Critics target his lack of production and single out his accuracy issues. They’ve formed a chorus that has increased since the end of the college season.
But quarterback Jake Locker — a possible Redskins target in the NFL Draft — has his fans. And one of them, a former longtime NFL scout, is a big one.
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Dave Razzano, currently out of the league, served as an NFL scout for 23 seasons with San Francisco, St. Louis and Arizona, and his teams have gone to five Super Bowls. In other words, he’s rather credible. He’s also watched every one of Locker’s college games on tape.
“I love the guy,” Razzano said. “He will only get better the better the team is. At Washington, his line was always shaky. At times he throws errant passes; they all do. He makes the big-time throws. He’s a great kid. He has tons of athletic skill, and he doesn’t take sacks. There’s a lot more positives than negatives. He’s a leader and will work to improve.
“He can make outstanding plays on the move throwing down the field. That’s hard to find. Boy, when you can do it on the move that’s a rare quality, and that’s what he does so well.”
Razzano likes him more than he does Cam Newton or Blaine Gabbert, saying he “wouldn’t touch” the former and did not think the latter was a first-round pick. Others — but definitely not all — agree with both assessments in a year when each quarterback offers something tempting — and something to give you pause.
Just so you know, others around the league have said Locker fits the mold of what Mike Shanahan wants in a QB: athletic, strong arm, good size. But that accuracy … He never completed more than 58 percent of his passes in a season at the University of Washington.
Razzano isn’t deterred.
“It’s not a problem,” he said. “At times you do see it. … But he has a winning mentality. He has Brett Favre qualities about him, and he plays the best at the end of the game. He’s an easy guy to draft.”
