Matt Barkley Scouting Report

The assumption that Matt Barkley remains the No. 1 pick in the 2013 NFL Draft is long gone. Since his decision to return to USC for his final season, Barkley's draft stock has declined. There are two general knocks on Barkley right now: arm strength and limited athleticism.

What the scouts all seem to be agreeing on is that Barkley has very good intangibles, great pocket awareness, and good accuracy on short/intermediate routes. Barkley has a lot of experience in a pro-style offense and should be ready to compete for a starting role immediately. He can read defenses, scan the field, and work through his progressions quickly. Despite lacking burst or top end speed, the 6'2", 228 lb prospect can slide and feel the rush while keeping his feet set when delivering the football inside the pocket.

Areas where he will require improvement not already mentioned include deep pass accuracy, taking care of the football with smart decision-making and learning how to keep his feet under him while moving outside the pocket.

Barkley is still looking like he could go in the first round, but there are many scouts who do not feel he is the best quarterback prospect in this class. This happens all the time as one player is scrutinized for months and months while a new player emerges that has not been analyzed extensively. Look for Barkley's stock to rebound slightly across the scouting services, but it is not likely he will return to the clear No. 1 ranking he had immediately after the 2012 NFL Draft.

He projects as a late-first to mid-second round prospect for the 2013 NFL Draft.