I honestly can’t believe how far I’ve come around on Houston Cougars quarterback Clayton Tune throughout this year’s NFL Draft process. It started as a bit, and it has since transformed into a genuine appreciation for the guy. To borrow a term from the professional wrestling world, I have officially worked myself into a shoot over Clayton Tune. I figured since people keep asking me if I’m being serious or not (to be fair, I rarely say I’m kidding. I just hope you pick it up along the way), this could be my chance to explain myself.
I’m a ‘bad news first’ kind of guy so let’s get to the things I don’t like first. I think you do see some issues with the deep ball and Tune. It’s more of an inconsistency than an outright weakness, in my opinion, as he does show flashes of being able to hit a good ball down the field. It’s an accuracy thing – sometimes, placement isn’t right. He can lead a receiver off track instead of hitting them in stride. Sometimes, the ball just runs out of steam by the time it gets to its target. Like I said, it might be something a coach staff could iron out. It’s not like he’s incapable of throwing the deep ball, it just seemed like the further he threw, the less accurate it was. Also, it’s easier to hit guys when they’re wide open by five feet like Tank Dell was every other play.
As for what I do like about Tune, I noticed back in February at the Senior Bowl that he was the best of the bunch at scanning the field and going through progressions. He hit guys consistently on the short to mid-range stuff, and he struck me as a pretty safe floor back-up quarterback prospect. But, when he went to the Scouting Combine and tested well, it made me think the physical traits were there to elevate his stock. Tune is put together as if he was built to play quarterback. He’s not necessarily the most elusive or speedy runner, but he’s effective and slippery. He shows some flashes of good anticipation and placement, and he throws from a calm, collected, and sound base. The potential is there for him to put it together, and if he’s able to get a little more consistency out of that deep ball, he’s got a higher ceiling than he’s being given credit for.
Honestly, I feel like if Tune was apart of the 2022 draft class, he’s the second quarterback off the board. Maybe that’s not saying much (I was a big fan of Matt Corral and Sam Howell, after all), but I feel like it says enough about where we’re placing him among this year’s class. If you need a steady back-up, that quarterback is in this draft class five times over. Get you a Jake Haener, an Aidan O’Connell, or a Tyson Bagent. But, if you have the luxury of a loaded roster, a potential quarterback need in the future, and the ability to eat the draft pick if Tune doesn’t pan out, you absolutely roll the dice on this guy. I’d put Tune in that high upside category alongside Dorian Thompson-Robinson as guys who have the traits and skill set to surprise as a starter in the NFL. I’m looking at you, Seattle, Minnesota, and New Orleans.
Clayton Tune hive, stand up. pic.twitter.com/WORXQDBtn2
— Stoney Keeley (@StoneyKeeley) March 29, 2023
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
Subscribe to the SoBros Network Patreon here – $5/month gets you instant access to an exhaustive content library of articles, podcasts, and videos created exclusively for our subscribers!