Devin Leary, QB North Carolina State: Offseason 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Leary was a four-star recruit from Timber Creek Regional High School in Sicklerville, N.J. in the class of 2018

North Carolina State quarterback Devin Leary doesn’t have the biggest arm among potential 2023 NFL Draft prospects, but the New Jersey native is one of the sport’s most efficient passers. He takes care of the football at a high level and led the Wolfpack to a 9-3 record in 2021. Here’s where Leary projects for the upcoming draft.

Visit my Twitter account @Sam_Teets33 for more updates and previews of the 2023 NFL Draft Guide.

Devin Leary, QB North Carolina State: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt junior quarterback from Sicklerville, N.J.

Background: Leary was a four-star recruit from Timber Creek Regional High School in Sicklerville, N.J. in the class of 2018. He was the No. 372 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 240 for Rivals, and No. 347 for On3.com. Leary was an unranked four-star recruit for ESPN with an 80 grade out of 100. He left high school as New Jersey’s all time leader in passing yards (9,672) and passing touchdowns (117), which he reached by completing 566 of 910 attempts. As a high school senior, Leary connected on 152 of 246 passes for 2,863 yards and 31 touchdowns playing in 11 games. The previous year, he completed 198 of 316 attempts for 3,688 yards and 48 touchdowns. Leary was the 2016-17 Gatorade Football Player of the Year in New Jersey, and he also won the award in 2017-18. He was selected for the Polynesian Bowl in Hawaii. Leary also played basketball at Timber Creek.

2021 Production: 12 games, 431 attempts, 283 completions, 3,433 yards, 35 touchdowns, 5 interceptions + 2 rushing touchdowns

2020 Production: 4 games, 110 attempts, 66 completions, 890 yards, 8 touchdowns, 2 interceptions (Redshirt Year)

2019 Production: 8 games, 210 attempts, 101 completions, 1,219 yards, 8 touchdowns, 5 interceptions

2018 Production: (Redshirt Year)

Injuries & Off-Field: Suffered a fractured fibula and missed eight games (2020)

Awards: 2021 Honorable Mention All-ACC

Pros: Time to throw will translate to the NFL, college offense involved limited screens, footwork is well paced, comfortable throwing on the move, his accuracy doesn’t decline when he’s on the move, puts good spin on the ball to drive it into small windows with velocity, fairly quick release, moments of exceptional ball placement on the sideline, his ball placement helped his wide receivers win in one-on-one situations, good understanding of leverage and when to challenge man coverage, rarely threw toward double teams, connected on two 50-yard throws against Miami (2021), will deliver a pass with pressure crashing down in his face, takes checkdowns and rarely makes head-scratching decisions, good understanding of what he sees post-snap

Cons: Nine throws batted at the line of scrimmage in 2021, doesn’t possess ideal height, fumbled seven times in 2019 and 2021, lacks the mobility to create with his legs, his mobility even makes it difficult for him to evade pressure, his feet become stagnant in the pocket sometimes, throwing motion contains some inefficient movement, wish there were more examples of him putting touch on passes, arm strength doesn’t have the same ceiling as many quarterbacks in this class, ball placement sometimes failed on short throws, doesn’t always read the whole field post-snap

Overview: Leary is unofficially listed at 6'1", 215 lbs. The redshirt junior was one of college football’s most efficient quarterbacks last season. He rarely put the ball in harm’s way and generated a high percentage of game-changing plays. The Wolfpack owe Leary a lot of the credit for their 9-3 season. Leary shows excellent zip on the ball, and I walked away impressed with how precise he was connecting with pass catcher working the sidelines. He also has an uncanny ability to remain accurate on the run. In some cases, he even seems to prefer delivering throws while on the move. Leary understands leverage and knows where to place the ball downfield to help his wide receivers in man coverage. However, he’s a smaller quarterback with limited physical upside. While he still connects on 50-yard throws, I’m not sure he can go much deeper. There are also some instances where he just can’t drive the ball all the way to his target. Leary’s near total lack of mobility makes him an easy target for pass rushers. 

Overall, Leary has the poise and efficiency to stand out among college quarterbacks. His decision-making and ability to avoid making fatal mistakes are noteworthy. However, he lacks the high-end physical traits and elite ceiling NFL teams chase in Day 1 and Day 2 quarterbacks.

Role & Scheme Fit: Pocket passer in a spread offensive scheme

Round Projection: Late Third to Late Fourth

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 08-02-22