Malik Cunningham, QB Louisville: Offseason 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Cunningham was a three-star recruit from Park Crossing High School in Montgomery, Ala. in the class of 2017

Louisville quarterback Malik Cunningham is one of college football’s most versatile athletes. His rushing ability is second in program history only to Lamar Jackson’s. However, Cunningham faces questions about his arm strength, ball placement, and command of the pocket as he prepares for his final college season and the 2023 NFL Draft.

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Malik Cunningham, QB Louisville: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt senior quarterback from Montgomery, Ala.

Background: Cunningham was a three-star recruit from Park Crossing High School in Montgomery, Ala. in the class of 2017. He was the No. 501 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 219 (four-star) for Rivals, and No. 527 for On3.com. Cunningham was an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 77 grade out of 100. He finished his high school career with 8,470 all-purpose yards, including 6,276 passing yards, 71 passing touchdowns, 1,926 rushing yards, and 32 rushing touchdowns. As a high school senior, Cunningham passed for 2,913 yards and 30 touchdowns while rushing for 1,015 yards and 19 touchdowns. He participated in the Adidas Showcase and was selected to participate in Offense-Defense All-American Game in Atlanta, Ga. Cunningham graduated with a degree in communication in the fall of 2020. He was born on Oct. 6, 1998.

2021 Production: 13 games, 337 attempts, 209 completions, 2,941 yards, 19 touchdowns, 6 interceptions + 173 carries, 1,031 yards, 20 touchdowns

2020 Production: 11 games, 304 attempts, 195 completions, 2,617 yards, 20 touchdowns, 12 interceptions + 131 carries, 609 yards, 7 touchdowns

2019 Production: 12 games, 178 attempts, 111 completions, 2,061 yards, 22 touchdowns, 5 interceptions + 122 carries, 482 yards, 6 touchdowns

2018 Production: 10 games, 67 attempts, 40 completions, 473 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception + 79 carries, 497 yards, 5 touchdowns

2018 Production: (Redshirt Year)

Injuries & Off-Field: Suffered an injury against Clemson (2021) but didn’t miss a game

Awards: N/A

Pros: Three-year starter, dynamic rushing threat, forced 51 missed tackles in 2021, only fumbled four times in 2021 regular season despite setting a career-high in carries, sudden athlete with loose ankles that let him execute a wide range of cuts and jukes, has the speed to find the edge as a rusher, threw a touchdown that traveled 55 air yards against Florida State (2021), instances of putting nice touch on deep throws, active feet in the pocket, applies touch on short passes, adequate release speed, arm strength to make most NFL throws, usually puts good zip on short to intermediate throws

Cons: Small frame for a player who likes to run, history of fumbles (seven in 2019, nine in 2020, and three in Louisville’s 2021 Bowl Game), reliance on mobility leads to him holding the ball for too long, pocket awareness must improve, limited production outside the numbers on either sideline, ball placement is inconsistent, decision-making leads to interceptions when under pressure, multiple instances of throwing interceptions to defenders he didn’t see, puts the ball in harm’s way as a passer too often, stares down targets, leaves the pocket to run rather than keeping his eyes downfield, intermediate throws outside the numbers sometimes float on him, bit of a half-windup in his throwing motion, lacks elite arm strength and velocity

Overview: Cunningham is unofficially listed at 6'1", 190 lbs. The three-year starter is one of college football’s most dynamic athletes. He and Anthony Richardson are the top dual-threat quarterbacks I’ve studied this summer, and Cunningham is significantly more experienced than his Florida counterpart. The redshirt senior cuts and jukes with suddenness thanks to his loose ankles and has the speed to beat defenses around the edge. While he lacks elite arm talent, which causes problems with his accuracy on deep throws, there are instances of Cunningham connecting on passes 45 or more yards downfield. He applies proper touch on most throws and has enough velocity to fit passes through tight windows on short to intermediate throws. Fumbling has been a consistent problem for Cunningham. His reliance on his athleticism leads to him holding the ball too long and a lack of pocket awareness. Cunningham’s ball placement, decision-making, and throw velocity are inconsistent week-to-week.

Overall, Cunningham is an exciting college quarterback with elite mobility. Unfortunately, his limited arm talent and size raise concerns. Cunningham’s tendencies to stare down targets and throw into crowds when under pressure are surprising considering his experience as a starter. Right now, the Louisville product projects as a mid-Day 3 pick, but I could see his skill set providing him with unique opportunities in the NFL.

Role & Scheme Fit: RPO-heavy scheme

Round Projection: Mid Fifth to Early Sixth

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 08-14-22