2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Kentucky QB Devin Leary

From now until the 2024 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way down to Day Three selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Kentucky QB Devin Leary.

#13 Devin Leary QB/Kentucky – 6012, 215 pounds (Senior – Grad Transfer)

Combine

Measurements

The Good

– High football IQ as a passer shown with high level pre-snap reads
– Matured as passer since transferring from N.C State, has a good feel for the game
– Has a great turnover ratio over his five years at the collegiate level (87 TD:28 INT), rarely puts his team in losing positions because of errant throws
– Willing to step up in the pocket and take a hit while releasing the ball.
– Consistently shown good footwork throughout football career
– Keeps eyes downfield and won’t give up on a play until he knows there is no one open
– Never see him fading off his back foot when throwing, getting body behind the ball to drive it down the field and to boundaries
– Extremely quick release, decisive with his throws.
– Shows plus ball placement
– Throws with anticipation on screens and short routes, capable of  thriving in play action-based system with a good run game
– True professional when it comes to the game and well-liked in locker rooms, appears to be respected by coaches and teammates

The Bad

– Not a great arm which causes him to push the ball downfield
– Most deep balls end up “floating” to the receiver giving defensive backs time to make up ground or balls that should be completed, end up going out of bounds
– Durability major concern, two season-ending injuries in span of three years
– Lacks ideal size, frame may not hold up over time with his style of play
– Prone to holding onto the ball too long resulting in either a sack or a lot of big hits. (25 sacks in 2021, 22 sacks in 2023
– Ball placement at intermediate level past the hashes and deep routes becomes shaky, leads to a lot of batted balls on plays where receiver is open
– Never fully recovered level of play after stellar 2021 season, hindered by injuries
– Ceiling might be maxed out due to frame and arm talent

Bio

– 24 years old, turns 25 in September
– Natural left hander but throws right-handed because of baseball growing up, he used his brother’s basketball glove, and he was right-handed
– Devin’s brother Donavan is also a quarterback for the University of Illinois in his redshirt freshman season.
– Finished high school career as New Jersey’s all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns
– Four-star recruit and two-time Gatorade Player of the Year in New Jersey
– From Timber Creek HS in Sicklerville
– Originally committed to N.C state, played four years there before entering transfer portal, attended Kentucky for final year as grad transfer
– Entered 2020 as starter (890 yds. 8 TD’s 2 INT’s 80.5 QBR) but fractured his fibula five games in the 2020 season and didn’t play rest of the year
– Started in 30 games at N.C state and went 17-9 while putting up strong numbers as a full-time starter in 2021 (3,433 yds. 35 TD’s 5 INT’s 71.9 QBR) and in 2022 (1,265 yds. 11 TD’s 4 INT’s 55.3 QBR)
– Tore pectoral muscle in 2022, missed rest of
– Holds school record for most touchdowns in a season at N.C state breaking Phillip Rivers’ 2003 mark
– 2022 stats at Kentucky: 2,746 yards, 56.3 completion percentage, 25 TDs, 12 INT
– Named a captain his lone year at Kentucky, two-time captain at N.C State
– Semifinalist for 2023 Comeback Player of the Year Award

Tape Breakdown

Before his injury, Devin Leary was an ascending name in the 2024 QB class but two major injuries have changed the trajectory of his career. A top quarterback recruit coming out of New Jersey, he had become a household name at N.C State after his stellar performance in his junior season. After his transfer to Kentucky, he did rebound and had a solid season but never made it back to his pre-injury interest at the next level.

Devin is a true game manager with upside as a low turnover/high efficiency quarterback. He has a willingness to step-up in the pocket and deliver no matter who is coming at him. While he is undersized, it is a desirable trait to have at the next level because of the ability to extend plays and keep his eyes downfield. Here against Louisville, a top 10 team at the time, he shows great poise by taking a hit while making a great anticipation throw to the TE for a critical first down.

While arm strength is a concern, he knows this himself this and always steps into his throws, allowing more velocity on the ball. This allows him the ability to layers his balls into the second and third level inside the hashes. Once he starts to go outside the hashes on vertical routes is where he can let the ball float to receivers even if they have a step on their defender. Once again, a ball that is thrown pretty well considering the pressure he is up against. The 2 examples below show the difference of this:

Again, in another game against Vanderbilt, another receiver is wide open down the sideline but the ball floats to far towards the sideline making the receiver run out and not complete the catch. While it’s not a terrible ball, when moving to the next level it will not get much better there:

In the game against Louisville, he played up to par with 3 TD’s and 1 INT and led his team to a surprising win. It speaks to his ability to always keep his team in the game and was a true leader in the Kentucky locker room. Here he shows where he can thrive at the next level, in a heavy play-action system. In other clips pay attention to his ability to make plays on similar play calls. He is a good seller of the run and goes through his progression quickly and uses his eyes to look the safety off to give his running back a 1-on-1 matchup.

Leary is not good on his feet either, while in the pocket his footwork is good, once out of the pocket he doesn’t have much ability to be a threat with his legs. Over his 5 year career he only had 6 rushing TD’s and has negative yards as a runner. He can only be expected to gain minimal yardage which also does not help his upside at the next level.

Conclusion

Over the entirety of film watched Leary is a knowledgeable and mature quarterback with a very good pocket presence, with the ability to make precise and clean throws under 20 yards. He throws with good anticipation at any level and thrives against zone and soft man coverages. He has a solid base set of traits and tools to work with other than a big arm which can give him the ability to stick in the league if he keeps up with his tendency of keeping turnovers down.

I am not sure there is much more upside left in him and will need a system built around his specific skills if he is ever to start in the league. His body will always be his biggest hurdle to climb in both injury prevention and frame relative with the type to style he likes to play.

Projection: Late Day 3
Depot Draft Grade: 6.4 – End of Roster/Practice Squad (6th-7th round)
Games Watched: vs Texas Tech (2022), vs Vanderbilt (2023), vs Louisville (2023)