Chase Garbers QB Scouting Report

[Jets Global]

Chase Garbers NFL Draft Profile Position: Quarterback School: California Current Year: RS Senior Height: 6'2" Weight: 225 pounds
Chase Garbers Scouting Report The Cal QB stands at 6’2″, 225 pounds, and has a well-built frame. He’s also a decent athlete for his size. He owns above-average mobility, and he uses space and evades rushes when necessary. The Cal QB has modest escapability, and he also has some spryness laterally. Garbers can sidestep blitzing defenders, and on the move, he brings good toughness. Garbers’ arm also generates some intrigue. The Cal product has a fairly smooth, easy release and flashes a degree of elasticity. Garbers has great touch when fitting the ball into small windows, and he adjusts his arm angle to loft the ball over penetrating rushers. While he’s not dynamic off-script, Garbers makes accurate throws on the run. He’s also shown to have the capacity to adjust the trajectory of his passes when targeting windows downfield. Garbers is generally a safe, conservative decision-maker. Although he takes some uncharacteristic risks, he has improved there since 2018. He also does some work pre-snap to help with his post-snap execution. He can identify mismatches before the play and is decisive in attacking them, which happens most often in the short and intermediate ranges. Mechanically, Garbers is relatively solid. He has excellent footwork in structure, keeps his base steady, and his feet active as he scans the field. The Cal QB’s upper-body mechanics are also smooth, and he has some synergy between his upper and lower halves. When Garbers steps up, he can put good pace on the ball and lead receivers downfield. He at least has placement awareness when attacking down the sideline. Moreover, he can throw with anticipation on in-breaking routes.
Areas for Improvement Garbers’ arm, above all, is not elite. His arm strength is questionable, and he doesn’t generate great momentum off-platform. His velocity generated isn’t top-tier, and especially on deep passes, he gives defenders a lot of time to react. Additionally, his passes sometimes drop before they reach their intended targets. Garbers’ velocity questions might be quelled if he can fix some mechanical and mental inconsistencies. Garbers sometimes fades backward when faced with pressure. By extension, he occasionally throws off his back foot, limiting his ability to push the ball past defenders. Garbers’ mental process can erode at times under pressure. Although he flashes good navigation and escapability, his eyes drop quickly when faced with pressure. The Cal QB can also get shell-shocked by consecutive pressures and fade backward on subsequent reps. He doesn’t always keep his eyes downfield when scrambling out of the pocket — and because he’s not an elite athlete — those physical traits can’t be relied on consistently. Garbers could improve his decision-making. He still takes bad risks at times and passes up open receivers as well. Garbers isn’t always pinpoint accurate in the intermediate and deep ranges, and he doesn’t have the arm talent necessary to manipulate leverage in the deep range.
Chase Garbers Career at School Garbers redshirted his true freshman season in 2017. But since then, the Cal QB has been a mainstay on the Pac-12 stage. In 2018, Garbers started 10 of 12 games, amassing 1,506 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions while completing 61.2% of his passes. The next season, he toned down the turnovers, this time putting up 1,772 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. He also upped his yards per attempt from 5.8 to 8.2. Garbers was trending up heading into 2020, but the COVID-impacted season hit the Pac-12 especially hard. Garbers only played in four games and completed 85 of 136 attempts for 771 yards, 6 scores, and 3 picks. The Cal QB was eligible for the 2021 NFL Draft, but he opted to return for his redshirt senior season and set his sights on the 2022 NFL Draft instead.
Chase Garbers NFL Draft Player Profile Garbers’ style of play is fun. He clearly has the ability to extend plays and provide utility on the ground, and his arm isn’t bad. He has some elasticity, and when he’s in rhythm, he generates good pace and accuracy, especially in the short and intermediate ranges. That’s where he does most of his work. For Garbers, the questions come under pressure and when needing to make something happen downfield. He’s inconsistent when faced with adversity, and while his traits are decent, he doesn’t have the elite physical ability necessary to consistently create on his own. With his anticipation, progression work, and pre-snap awareness, Garbers can be a solid backup or spot-starter on Day 3. However, he lacks the traits to be a franchise passer.