Closer Look – Kyle McCord

Posted: May 6th, 2025 |Author: Tommy Lawlor

The Eagles have a great 1-2 combo at QB with Jalen Hurts and Tanner McKee. They acquired Dorian Thompson-Robinson in a trade this offseason, but DTR is far from a sure thing. He has struggled during his time in the NFL. It wasn’t a surprise that the Eagles drafted a QB. The interesting part was them picking Kyle McCord.

What did they see in McCord that made them choose him?

McCord was a five-star recruit coming out of St. Joe’s Prep. He went to Ohio State and backed up CJ Stroud in 2021 and 2022. McCord finally became the starter in 2023. OSU started 11-0 before losing to Michigan in the regular season finale and then to Missouri in the bowl game. McCord threw for 3,170 yards with 24 TDs and 6 INTs, but the disappointing end to the season cause the school to go after another QB in the transfer portal.

McCord transferred to Syracuse and that move worked well for him. The Orangemen went 10-3. McCord led the nation with 4,779 yards and also threw 34 TD passes. He played in a pass-heavy offense and that brought out the best in him.

Most draft analysts had McCord projected as a mid-round prospect. Dane Brugler said 3rd to 4th round. Daniel Jeremiah had him as his #138 prospect (late 4th). It was a bit surprising to see McCord fall to 181. He was good value at that point.

McCord is not special in any way (size, arm, athleticism, etc.). He is 6-3, 218. He has a solid arm. McCord is talented. Put on the tape and you will see some impressive throws. He is accurate. He has good ball placement. McCord threw plenty of short passes, but he is not afraid of taking chances down the field. He can be aggressive. He makes tight window throws.

That strength can also be a weakness at times. Sometimes he is too aggressive. There were too many "turnover worthy plays” in 2024. McCord would throw the ball into tight spaces where the risk wasn’t worth the reward. You can see this from his time at OSU as well. There are some RB screens where he should just throw the ball into the ground, but will try to fit it in there. That’s a big no-no. Aggressive is good, reckless is bad.

McCord didn’t work out at the Combine or his Pro Day so we don’t know how athletic he is compared to other players. He runs okay in space. Pocket movement is another story. He is not elusive at all.

The Syracuse offense featured lots of quick throws. McCord did well on those. He got the ball out quickly and was able to throw from different platforms. He can stand tall in the pocket, plant his foot and throw down the seam. Or he can go sidearm to a WR on a quick screen. All of the quick throws does raise the question of how well he reads defenses. There are times on tape when McCord won’t see the whole field. He will throw a dig route and not know a defender is coming from the backside to play the ball or hit the receiver.

McCord can throw on the move. He can improvise. He didn’t scramble much in college, but would move to buy time and then get the throw off. He might remind you of a bigger, stronger version of Gardner Minshew. McCord works the middle of the field well, both on crossers and seam routes. He has a strong enough arm to throw to the sidelines and down the field, but he’s not going to drive the ball like someone with an explosive arm. He puts good touch on his throws.

The 2024 season featured some interesting games. McCord had a disastrous outing vs Pitt, throwing 5 INTs in a 41-13 loss. In the regular season finale, Syracuse fell behind Miami 21-0. McCord ended up out-dueling #1 overall pick Cam Ward and SU won the game 42-38. McCord was 26-36-380 with 3 TDs and no INTs.

When studying QBs, I like to focus on decision-making, accuracy and footwork. McCord is good in all of those areas. That gives him a chance to succeed in the NFL. I think Nick Sirianni will be a fan of his aggressiveness. Think about Jalen Hurts throwing downfield to AJ Brown on 4th & 2. McCord has that kind of mindset. Can he make that throw in the NFL? We’ll find out this summer.

McCord has a good chance to beat out DTR for the #3 QB job. DTR is a much better athlete, but hasn’t been a consistently good passer in the NFL. McCord is unproven, but showed the potential to be a good passer. One of the real issues for some college QBs is that they are scared to throw into coverage at the NFL level. McCord’s aggressive nature should keep that from being a problem. He just has to make those throws work.

*****

Jon Gruden did a 45-minute QB school with McCord. This made me like McCord more than just tape study. He seems to be a quick learner and shows good accountability.

*****

Assistant GM Alec Halaby on him.

QB Kyle McCord, Syracuse (Round 6, No. 181 overall)

"Everyone knows about Kyle McCord if you follow college football. I love what he did at Syracuse in his one season there. You watch that Miami-Syracuse game and he is going head-to-head with Cam Ward (No. 1 overall draft pick to Tennessee) and that was a great game. It was real. He processes fast, he is accurate, he throws with anticipation, he has good arm talent, he sees the field really well. If you get people open, he will find them early and he will throw them open. You see the width of resilience that he went through – leaving Ohio State and then goes and elevates the Syracuse program. Really excited to have him here.”

http://igglesblitz.com/2025/05/closer-look-mccord/