Oregon transfer quarterback Vernon Adams Jr., was clearly the star of Saturday's East-West Shrine Game, and has boosted his draft stock going into the 2016 NFL Draft. Adams was the star of Saturday's game completing six of his nine passing attempts for 191 yards with three touchdowns. The Oregon transfer quarterback also carried the ball twice for 24 yards, and is quickly becoming one of the top players to watch in the 2016 Draft.
"He can play in the NFL. Somebody's going to give him an opportunity to do that," said Shrine West coach June Jones, via NFL Network. "Now whether he makes it or not, it's up to him. He has all those things that the great ones have. He gets better as the game goes on."
There are still a ton of questions surrounding the talented quarterback, as he lacks the size NFL teams are looking for at 5-foot-11, 201-pounds. Adams will likely have to find the right system to fit in the league, and some think 49ers' newly acquired head coach Chip Kelly could have the system that fits.
"If you're Chip Kelly, you're taking a look at Vernon Adams and seeing what he can do," said NFL Media draft expert Mike Mayock, via NFL Network. The 49ers already have a mobile quarterback who likely fit well in Kelly's system in Colin Kaepernick, but at the current price the 49ers are paying for their quarterback many think it's time for a change.
When a team puts that much money into a quarterback it creates less space to sign talented players to surround him, and based on how Kaepernick played this past season he surely is being overpaid. While Adams may not be an immediate solution in San Francisco, he is a player 49ers fans should keep an eye as he could fall to them in later rounds of the draft.
Adams' senior season started off rough after breaking his index finger in Ducks opener against Adams' former school Eastern Washington. The Ducks quarterback would try to battle through the injury on his throwing hand, but it wasn't till the end of the season when he was fully healed the audiences saw the true potential of Adams. In Oregon's final five regular season games Adams threw over 300 yards in every game but one, and had four or more touchdown passes in three of the final five games.
The Ducks quarterback will likely need some time to develop in the league, but his draft stock is clearly increasing and teams are taking notice. "I just showed (scouts) I can play this game. Hopefully I can get a chance with some team," said Adams, via NFL Network. "I've overcome (size questions) my whole life. It's not new to me, and I know how to play the position."
