QB Tanner McKee: NFL Draft scouting report

Tanner McKee was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the sixth round as the No. 188 overall pick of the NFL Draft. He will play behind Jalen Hurts.

Former Stanford Cardinal quarterback Tanner McKee left school early to be a part of the NFL Draft after starting two seasons at the college level. Prior to Stanford, McKee went on a two-year mission to Brazil, and he’ll turn 23 years old on Day 1 of the NFL Draft.

After playing one game as a true freshman in 2020, McKee started nine of 10 games as a redshirt freshman in 2021 and all 12 in 2022. Stanford won just three games in each of the last two seasons. He completed 63.2% of passes for 5,336 yards with 28 touchdowns and 15 interceptions throughout his college football career as he looks to make things work in his pro career.

QB Tanner McKee: Scouting Report

McKee stands at 6-foot-6, 231 pounds with no issues seeing over just about any linemen and has a strong arm that can make all the throws needed at the NFL level from the pocket. One of his weaknesses is getting outside the pocket where he isn’t very mobile and may struggle to extend plays in the pros. Defenses that excel at getting to the quarterback on a consistent basis should have a field day with McKee with his limited escapability.

With a clean pocket and time to throw, McKee could put together a strong career as a professional quarterback. His decision-making could use some work, but sometimes that just comes with more experience, especially with the player speed increase from college to the NFL. McKee’s anticipation is another strength that stands out among this class of quarterbacks.

Mock Draft landing spots

ESPN’s Matt Miller has McKee going to the Rams in Round 5, and CBS’ Ryan Palmer has the Giants waiting until the seventh round to select the Stanford QB. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler sees the Vikings selecting him in the fifth round, and NFL.com’s Chad Reuter sees the Seahawks taking him as early as the fourth.

Fantasy football implications

As a rookie, it would be a little surprising to see McKee make a significant impact depending on where he lands or if any injuries take place. Regardless, rookie QBs are tough to trust in fantasy football especially those who do not possess much of a rushing threat. Keep McKee off your fantasy radar in Year 1 until he gets more reps and proves himself at the NFL level.

The Rams do not currently have a backup behind Matthew Stafford, so that is the primary place that McKee could see playing time if he ends up there. His size and strength should help him, but his struggles outside of the pocket would make me hesitant to draft him in a fantasy league if Stafford gets injured and he steps in. He could always step in behind Daniel Jones and Kirk Cousins, but again, his lack of mobility hinders him from being in true fantasy consideration as a rookie.