Size doesn’t matter. We can joke about the phrase all we want, but when it comes to the QB position and the future the NFL, it’s never been more accurate. Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray, standing at 6’0” and 5’10” respectively, have been drafted first overall in back to back drafts. We see Russell Wilson, Patrick Mahomes, and even Lamar Jackson thriving as unorthodox passers.

“I’m putting away all the prototypes that I once had,” current Raiders Head Coach Jon Gruden stated at the NFL combine back in February. 49ers Head Coach and offensive guru Kyle Shanahan doubled down on Gruden’s stance. ”If guys can throw, they can play the position. You don’t have to be able to dunk to be successful,” he said. Times have officially changed. Perhaps no one knows that as well as Houston’s star quarterback D’Eriq King.

“Those two going first was amazing to see. It was a big step for smaller QB’s everywhere,” King said when I asked about Mayfield and Murray. An electric dynamo measuring in at a measly 5’11 195 pounds, it’s no secret the Houston passer has faced an uphill battle to succeed at the QB position. Coming out of Manvel High School weighing less than 170 pounds, King was recruited as an athlete and even spent his first few years at Houston as a gadget receiver and kick returner.

Entering the 2017 season in a three-way race with Kyle Allen and Kyle Postma for the starting job, it was fair to wonder if D’Eriq would ever even get his shot. As King ever so calmly puts it, “Playing QB was never in doubt.” Twenty games later and coming off of a marvelous 50 touchdown campaign, he’s proved his worth at the collegiate level. And with the NFL’s changed stance on the throwing position, there’s no reason to think his football journey stops there.

Let’s take a look through his tape to see why.

Running Ability

I asked King to sum up his game in a single word. “Dynamic,” he said with a smirk. There was no hesitation, no pondering, just fast and deliberate delivery. Just like his style of play. It fits.

We’ll start off showing his mind-blowing athletic capabilities. The D has him stopped in his tracks after reading the play design to perfection. Doesn’t matter. King hurdles and almost manages to pick up the first. pic.twitter.com/O74s5OcGKZ — Carter Donnick (@CDonScouting) May 18, 2019

Arm Talent

I could talk about his athleticism and explosion for days, but the unique thing is, King isn’t just legs. As he describes it, ”I’m a pass-first guy. The ability to run is just a plus.”

Mahomes, Wilson, Murray. What do they have in common? Elite off-platform ability. The sheer talent it requires for King to torque his body and throw from this angle is ABSURD. Also refreshing to see him keep his head up and sacrifice the easy run to make the long pass. pic.twitter.com/ObF5y29aQA — Carter Donnick (@CDonScouting) May 18, 2019

Deep Ball

A good QB isn’t just someone who makes plays. It’s someone who puts others in a position to make plays. King is an excellent example of just that. “I trust those guys. After putting in all the off-season work, I knew what types of plays they could make,” he said when asked about his trust in his wideouts. It’s not a reliance either. He’s mastered the ability to give his pass catchers a chance without putting the ball in harm’s way.

Thankfully for NFL purposes, D’Eriq is much more than just legs. Here he sees the single high safety cheating to the left side and knows he has the mismatch. Throws a beautiful deep ball with some perfect placement. pic.twitter.com/luEYDKzJzR — Carter Donnick (@CDonScouting) May 18, 2019

We might as well just call him Professor Hulk, because King is both smart AND tough. Knows when the defender jumps offside he has a free play. Stands in the pocket and takes a beating to deliver the pass. Ends up out of bounds, but throws with great pace to give his WR a shot. pic.twitter.com/An3wu7JJCi — Carter Donnick (@CDonScouting) May 18, 2019

Mechanics

Mechanics are the part of King’s game that needs the most work. Playing receiver for a few years certainly didn’t help. D’Eriq has some bad mechanical habits, particularly with his feet, that need cleaning up.

More mechanical issues here. Keeps his body motionless and tries to get all his strength from the upper body. Overcompensates in his arm motion and leads to a low and inaccurate throw. Also does an extremely poor job by staring his WR down. pic.twitter.com/jWhJ9VzovO — Carter Donnick (@CDonScouting) May 18, 2019

King’s biggest challenges

Size

As Benjamin Disraeli once said, ”There is no education like adversity.” If that’s indeed the case, King is pretty darn smart. Let’s start with the obvious; he’s small. But King has done his best to turn his size from being a mountain-like obstacle into a minor road bump.

A great example of this is his ability to throw from different arm slots. Instantly, people assume that short QB’s have trouble with batted down passes, but in King’s case, that doesn’t prove right. The clip below is evidence of just that.

Much like a Kyler Murray or Russell Wilson, King is a smart passer who is able to find ways around his height issues. He manipulates passing lanes extremely well, largely due to his patience and ability to throw from multiple angles. pic.twitter.com/3ne7D5tvak — Carter Donnick (@CDonScouting) May 18, 2019

I’ll leave you with this regarding King’s stature; When I asked him about his most significant challenges, and he didn’t mention height once.

Injury History

Somewhat going hand in hand with his small frame, another major hurdle on King’s resume is his injury history. After suffering a torn meniscus to end last season, King has spent the off-season rehabbing his knee. Houston didn’t win a single match-up and got decimated 70-14 in their bowl game with their star QB out of the line-up during that time. “It killed me watching from the sidelines,” he said when I asked about the recovery process. “I wanted to be out there with my guys doing everything I could to help them win.”

Scheme

It’s going to be a big year for King as he transitions from Kendal Briles fast-paced, spread scheme to Dana Holgorsen’s air raid system. Under a system structured with predominantly RPO’s and isolated outside concepts, King thrived under Briles and his unorthodox structure last season. Thankfully, as King puts it, “This year won’t be too different, besides the obvious tempo change.” By all accounts, RPO’s will also still play a vital role in the offense.

Holgorsen, a Mike Leach-disciple, figures to pick up where Briles left off in terms of fine-tuning King’s game. With signal-callers like Geno Smith and Will Grier on his resume, he certainly has the experience to make this look like a quality hire. “They are both great coaches,” King said regarding Holgorsen and new offensive coordinator Marquell Blackwell. ”I’m very excited for things this year to get rolling.”

King comparisons

Everyone needs a person to look up to. For King, he models his game after a few. “Russell Wilson and Drew Brees. Both are smaller guys who just get the job done.” The last thing I want to do is seem hyperbolic, but right away, I get the Wilson comparison. Am I saying King is going to be Russell? Of course not. But the two, besides the apparent frame similarities, share a lot of attractive traits. Whether it be the pretty arc on his deep ball, always looking to keep the play alive until the very last second, or even smartly throwing the ball out of bounds to live another down, it’s clear King studies the Seahawk QB’s game quite feverishly.

The NFL is becoming more and more of an improvisational style league. With his running ability and creative style, King exhibits this on a consistent basis. pic.twitter.com/NEisuRu9FJ — Carter Donnick (@CDonScouting) May 18, 2019

I’ll also add one more star QB to this mix of comparisons, Deshaun Watson. Once again, this is a ”best-case” scenario. King is a strikingly similar, albeit a miniature version of Watson. His supreme trust in his wide receivers, catchable ball, and mechanical issues are reminiscent of the former Clemson product.

What’s in King’s future

What’s in store for the electrifying passer? Well, he’s coming off a fantastic 50 touchdown season, but King looks poised to take another step forward in 2019. A Heisman contender for the majority of last year, there’s a decent chance he could be in New York in a few short months. King doesn’t want to hear any of it, however. The priority is on reaching the National Championship, and he made that very clear, “My goal is to win as many games as possible at Houston. Everything else will sort itself out.”

Conclusion

King isn’t perfect. He’s still developing and needs to improve in several aspects such as pocket presence, footwork, mechanics, and short accuracy. But the door has finally been opened for small QBs to play at the pro level, and he’s ready to walk right through it.