Notre Dame Football: 5 Things to Watch for during 2021 Pro Day

Notre Dame Football: 5 Things to Watch for during 2021 Pro Day

Can Ian Book Make Every Throw? (In Shorts)

Ian Book is a difficult prospect to figure out. He’s a winner, first and foremost. That’s always important to NFL teams. He’s also a dual-threat, able to evade pass rushers and make something out of nothing. As a decision-maker, Book is careful with the ball, maybe too careful.

He doesn’t like to take shots and he doesn’t tend to put the ball on a line and spin it between defenders. Instead, he wouldn’t go downfield unless he knew he had a man, and took check-downs otherwise.

Now, there’s something to be said for that. By not putting the ball in harm’s way, the Irish have been able to put themselves into a position to win a lot of games. It’s just, in the NFL you need to be able to go downfield. Furthermore, you need to be able to put the ball between defenders in much tighter windows than in college.

Does Book have the confidence to do that? Is he physically able to do that?

At the Notre Dame pro day, Book won’t have a chance to answer any questions about the former. He does have the chance to prove he is physically capable of making the throws, though. Yes, the pro day is an ideal condition event, where there won’t be defenders and Book will be wearing shorts, but if he can’t do it at the pro day, he can’t do it in a game.

Book needs to show he has the arm strength to get the ball deep downfield and do it on a line if necessary. If he can’t do that, he may not even be drafted.