Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord 2025 NFL Draft Profile

Kyle McCord, QB Height: 6'3"Weight: 220 poundsAge: 22 years old (September 19th, 2002) Syracuse YearCompletion %YardsTDsINTs202466%4,7793412 Ohio State YearCompletion %YardsTDsINTs202165.1%41622202280%19010202365.8%3,170246 Pros Pocket passingKyle McCord isn't a huge-bodied presence, but he's a statue in the pocket. The nation's leading passer in 2024 became extremely comfortable and efficient enough in a high-volume role for Syracuse. His best […]

Ian Valentino — National College Football Writer
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Syracuse Orange quarterback Kyle McCord (6) looks to throw a pass in the third quarter against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Kyle McCord, QB

Height: 6'3"
Weight: 220 pounds
Age: 22 years old (September 19th, 2002)

Syracuse

YearCompletion %YardsTDsINTs

2024

66%

4,779

34

12

Ohio State

YearCompletion %YardsTDsINTs

2021

65.1%

416

2

2

2022

80%

190

1

0

2023

65.8%

3,170

24

6

Pros

  • Pocket passing
    Kyle McCord isn't a huge-bodied presence, but he's a statue in the pocket. The nation's leading passer in 2024 became extremely comfortable and efficient enough in a high-volume role for Syracuse. His best work came on deep passes, where 31 of his 34 NFL-caliber throws were attributed. He maximized tight window passes by throwing in rhythm and exploiting mismatches generated by the scheme. His short and intermediate passing was much less consistent, but he showed more quick game potential at Ohio State in 2023.

  • Arm talent
    No one should say McCord has a terrific arm, but he has an NFL-caliber arm with enough velocity to trust throwing across the field on out patterns and comebacks. He varies his throws well with touch, showing better mastery of ball control in 2024 as he got more reps. He can drive the ball downfield and allows his receivers to make a play on it at a respectable clip.

  • Confidence
    McCord enjoyed a decent debut season as the Ohio State starting quarterback in 2023, playing an efficient style that mitigated negative plays and had to overcome a struggling run game. His move to Syracuse brought out a new version of McCord. His big-time throws increased from 4.9% to 5.4% while his turnover-worthy throws dropped by a half percent. His time to throw dropped, but his aggression increased due to the designed opportunities to attack single coverage. McCord unlocked a gamer mentality that was missing at Ohio State and what often held him back from being a clear answer for his previous team. He'll test tight windows enough to give the offense a chance.

Cons

  • Consistency
    A big reason why McCord flamed out at Ohio State and struggled at the tail end of 2024 with Syracuse is his lack of consistency. His throwing motion is fine, and he has enough arm talent to get the job done, but McCord tries to will the ball past defenders beyond his capabilities. His unreliability showed against tougher opponents, and his interceptable passes spiked upward while his average depth of target plummeted.

  • Mobility
    McCord is one of the stiffest athletes in the pocket in the class, and it's hard to imagine being less mobile. Even Kurtis Rourke, who played this season with a torn ACL, wasn't less mobile. McCord is slow-footed and a non-factor to scramble.

  • Play under pressure
    It's normal to be less effective under pressure, but McCord's already high interceptable pass rate went to astronomic levels when pressure caved in. McCord holds onto the ball almost a full second longer, proving he struggles to have a quick hot read or fast enough processing to know how to react. He turtles instead of being able to extend or make defenses pay with a tactically sound decision. His struggles holding onto the ball and avoiding turnovers are massive limitations.

  • Field vision
    This sums up some of the other points, but McCord can execute what is given to him and little else. When the scheme has given him an advantage, he can win. But anything off-script or his own limitations prevailing kneecap the entire offense for long stretches.

Player Evaluation

The "gamer" backup mold is valuable at the next level as, sometimes, these are wildcard playmakers who can win a game with their gusto. McCord became less milquetoast in 2024 and became the engine for a high-powered but volatile passing game in Syracuse. He puts the ball at risk way too often, and sometimes, it's because of his inconsistent accuracy, while others are because of poor field vision. McCord can look great for a half at a time, but ultimately, he's not someone you want playing more than a game or two in any given season. 
Player Comp: Mike White

A to Z Rankings:

A to Z Big Board Ranking: #10 quarterback

A to Z Draft Grade: 6.02

Draft projection: Late Day 3/UDFA

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