Riley Leonard, QB Duke: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Leonard was a three-star recruit from Fairhope High School in Fairhope, Ala. in the class of 2021

Duke quarterback Riley Leonard is receiving a lot of buzz this summer as a potential sleeper in the 2024 NFL Draft. Leonard possesses excellent mobility and shows flashes of high-end ball placement, but he’s far from a finished product.

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Riley Leonard, QB Duke: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Junior quarterback from Fairhope, Ala.

Background: Leonard was a three-star recruit from Fairhope High School in Fairhope, Ala. in the class of 2021. He was the No. 682 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 554 for On3.com. Leonard was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 76 grade out of 100. He lettered in football all four years at Fairhope. As a high school senior, Leonard passed for 1,900 yards and 25 touchdowns while rushing for 500 yards. He received All-State honors as a senior. Leonard’s decorated high school career included Class 7A Player of the Year and AL.com Coastal Player of the Year honors as he led Fairhope to a 31-12 overall record. He participated in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic. Leonard also competed in basketball and track at the varsity levels. He was the basketball AL.com Edward Jones Coastal Male Athlete of the Year in 2020 and 2021. Leonard was one of five players named to the Alabama Sports Writers Association Super All-State Basketball Team. His father, Chad Leonard, played basketball at The Citadel (1992-95), where he set the school single-season record with 68 steals. The older Leonard finished his career with 137 steals, the second-most in program history. Riley Leonard’s uncle, Michael Sabol, played basketball at Georgetown University (1990-91). The younger Leonard was born on September 13, 2002.

Injuries & Off-Field: N/A

Awards: 2022 Honorable Mention All-ACC

Pros: Room to add mass to his frame, time to throw meets NFL standards, smooth throwing motion, varies arm angles, keeps feet aligned with shoulders on throws in a clean pocket, delivers tight spirals with touch at all levels, layers the ball between the second and third levels, flashes of ideal ball placement, velocity to drive the ball for intermediate shots outside the numbers to the opposite hash, intermediate velocity popped vs. Wake Forest (2022), works quickly through half-field reads, became more willing to throw the ball away as the season progressed, mobility to extend plays and break the pocket, threat to keep the ball on the option, athletic ability helps him create when he makes the wrong reads in the option, makes the first defender miss in space, speed allows him to pull away from defensive backs

Cons: Enters 2023 with one year of starting experience, fumbled four times in 2022, half-field reads make his job easier, not looking to access backside routes, bit of a sidearm delivery, throwing motion includes a small loop, occasionally adds an extra hop with his lead foot at the end of his throwing motion, inconsistent base and sometimes fading away when throwing, accuracy and ball placement at the intermediate level are inconsistent, ball placement varies from too high to too low, release point might contribute to low throws, ball placement and accuracy decline significantly when pressure is in his lap, forces throws under pressure, gets jittery when he sees the pressure coming, awareness and space management in the pocket, too quick to tuck and run at times, tunnel vision doesn’t always reveal defenders, doesn’t throw with anticipation, late arriving to throws which allows the defensive back to close, plays where he invites pressure by holding the ball too long, frequently hit while in his throwing motion, limited arm strength to push the ball vertically, underthrew a pass that traveled roughly 50 air yards against Wake Forest (2022)

Overview: Leonard has a lean frame, but there’s plenty of room for him to add mass if it won’t negatively impact his speed. His throwing motion is smooth, but there’s a slight loop that leads into a sidearm release. Leonard varies his arm angles to meet the requirements for various throwing lanes. He keeps his feet aligned with his shoulders on throws in a clean pocket. However, he occasionally adds an extra hop with his lead foot at the end of his throwing motion. Leonard’s footwork breaks down often, especially when he sees pressure approaching. His base becomes inconsistent, and he sometimes fades away when throwing. The junior gets jittery when he sees pressure coming, and his awareness and space management in the pocket are poor. Like many gifted athletes playing quarterback in college, Leonard is sometimes too quick to tuck and run. The Alabama native delivers tight spirals with touch at all levels and layers the ball between the defense’s second and third levels. He shows flashes of elite ball placement. Leonard’s velocity allows him to drive the ball into intermediate windows outside the numbers to the opposite hash. This velocity at the intermediate level popped against Wake Forest (2022). Leonard works quickly through half-field reads. He became more willing to throw the ball away as the season progressed. The three-star recruit has the mobility to extend plays and break the pocket. He is a threat to keep the ball on the option and makes the first defender miss in space. Leonard displays enough speed to pull away from defensive backs. He benefited from half-field reads in Duke’s offense and rarely looked to access backside routes. His accuracy and ball placement at the intermediate level are inconsistent, varying from too high to too low. Leonard’s release point might contribute to low throws. His ball placement and accuracy decline significantly when pressure is in his lap. The All-ACC honorable mention forces throws under pressure and gets tunnel vision that doesn’t always reveal second-level defenders. Leonard doesn’t throw with anticipation and is late arriving to throws, which allows the defensive back to close. There are plays where he invites pressure by holding the ball too long, leading to him frequently taking hits while in his throwing motion. Leonard’s limited arm strength makes pushing the ball downfield difficult. He underthrew a pass that traveled roughly 50 air yards against Wake Forest (2022).

Overall, Leonard’s mobility and flashes of placement, touch, and velocity at the intermediate level are enticing, but he’s an inconsistent player who needs more experience and exposure to diverse circumstances to fully develop. Leonard is an early candidate to return to college in 2024 if he doesn’t take a significant step forward in 2023.

Role & Scheme Fit: Mobile quarterback in a spread offense with quick game

Round Projection: Fifth Round

Size: 6'4", 209 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 07-19-23