When Carter Bradley transferred from Toledo to South Alabama, the quarterback’s role grew exponentially. And while Troy’s Sun Belt West success overshadowed South Alabama’s in 2022 and 2023, the Jaguars were among the Sun Belt elite in recent years.
Bradley deserves ample credit for those successes.
Over the two seasons, Bradley threw for nearly 6,000 yards to go with 47 touchdowns and just 19 interceptions. He completed more than 65% of his passes.
After two strong seasons, Bradley hopes to land on an NFL roster. It’s possible he gets selected in the later rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft. If he isn’t drafted, he’s likely to quickly earn a free agent deal following the draft.
Carter Bradley’s NFL Fit
While Bradley might not be a top-5 quarterback in the 2024 draft class, there’s a case he belongs in the top 10. He’s an accurate passer with good arm strength and size.
He looks the part of an NFL quarterback at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds. He’s not a dual-threat player, but as a passer, Bradley does a lot well. He throws accurate deep balls and did well to stretch the field at South Alabama, especially against lower-level Sun Belt competition.
Doing more against top-tier Group of Five competition could’ve helped Bradley’s draft stock – he tossed multiple interceptions against Tulane and JMU last season – but he had his moments against the best of the best. Bradley was ultra-efficient in a win over Oklahoma State, and he completed over 70% of his passes in a narrow loss to UCLA in 2022.
NFL competition would certainly be a step up for the South Alabama signal caller, but he has the tools to level up, especially if given time to develop.
Bradley fits best in a scheme that works for pocket passers. Teams that thrive with running quarterbacks – the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills come to mind – probably won’t view Bradley as an ideal fit. Franchises with pocket passers, however, should give Bradley a long look as a potential QB2 or QB3.
He makes sense as a late-round pick, given his production in college and potential as an immediate backup quarterback. Bradley will be viewed as a potential developmental pick, but if nothing else, he has the skills, previous production, and size to work as a backup quarterback in the NFL.
Offseason Showings
Bradley also performed admirably at this year’s Senior Bowl, which should only benefit his potential draft stock. He wasn’t invited to the NFL Combine, but that shouldn’t erase his shot at being drafted.
There’s a case to be made that Bradley was an NFL Combine snub, given his talent level and production at a highly competitive Group of Five school.
Even without an NFL Combine invite, Bradley should be a top-15 quarterback in the 2024 class. He’ll earn a chance with a team, whether it’s via the draft or a post-draft contract. Fans of Bradley’s future NFL team shouldn’t expect him to be an immediate star, but he’s definitely a quality option as a backup in 2024 and beyond.
Bennett Conlin is a college football contributor for HERO Sports, and he works full-time covering sports betting industry news and legislation for Sports Handle and US Bets.
