Carson Wentz

A two-year starter who went 20-3 for the Bison, Wentz thrived in North Dakota State's wide-open offense, taking snaps from under center and shotgun with several pro-style reads, including left-to-right and high-to-low progressions. Although he didn't consistently face top competition at the FCS level, Wentz performed well in high pressure situations, including the 2014 and 2015 FCS national championship games. Wentz played in the 2015 title game after returning from a broken wrist sustained in October and claimed the Most Outstanding Player award in both championship games he started and won. While he missed eight games due to injury as a senior, he had a streak of 143 consecutive passes without an interception and looked healthy in January where he returned to the starting lineup to lead NDSU to a fifth consecutive FCS championship. Wentz was only a 5-foot-8, 125-pound freshman in high school and didn't start at quarterback until his senior year, causing him to go under-recruited, a similar path to that of Steelers' star Ben Roethlisberger.

functional athleticism and coordination in the pocket and as a scrambler, avoiding rushers and extending plays. has a pre-snap plan and moves efficiently from target-to-target, making sound decisions. shows the ability to recognize defensive coverages and change the play at the line - reliable field vision pre and post snap.

Very smart on and off the field with excellent retention and execution skills. Physically and mentally tough with professional poise and work habits. Great teammate and was an extra coach on the sideline while injured. Set school single season records for completions (228) and passing yards (3,111) as a junior. Consistent winner with a 19-3 career record as a starter.

locks onto reads and needs to develop his eye use, staring down targets and leading defenders. needs to improve his passing anticipation and feel for timing routes. downfield accuracy is inconsistent, often leading receivers too far.

Bad habit of pre-determining throws and forcing the ball into tight coverage. Needs to understand when the play is over and throw the ball away (10 fumbles the last two years). On the move too much, even with a clean pocket, and will attempt throws without setting his base or coming to balance.

he has solidified himself as a first-round player, but his performance in pre-draft workouts will go a long way in determining just how high in the first round he will be drafted. wentz ideally needs a redshirt rookie season in the nfl, but will be the top senior quarterback on several nfl draft boards.

NFL Comparison

lacks ideal starting experience for the position with questions about level of competition - 21 of 22 career starts came against fcs competition (one fbs opponent was at iowa state

18-for-28 for 204 yards, no touchdowns). Missed second half of 2015 season due to a broken right wrist, requiring surgery (Oct. 2015).

alex smith, kansas city chiefs -- wentz is a physically enhanced version of smith with his taller stature and stronger arm, but both have similar athleticism to move the pocket and the intelligence on and off the field desired for the position.

--Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) (2/16/16)

in our view

Although his internal clock needs maturing, Wentz performs well within structure, but can also improvise when the play breaks down, stretching out his legs to pick up chunk yardage if it's there (949 career rushing yards). He possesses a NFL-style skill-set with his size, athleticism and arm talent, including the field vision to work through reads and make sound decisions.

strengths

Looks the part with a tall, workable frame. Good arm strength to deliver downfield with above average velocity, using his body rhythm and touch to accurately control the placement. Tight release, especially for a player with his long arms. Shifts his weight well in the pocket to work through the noise and keep his hand on the trigger, maneuvering under duress with improved footwork.

the uptick in competition at the senior bowl didn't throw off his timing as he was able to quickly set up and fire strikes, as well as, completing a variety of passes to unfamiliar targets.

WEAKNESSES

2015: Missed the second half of the season due to a broken right wrist that required surgery in October.

2011 graduate of Bismarck Century High School

2010 North Dakota Class 3A Player of the Year for Century and head coach Ron Wingenbach

All-state at-large pick

All-conference at quarterback and defensive back

Led team to 8-3 record, conference title and state semifinals

Completed 91 of 149 passes for 1,285 yards and 12 TDs

Rushed 85 times for 553 yards and 13 TDs

Recorded 61 tackles and two interceptions

Three-year starter for baseball team

Played first base for 2010 American Legion and high school state runner-up teams

Hit .386 with 26 RBIs for Century as junior, batted .421 with 41 RBIs for Bismarck Governors Legion

Forward/center for the state’s No. 1-ranked basketball team

Class Valedictorian

National Honor Society.

Majoring in health education and physical education with a minor in psychology

Maintained a cumulative 4.0 GPA through his senior season

Born Dec. 30, 1992

Son of Doug Wentz and Cathy Domres, Bismarck

Has two brothers, Zach Wentz and Luke Domres

Zach was a four-year starting pitcher and infielder for NDSU baseball and key part of a 40-win team in 2012 while setting career records for games played, hits and doubles

His cousin, Connor, was a tight end on his 2013, 2014 and 2015 football teams at NDSU

Father played linebacker at Northern State in the 1980s.