After two preseason games, the hot rookie name for the Chicago Bears is undrafted free agent quarterback Tyson Bagent from Division II Shepherd University in West Virginia. In the first two games, Bagent has looked very poised and sharp, and we can arguably say he has outperformed most of the quarterbacks drafted this year, including those in the first round. How can an undrafted rookie play so well so early in his career?
I have a theory, and most of it has to do with his playing experience while in college.
When I began scouting in the NFL in the early 1980s, there was a strict rule of thumb that came into play when evaluating quarterbacks, and that was based on the amount of playing experience the player had.