Tajh

Boyd

It’d certainly be an interesting fit. Boyd is a projected second- to early third-day draft choice with a big arm and plus athleticism. The Raiders dabbled with the read-option when Terrelle Pryor played in 2013. Knocks against Boyd include his accuracy and size, as he measured in at 6-foot 3/4 and 222 pounds Monday. Reports out of Mobile indicate Boyd has struggled in practice.

Panthers scouts reportedly wanted to draft Russell Wilson as a “mini-Cam (Newton)” two years ago, but “didn’t want to invest a mid-round pick on him.” Boyd could be a belated fallback plan with dual-threat talents and a big arm, albeit with mechanical, accuracy, and consistency flaws. ESPN’s Mel Kiper recently projected Boyd as a fifth- to sixth-round pick and as an NFL backup.

Boyd was a better college rusher than these times indicate, primarily due to his agility and power in finishing runs. He was a fantastic short-yardage runner. Boyd’s speed is not will have the biggest impact on his draft stock, however. His ball placement as a passer is highly inconsistent on film. He’s going to be drafted in the mid to late rounds as a backup.

A likely day-three pick, Boyd has nothing to lose. There’s already an endless amount of bad film for NFL teams to pore over. Boyd is a developmental prospect.

Both players have been thoroughly terrible during their short careers. The Steelers have held onto former fourth-rounder Jones through two years, but he’s been really bad both of his preseasons, completing 51.8 percent of his passes with a 2:4 TD:INT ratio. Boyd was a failed sixth-rounder of the Jets last year.

Boyd mostly got away with a lower arm slot at Clemson, but it will lead to batted passes in the NFL. “I throw it at like different angles sometimes. Three-quarters, sidearm,” Boyd said. “That’s kind of one of the things that made me a little different, but (the Jets want) me to come over with the full range of motion over the top.” The 6-foot-1 Boyd is battling Matt Simms for No. 3 duties.

“I’ve got a lot of work to do as far as me understanding,” he said. “The type of offense is totally different. You’re running a true West Coast.” Boyd didn’t take any snaps under center in Clemson’s Pistol Option and will need time to adjust to a pro-style offense. He’s competing with Matt Simms for the Jets’ No. 3 quarterback job.

Simms is competing for the gig with sixth-round rookie Tajh Boyd. Boyd didn’t even play in the preseason opener Thursday night, while Simms played the second half and completed 13-of-18 passes for 96 yards. Boyd appears headed to the practice squad, and has been dubbed a “draft mistake” by the media.

"[Boyd] brings virtually nothing to the field,” writes Walder. Boyd is getting few reps behind Geno Smith, Michael Vick, and Matt Simms, and has managed to throw “at least” six interceptions in camp. He was surrounded by big-time talent at Clemson. While Boyd has athleticism, his mechanics and ball placement are glaring holes to his game. Boyd may be headed to the practice squad.

Boyd was at one time viewed as a future top-10 pick, but eventually revealed himself as an inconsistent project. Lacking ideal size (6-foot-1, 222 pounds), Boyd has major accuracy issues due to poor mechanics. He was a bonafide playmaker at Clemson, but was also surrounded by bonafide playmakers. His ceiling is that of a No. 2 quarterback. He’ll compete for No. 3 duties as a rookie.