2024 Exclusive Sneak Peek: Devin Leary, QB Kentucky
Welcome to the Exclusive Sneak Peek: Devin Leary, a 4-star recruit from Timber Creek High School in Gloucester Township, New Jersey. In high school, Leary was named the New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year as both a junior and senior. He also holds the state record for most passing yards and passing touchdowns.
Leary committed to NC State and played the majority of his college career for the Wolfpack. Leary was a standout as a redshirt sophomore, throwing for 3433 yards and 35 touchdowns to just 5 interceptions. But after a disappointing junior campaign, Leary transferred to Kentucky for his final season of eligibility.
At the University of Kentucky, Leary posted solid stats, but never came close to his achievements in 2021. Leary will hope to catch on to an NFL team and likely start his career as a backup or third-stringer.
Measurables
NCAA Statistics
| Passing | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | AY/A | TD | Int | Rate |
| 2019 | North Carolina State | ACC | FR | QB | 8 | 101 | 210 | 48.1 | 1219 | 5.8 | 5.5 | 8 | 5 | 104.7 |
| *2020 | North Carolina State | ACC | SO | QB | 4 | 66 | 110 | 60.0 | 890 | 8.1 | 8.7 | 8 | 2 | 148.3 |
| 2021 | North Carolina State | ACC | SO | QB | 12 | 283 | 431 | 65.7 | 3433 | 8.0 | 9.1 | 35 | 5 | 157.0 |
| *2022 | North Carolina State | ACC | JR | 6 | 118 | 193 | 61.1 | 1265 | 6.6 | 6.8 | 11 | 4 | 130.9 | |
| *2023 | Kentucky | SEC | SR | QB | 13 | 209 | 371 | 56.3 | 2746 | 7.4 | 7.3 | 25 | 12 | 134.3 |
| Career | Overall | 777 | 1315 | 59.1 | 9553 | 7.3 | 7.6 | 87 | 28 | 137.7 | ||||
| North Carolina State | 568 | 944 | 60.2 | 6807 | 7.2 | 7.8 | 62 | 16 | 139.0 | |||||
| Kentucky | 209 | 371 | 56.3 | 2746 | 7.4 | 7.3 | 25 | 12 | 134.3 | |||||
Scouting Reports
Strengths
- Delivers the ball smoothly, with touch and accuracy at times.
- Not afraid to fit the ball into tight windows.
- Turnovers aren’t a major concern.
- Moves well inside and outside the pocket and can deliver the ball well on the run.
Weaknesses
- Does not consistently deliver the ball where it needs to go.
- Questionable deep ball and accuracy issues.
- Some misses are surprisingly easy.
- Mechanics become erratic when pressured.
- Decision-making is suspect at times.
Pre-Draft Analysis
Expected Draft Capital: 6th Round
Ideal Landing Spot: Denver Broncos
I’m not certain Leary will have much of a chance to start in the NFL early in his career. But if there’s one spot where it could possibly happen, it’s in Denver. With just Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci on the roster, Leary could find himself in a camp battle early on. Still, it’s more likely one or both of those QBs beat him out given their experience in the league.
For the Broncos, they get a chance to develop a QB with some talent, despite significant inefficiencies in his production and skill. Sean Payton could hold Leary into the quarterback of the future, but the lack of weapons currently in Denver could mean that it will take a ton of coaching-up to get Leary to where he needs to be.
For Leary, he’s proven he can thrive in a successful system, doing so under Offensive Coordinator Tim Beck at NC State. He’ll need to learn another system and prove he can execute at the next level to stick, and why not work within a team who has a wide open offense with not much personnel to speak of? Leary’s best chance at NFL relevance is making it work where others have failed to do so. Hopefully for him, a fresh start spot like Denver can work wonders for his career.
Ultimately, the expectation for a successful career for Devin Leary is as a career backup. If called upon, he can win you a game or two. But it’s unlikely he’ll take the helm long term for an NFL team without drastically improving his play.
