LOOK: Former Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger working out with Patrick Mahomes
Making the jump from college to the NFL is no easy task. Having a mentor that has succeeded at the highest level is an valuable asset to a young quarterback.
Sam Ehlinger’s career in the burnt orange is over and he’s now the new kid on the block for the Indianapolis Colts. The rookie was selected in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL draft and is looking to battle Jacob Eason for the rights to the backup quarterback role behind newly acquired Carson Wentz.
Ehlinger’s chances of becoming a starter in the NFL is still to be seen, as obviously he has yet to play, but there were many doubts about whether his limited arm talent would translate to the NFL level.
The former Longhorn was recently spotted working out with arguably the best player in the NFL recently: Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Couple of QBs from Texas got it in today. pic.twitter.com/y5OMvO9PvZ
— Bobby Stroupe (@bobbystroupe) June 22, 2021
Mahomes and Ehlinger went to high school just hours away from one another and both played their college ball in the Big 12 as Mahomes is a Texas Tech alumni.
Learning from one of, if not the best quarterback in the league, can greatly benefit Ehlinger and his career. Their paths to the league were a little different as Mahomes was a heralded gunslinger, who the Chiefs traded up to the No. 10 overall pick for, but Mahomes was not a starter right from the jump either. He sat and learned behind Alex Smith, just like Ehlinger is expected to do behind Wentz.
Ehlinger has always been a workhorse and someone who wants to improve on every aspect of his game, which is something he will certainly need to do in order to move up the depth chart in Indianapolis.
NFL scout Lance Zierlein views Ehlinger as a career backup. Here’s a portion of Zierlein’s scouting report for Austin’s beloved quarterback prospect:
“Highly touted dual-threat quarterback from the Austin area who put together four solid but somewhat unspectacular years at Texas. They don’t come much tougher than Ehlinger at the position, and his intangibles are as good as you could ask for. He’s a very average passer, but can deliver most throws with good enough accuracy and velocity to hit the open target. He doesn’t have a plus arm and could struggle to fit throws into tight windows or make big completions throwing on the move. His deep ball accuracy is a step below average but he’s fairly effective throwing with anticipation on intermediate routes. He’s not an explosive runner, although he gets tough yards on a consistent basis as a scrambler and on called runs. His 2019 tape is a better study of his potential, but career backup looks like his ceiling.”
If Mahomes can rub off just the slightest bit of magic that he possesses, Ehlinger can add that to his already present mental and emotional capabilities to be a decent NFL quarterback.
