that Falk met with the Bengals during this time.
It seems that Falk is regarded as a borderline second day pick, but I wouldn’t expect the Bengals to pounce on him unless he takes a tumble into the third day of the draft. I think the Barkley signing made them more comfortable to sit and wait on the prospects who will be available later in the draft. Other teams who showed interest in Falk included the Bills, Buccaneers, Dolphins and Jets.