David Fales might not have much elite company in throwing passes at the NFL Scouting Combine, but the former San Jose State quarterback can't afford the luxury of joining top-tier signal-callers on the sideline.
Texas A&M star Johnny Manziel won't throw, and other top quarterback prospects such as Derek Carr, Blake Bortles and AJ McCarron have said they are undecided. The reason? Unfamiliarity with the receivers who will be running routes is the most common logic, at least for quarterbacks who don't have a medical reason not to throw. Fales isn't considered in the top tier of quarterback prospects, and thus isn't in as good a position to cherry-pick only the most favorable elements of his combine participation.
"I think the Senior Bowl helped teach me what to expect with that kind of environment," Fales said, according to montereyherald.com. "... It can be hard. You just have to adjust and understand that some guys are faster, others make their cuts quicker. You have to learn to look for things in a short period of time."
Projected as a mid- to late-round pick, Fales stands to gain more from throwing at the combine than, for instance, Manziel, who figures to be an early first-round pick regardless. Manziel can let his film speak for him. And while there is much to like about the film that comprised Fales' two record-setting seasons at SJSU, there is much more room for Fales to impress.
That should be just fine by Fales, who stands to look better by comparison if the only quarterbacks throwing are those facing similar circumstances.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
