The Wonderlic test from the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine is something that has been critiqued over the years. The Wonderlic test is designed to test a player’s critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities. The test is timed and the results are out of 50. For 90 percent of the players in the NFL, you can probably throw the test results away. BUT…When it comes to quarterbacks, quick thinking is a vital thing to have.
NFL analyst and former scout John Middlekauff released the Wonderlic scores for the consensus top 5 quarterbacks.
- Josh Allen: 37
- Josh Rosen: 29
- Sam Darnold: 28
- Baker Mayfield: 25
- Lamar Jackson: 13
There are two quarterbacks that stand out on this list, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson. Rosen, Darnold, and Mayfield did just fine but these other two scores stand out. Allen’s physical tools are off the charts. If his mind is also off the charts, maybe the Browns start to rethink who they should take with the number one overall pick. Despite concerns over his accuracy, Allen is an interesting lump of clay because of his pure tools.
Lamar Jackson’s draft stock is plummeting. After declining to run the 40, not having an agent, bombing this test, and team’s having a hard to scheduling workouts with him, I have no idea how Jackson gets drafted in the first two rounds.
Middlekauff said the following on his podcast to give a clearer picture of the overall thoughts on the test results.
“Above 22, 25 for a quarterback is more than enough,” while “anything over 30 is fantastic.” He said of Jackson, “Just because you score low, [that] does not mean you’re going to be a bad player,” but added that NFL teams would look at his “concerning” score and wonder if he had “the ability to take everything in and play the quarterback position at the NFL from a mental level.”
“People in the NFL were already questioning his ability,” Middlekauff said of Jackson. “This is only going to make those questions become stronger.”
