Mountaineers on the Clock: Will Grier

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With the NFL Combine about to get underway and the NFL Draft nearing in late April, WVSports.com continues its multi-part series featuring NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler of The Athletic, who provides an in-depth look at West Virginia's draft prospects.

Previously, Brugler shared his overall thoughts on the Senior Bowl, this year's draft prospects from West Virginia and how they may fare in the NFL.

Today, Brugler breaks down the skill set, strengths and weaknesses of quarterback Will Grier.

Grier, who served as West Virginia's starter for two seasons, is ranked as Brugler's fifth-best quarterback behind Ohio State's Dwayne Haskins, Duke's Daniel Jones, Oklahoma's Kyler Murray and Missouri's Drew Lock.

How do NFL teams usually view players who skip their team’s bowl game to prepare for the Draft? What impact could it have on Grier?

There have been questions about Grier’s arm strength. What did you see in terms of his arm strength and what kind of impact can that have on his stock?

What are some more of (Grier’s) strengths and weaknesses?

Do you believe the reckless throws and decisions Grier made during games were the result of him being knocked off his rhythm?

What can Grier do to potentially increase his NFL Draft stock?

Where do you see Grier getting drafted?

Which offensive scheme do you believe will benefit him most at the next level?

Who are some potential teams that could be interested in drafting Grier?

Below is Brugler's complete evaluation of Grier:

WILL GRIER | West Virginia | 6024 | 218 lbs. | rSR. Charlotte, N.C. (Davidson Day) 4/3/1995 (age 24.08) #7

BACKGROUND: A four-star quarterback recruit out of high school, Will Grier had a prolific high school football career, earning North Carolina Player of the Year honors both his junior and senior seasons. He finished his career at Davidson with 14,565 yards and a state-record 195 touchdown passes, earning Mr. Football USA in 2013 with 4,989 yards and a national-best 77 touchdowns (also set the national record with 837 yards in a playoff win). Grier was considered the best recruit in the state and a top-five quarterback in the country, committing to Florida over Auburn, North Carolina and Tennessee. After redshirting in 2014, he started five games in 2015 (and went 5-0) before he was suspended for a full-year due to a failed NCAA drug test (Oct. 2015). Grier didn’t want to transfer, but first-year Florida head coach Jim McElwain thought it was best if they parted ways and got a fresh start. He received interest from Ohio State and Oregon as a transfer quarterback, but connected well with Dana Holgorsen and committed to West Virginia, sitting out the 2016 season. Grier was coached in high school by his father (Chad), who played quarterback collegiately at Richmond and East Carolina. His wife (Jeanne) is a former Tampa Bay Buccaneers cheerleader and they have a three-year old daughter (Eloise). His two younger brothers (Hayes and Nash) are social media mavens with millions of followers. Grier sat out his bowl game, but accepted an invitation to the 2019 Senior Bowl.

STRENGTHS: Balanced steps and delivery…efficient load and fire throwing motion…good-enough arm strength and throws a pretty deep ball…puts the ball in a place where his receivers can catch-and-run…processes things quickly to make snap decisions…nimble athlete and floats well to avoid the rush…smart scrambler and stays composed when the play breaks down…was given freedom to make checks at the line of scrimmage based on pre-snap reads…doesn’t lack for confidence and well-liked by his teammates and coaches at West Virginia…married with a family and more mature than the average prospect due to his life experiences…graduated with his degree in multidisciplinary studies (Dec. 2017)…20-7 career record as a starter…leaves Morgantown No. 2 in school history in touchdown passes (71) and completion percentage (65.7%).

WEAKNESSES: Makes reckless decisions as a passer…more comfortable making reads pre-snap rather than post-snap…sloppy base mechanics, throwing on his toes and falling away from his target…lacks zip on throws that have an expiring window…keeps his eyes downfield, but often at the expense of not seeing the rush, even in his direct line of sight…holds the ball too long and takes unnecessary hits…holds the ball nonchalant away from his body, leading to ball security concerns…doesn’t have an ideal body type for the NFL…decision-making will be questioned following his year-long PED suspension (Oct. 2015) for taking a banned over-the-counter supplement…older prospect and will be 24 years old on draft weekend.

SUMMARY: A two-year starter at West Virginia, Grier was productive in Dana Holgorsen’s version of the air-raid offense, which used up-tempo passing to set up the run. From suspension to transfer to marriage to fatherhood, Grier has experienced much more than most prospects and handled those situations well, giving NFL teams a glimpse of what type of professional he will be. He belongs in gambler’s anonymous with some of his prayers downfield, but he has a confident arm, quick feet and receiver-friendly touch. Overall, Grier struggles to identify/feel pressures and his inconsistent decision-making is a concern, but he is a natural rhythm passer and once he finds that rhythm, he can be deadly, projecting as a back-up NFL quarterback worthy of competing for a starting job.

NEXT: WVSports.com continues its NFL Draft series as Brugler discusses wide receiver David Sills's development as a wide receiver and what he can do to improve his draft stock.

Brugler has been covering the NFL Draft for 10 years and began working for The Athletic this past August. For more of his NFL Draft analysis visit https://theathletic.com/author/dane-brugler/.

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