NCAA Scouting - Player Profile:
Sean Canfield - Quarterback - Oregon State
by Jody Jamieson
26/1/2010
 
Sean Canfield
Quarterback
Oregon State
6-4, 214
Senior
 
Strengths: He is extremely accurate, does a good job going through his progressions and possesses a quick release to enable him to take advantage of his decision making. He has excellent height to look over the line of scrimmage and see his receivers. He took the starting job because of injury but played so well he never relinquished it and has made significant progress over the 2009 season showing an ability to get better over a short period of time. He feels the rush well and combined with his quick release and ability to move he avoids pressure and sacks. He is competitive and will keep his team in games where they look over-matched.
 
Weaknesses: His arm strength is average with his deep balls fluttering and lacking zip on patterns like the deep out. He lacks bulk and appears a little fragile for the pros which leads on to concerns about his durability with several injuries and time missed in his college career. He can sometimes make very rash decisions forcing the ball which result in turnovers. He only has average elusiveness and speed. Character-wise, he is sometimes seen as timid, not a natural leader and not a guy who will take command of the huddle although that doesn't reflect in his play so much. Canfield is left handed, which may sound like a crazy weakness, but offensive lines and playbooks are designed for right handers.
 
Where I think he'll be drafted: Canfield has been getting some love from the media scouts and he has come to many people's attention in 2009, it should be enough to get him drafted in rounds four to five.
 
Where I think he should be drafted: This guy is the ideal prospect for a true West Coast offensive scheme so whilst his skill set looks limited, there is enough to get several teams interested. I like other prospects more but Canfield is a steady if unspectacular prospect who deserves a spot in about round five.
 
Summary: Canfield has been seeing action throughout the whole of his college career but injuries meant he only got really noticed in his senior year. Physically, he looks a very average prospect apart from his ideal height but his bulk can be addressed by pro conditioning coaches and young quarterbacks are usually allowed some time to develop physically and mentally. His skill set is ideal for the many West Coast schemes in the league as previously mentioned so he could find a home in the likes of Houston or Seattle as a possible back-up. Comparing him to a current NFL QB, I would look at the likes of Brodie Croyle in that he has many of the basic intangibles you look for in an NFL quarterback but physically is a little lightweight. I can see Canfield developing into a reasonable back-up for a team running a short, timing based passing offense but he maybe does not possess the complete mental and physical package to go much further than that.