In a now-viral tweet, a former New York Jets scout unloaded on nine quarterback prospects, claiming the media overhyped them despite glaring flaws on film. His list includes recent stars like Caleb Williams, Shedeur Sanders, and J.J. McCarthy, all of whom, he says, are destined to be among the NFL Draft’s biggest busts.
Former NFL Scout Says Media Created 9 QB Busts by Ignoring Game Film
“This isn’t a hot take,” the scout wrote. “I have the supporting evidence.” He then shared links to his pre-draft scouting reports, each filled with blunt assessments ignored by mainstream analysts.
The scout gave Zach Wilson, the No. 2 overall pick in 2021, a third-round grade, saying he “would not even be on my draft board” and calling him a sandlot-style QB who thrived against weak college defenses.
• Zach Wilson
• Trey Lance
• Kenny Pickett
• Anthony Richardson
• Will Levis
• Caleb Williams
• J.J. McCarthy
• Jaxson Dart
• Shedeur SandersThe media built these quarterbacks into something they never were on their college game film. These 9 quarterbacks will… pic.twitter.com/VhsaBCSOak
— FIRST ROUND MOCK (@firstroundmock) May 5, 2025
Trey Lance received a UDFA (undrafted free agent) grade, with the scout labeling his bust probability at 100%. “An athlete trying to play quarterback,” he said of the North Dakota State product.
Kenny Pickett, now with the Steelers, earned a fifth-round grade. Despite his flashy stats, the scout claimed Pickett lacked any “dominant traits” and “does not look comfortable enough to start at the next level.”
Next up: Anthony Richardson. Despite being a top-five pick in 2023, the scout gave him a fifth-round mark. “He’s not a franchise QB,” he wrote, comparing the Florida product to a gadget player like Taysom Hill.
Will Levis, who drew first-round hype in 2023, got a seventh-round grade, with the former scout emphasizing his “incessant inconsistencies” and concluding “his game does not translate.”
Even 2022 Heisman winner Caleb Williams couldn’t escape criticism. Though widely expected to go No. 1 in 2024, the scout issued him a fourth-round grade, calling him “undisciplined, moody, and immature” with underdeveloped mechanics that won’t hold up in the NFL.
JJ McCarthy fared no better. Despite being projected as a top-15 pick, the scout concluded after watching 23 of his games that McCarthy “projects as a middling backup” and gave him a fifth-round grade.
Jaxson Dart, the Ole Miss standout, received a third-round evaluation. While acknowledging Dart’s late-season surge, the scout warned that his game is “unorganized and undisciplined.”
Finally, Shedeur Sanders, son of Deion Sanders, was called the most overhyped of all. Given a UDFA grade, the scout accused Colorado’s offensive system of being “one big manipulation” to inflate Shedeur’s stats against weak competition.
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According to the scout, all nine of these quarterbacks were victims of “overgrading,” with media narratives elevating them far beyond what game film justified. “Nothing hurts these prospects more than overhyping them,” he said. “Grades create expectations, and expectations define careers.”
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