QB Max Duggan: NFL Draft scouting report

The Los Angeles Chargers have selected Duggan with the 239th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He will begin his pro career backing up Justin Herbert.

A four-year starter with TCU, quarterback Max Duggan saved his best for last, balling out in his final season to help lead the Horned Frogs to the college football championship game.

Duggan had a career year in 2022 as a passer, throwing for 3,698 yards, 32 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Prior to last season, he had never thrown more than 16 touchdowns. On the ground, he ran for 423 yards and nine touchdowns, showing the kind of rushing ability that will undoubtedly leave NFL teams anxious to see what he can do at the next level.

While Duggan has upside that will appeal to teams, he is not considered a Day 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. That could change through the course of offseason visits and evaluations, not to mention the value placed on quarterback prospects, but he’s got the makings of a developmental prospect more than a Day 1 starter.

Max Duggan: Scouting Report

It’s not unusual to see the word “scrappy” applied to Duggan’s prospect evaluations. That’s usually a nice way of saying that a player has some ability, but could be a long shot in the NFL.

“I think when you look at Max Duggan, you look at a guy that’s played some football that’s competitive, that’s tough,” NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said recently. “You know, he has kind of the qualities of guys that have been Day 3 guys that have got on the field.”

While leadership really is key for a quarterback, so is passing. He hasn’t done well pushing the ball down the field on deep throws, struggling with accuracy and getting the ball to his target. His footwork and mechanics will also need some work. While it’s not fair to credit his receiver for Duggan’s massive jump in passing stats last season, it’s certainly not a coincidence that he had Quentin Johnson, the top receiver prospect in the draft this year, on the field for a full 14 games last season.

Duggan’s rushing numbers last season were no fluke. He’s had that ability throughout his career, totaling 1,856 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns over his four seasons in college. That’s where he can be an asset in the NFL, even as a rookie backup.

Mock Draft landing spots

Max Duggan falls in the seventh round in the mock drafts where he does get selected — there are a few mocks that let him go undrafted, after which he would likely be signed as an undrafted free agent. The 2022 Heisman finalist heads to the Philadelphia Eagles in CBS’s mock draft and to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in NFL.com’s mock.

Fantasy football implications

Duggan is very unlikely to see any playing time this year. As a seventh-round draft pick or UDFA, he will be pretty far down the line on the QB depth chart, and no matter where he ends up, it would take a lot of injuries and illnesses to get him onto the field. He will make any fantasy impact this season.