Whether it’s a fad or a trend or a new reality of the NFL, mobile quarterbacks have generated unprecedented interest for scouts and General Managers and coaches.
Which means, obviously, that the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis will feature unprecedented obsession with the way that quarterbacks move.
The 40-yard dash, the 20-yard shuttle run, the 60-yard shuttle run, and the three-cone drill are the major indicators of speed and quickness and agility. The vertical jump and the broad jump add to the total package of physical ability unrelated to the throwing of a football.
The proliferation of designed quarterback runs now means that, even if a quarterback didn’t execute such plays at the college level, NFL teams will want to know whether and to what extent they have the ability to do it at the next level, even if only as a scout-team option.