Davis Webb Has A Legitimate NFL Shot

Davis Webb is one of the more intriguing parts of Texas Tech football in the Kliff Kingsbury era. After starting multiple games as a true freshman in 2013, being riddled with injuries in 2014, and Patrick Mahomes winning the job outright, his road has been a truly winding one. The graduating quarterback has recently decided to transfer to Cal and will play under Sonny Dykes in another Air Raid offense.

Finding out what exactly happened with Davis Webb at Texas Tech isn't the point. The point is his future, and his future will be bright no matter where he ends up. Kliff Kingsbury, who knows a little something about quarterbacks, called him a top 5 NFL Draft pick. So how does a guy who lost his job to a younger player have a shot at hearing his name called on draft day?

Patrick Mahomes is one hell of a quarterback

It's not like Webb lost the starting spot to a walk-on. Patrick Mahomes is the real deal, and is generating Heisman buzz as a dark horse candidate. There aren't many quarterbacks in the country that could get the start over Mahomes, especially with the way he played his sophomore year. If you're a Texas Tech fan, you need no introduction to Patrick Mahomes. We've written about him extensively. If you aren't familiar with him, here's a primer.

Davis Webb has a railgun attached to his right shoulder, and it's pretty accurate

The arm strength of Webb is definitely NFL caliber. This arm strength led to a few bad decisions, as Webb trusted his arm more than his reads at times as his career went on, but he has the arm strength nonetheless. Let's look at some highlights from his true freshman season in a ranked matchup against Oklahoma.

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This is a 30 yard throw that could have been on a frozen rope, but had just enough touch and precision on it to put it right over the head of the defender. Eric Ward beats the corner, the safety is slow on the help, and Webb drops a dime on a solid defense. Precise, thrown almost effortlessly. Let's look at a play against WVU.

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This is a dart thrown right over the middle linebacker and in front of the outside linebacker. I know it's Jace Amaro on the catch, but the linebacker in coverage is Nick Kwitakowski, who was just drafted himself. Not an easy pass to place. All in all, a solid throw that would beat most defenders. For those that still doubt, I'm just going to put this Holiday Bowl highlight tape here. Webb went 28-41 for 403 yards, 4 touchdowns, and no interceptions. If not for a couple drops, it would've been a nearly clinical execution of an offensive gameplan.

This is all from his true freshman season.

Davis Webb has the prototypical NFL QB frame

As of right now, Davis Webb is 6'5 and 220 lbs. He has the height to see over the tall offensive lines of the NFL and has put on the weight to withstand hits from bigger linebackers. Webb continually battled through injuries at Texas Tech, staying in a game against TCU in 2014 despite having injuries to his collarbone and his leg. Kingsbury had to nearly physically pull him off the field. He has the frame and the balls to stay in the pocket and take a hit, which is a huge part of what NFL scouts look for.

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In essence, Davis Webb didn't pan out perfectly at Texas Tech. That's okay. No one pans out perfectly. That doesn't mean that he doesn't have the tangibles to be picked up by an NFL team after his year in California. According to ESPN's Mel Kiper, he's the #1 Senior quarterback in the nation. He's 37th in the nation per CBS Sports despite spending a year as a backup. He will definitely get a shot at playing professionally.