The Bills may have acquired a steal in quarterback Nathan Peterman
The Buffalo Bills may have the potential steal of the draft in quarterback Nathan Peterman if he is given the opportunity to play this year. Tyrod Taylor is the current starting quarterback for the Bills but if he doesn’t return next year due to his restructured contract having another team option built in, expect Peterman to compete for the starting job. Even if Taylor does remain with the Bills, they still have an excellent backup in Peterman who should easily beat out Cardale Jones for the backup role.
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Peterman was projected to go in the third or fourth round at the latest. Why did he drop? Who knows, but the Bills definitely got themselves a reliable backup who could develop into a starter. What does Peterman bring to the Bills? More than you think.
He can compete with the best
In a game against first round pick Deshaun Watson and the Clemson Tigers this past year, Peterman led Pittsburgh to a 43-42 win. Watson may be the better prospect, but Peterman led his team to victory. Peterman put up 308 passing yards and 5 touchdowns on the Clemson defense which is a tough and physical squad. Putting up these stats against a top 3 team in the country is unbelievable.
With Peterman being able to stay in the game and help Pittsburgh take down Clemson shows that he can compete with the best. Was it luck or was it skill? Being able to put up these kind of stats takes more than luck. Granted that pro football is at a higher level compared to college football, give Peterman a chance to show what he has and the 31 teams that didn’t pick him will regret it.
He improves his game
Even though he was only at Pittsburgh for two years, Peterman improved his game from 2015 to 2016. In 2015, he passed for 2,287 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Fast forward to 2016 and he put up 2,855 passing yards, 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions. His passer rating even increased from 138.6 to 163.4.
Having a quarterback on your roster that improves his game from last year is what a coach wants. While he’ll need to increase his passing yards in the pros, these stats show what kind of player he is. A thrower that is working on his game and is motivated to do better than the last season.
Has experience in a pro-style passing offense
Not a lot of colleges have their quarterbacks in a pro-style offense which gives them a disadvantage when coming into the NFL. However, Peterman has the experience which gives him a head start. The Bills may be a running offense, but they will have to pass the ball. If Peterman gets the chance to play in a game, he will be able to handle the pressure because he has the knowledge.
Give him a healthy receiving core, a fresh LeSean McCoy and the offensive line that the Bills have now, Peterman will show that he should have been drafted earlier. Until he is more developed, Tyrod should remain the starter. Don’t count out Peterman though, because he has been called the Dak Prescott of this draft so he could come in at any point.
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