Wisconsin Football: Joel Stave’s NFL Draft Profile

NFL Draft Profile: How former Wisconsin football quarterback Joel Stave looks heading into the draft

The NFL Draft is fast approaching at the end of April, and former Wisconsin football players are hard at work trying to earn a spot on an NFL team. Among them is quarterback Joel Stave, who hopes to continue his career at the next level.

Stave is a career 31-10 as the Wisconsin football starting quarterback, and has completed 613 of his 1,031 career passes (59.5 percent) for 7,635 yards, 48 touchdowns and 37 interceptions.

He leaves the Badgers in the top 10 of many passing categories, from yardage and completions on the positive side, to interceptions on the negative side.

Stave has made his case at the NFL Combine and the Wisconsin football Pro Day, improving in the latter after a decent showing at the combine.

The work isn’t over for the Wisconsin product, but he’s nearing the finish line that is the NFL Draft.

Measurables:

Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 236 pounds
Hand size: 10-3/4 inches
Arm length: 33-1/4 inches
40-yard dash: 4.80 seconds
Vertical jump: 33.5 inches
Broad jump: 115.0 inches
3-cone drill: 7.29 seconds

Strengths: Size, Arm Strength, Pro-Style Offense Proficiency

First and foremost, Stave fits the build of a prototypical pro-style quarterback. At 6-foot-5, 236 pounds, he’s very comparable to Ben Roethlisberger (6-foot-5, 241 pounds). That size will help him immensely heading into the draft, as teams want durable, big quarterbacks who can get the ball out.

Stave can do that too, and has shown good arm strength while at Wisconsin. His deep ball isn’t the prettiest (or the most accurate, as we’ll talk about later), but he can get the job done when needed.

Possibly his most intriguing quality beyond his physical tools is his understanding of a pro-style offense. Stave has been quarterbacking the Badgers since he was a freshman, so he knows how a pro-style system is run.

He understands the route concepts, even if he doesn’t perfectly make his reads at all times (again, we’ll get there later). He’s made NFL throws in the Badgers offense.

He’s not going to kill you with his legs, but he’s athletic enough to get outside the pocket and pick up a first down in the right situation.

Weaknesses: Accuracy, Decision-Making

For all his positive attributes, the QB has some tough tape to get over.

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Stave threw 37 career interceptions against his 48 touchdowns, a stat that sticks out as the most obvious of his deficiencies. His interceptions have cost the Badgers games, and his decision-making almost certainly played into him losing his starting job to Tanner McEvoy during his junior season.

As good as Stave’s good can look, his bad looks really, really bad. Stave has struggled all of his career with interceptions, throwing at least 10 pics each of the last three seasons after throwing only three in six starts as a freshman.

He’s also ebbed and flowed in terms of completion percentage, peaking at 61.9 percent his sophomore season before bottoming out at 53.4 percent as a junior. He got moving back in the right direction his senior year, when he completed 60.8 percent.

Stave has the bad tendency to stare down receivers and really telegraph his passes. That’s led to plenty of his interceptions during his time at Wisconsin. He also tends to throw behind wide receivers, not throwing a very catch-able ball.

We saw some of that in his East-West Shrine Game performance, when he struggled with accuracy and stared down a few receivers, finishing the game 7-for-12 for 31 yards and an interception to a familiar face.

Last impression:

The Badgers and Stave took on USC in the Holiday Bowl for Stave’s last start, and the quarterback delivered, leading the Badgers to a 23-21 victory over the Trojans.

Stave threw a touchdown pass in the third quarter to put the Badgers up 20-7, and after USC re-took the lead, the former Badger led Wisconsin on a seven-play, 42-yard drive late in the fourth quarter, setting up the eventual game-winning field goal.

Stave finished 18 of 27 for 217 yards and a touchdown, putting a nice bow on a strong Wisconsin Badgers career. His toughness shone threw after he was stepped on in the face, breaking his nose, but he continued to play.

Next: Joe Schobert's Fit in Green Bay

Final word:

Stave will be on an NFL roster this summer.

His physical tools out-weigh any and all other flaws he currently has, and NFL teams will take a chance at turning the mistake-prone quarterback into a solid backup.

Quarterback is the most important position in all of sports, and Stave plays it well enough to get a shot at the professional level. He’s not destined to be a hall of famer, and probably not even a starter, but he’ll get a shot to make a team.