New England Patriots: Who is Danny Etling?
By Sam Minton
The New England Patriots signed the quarterback out of LSU to a 4-year deal. So let’s get to know the 7th round draft pick.
If you asked me who Danny Etling was before the NFL draft I would be dumbfounded, but I guess that’s why I am not a scout for the New England Patriots. The Patriots drafted Etling in the 7th round to most fans surprise. Before the draft names like Lamar Jackson, Mason Rudolph, Baker Mayfield, and Kyle Lauletta were being floated around. Etling might as well have been playing on Mars cause no one was giving him any attention. The New England Patriots seem to know more than everyone else in the NFL so let’s see what Etling brings to the table.
A master of none
At LSU Etling was playing in a pro-style offense. He was under-center a decent chunk which will help him in his transition to the pro game. I don’t think you can say there is one thing that stands out, but Etling is good at multiple things.
Etling has some decent arm strength and can make things happen when the pocket falls apart. This will help him in his transistion to the big league. There are some great pass rushers in the NFL so if Etling can extend the play he won’t take as many losses.
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One of Etling’s best traits is his ball security. Etling only turned the ball over two times last season. The New England Patriots Director of Player Personnel, Nick Caserio liked what he saw out of the quarterback.
"“You look at his career production and this guy didn’t turn the ball over. I think it was 16-2 this year, a low percentage. He takes care of the ball, smart, pretty accurate thrower."
The stats show how efficient Etling is. He was ranked 13th in passing effieciency, and completed 60% of his passes in his Senior year. Etling also threw for 2,463 yards and averaged 9.8 yards per passing attempt which was among the top 10 quarterbacks in the NCAA.
It’s hard to imagine that Etling won’t improve under the watchful eye of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. If he can find a defying aspect of his game and become great at that he will be a solid starter in the NFL.
Next: Rob Gronkowski: Dawn of a new deal
Danny Etling may be a rather unrelevant name right now, but we all know a late round pick who turned out to be an amazing quarterback.