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Name: Jaden Craig

School: Harvard University

Position: Quarterback

Height/Weight: 6’-3”, 230 lbs

Class: Senior

Report: Final Scouting Report

Archetype: Mobile Pocket Passer

NFL Comparison: Joe Burrow, Andrew Luck

Scheme Fit: West Coast / Spread, fits well in timing-based passing offense

STATISTICS:

PROFILE:

Senior quarterback Jaden Craig is a two-year starter at Harvard, where he is the program’s all-time leader in passing touchdowns and will likely graduate top three in passing yards and completions. After splitting QB1 duties with Charles DePrima ’25 in his sophomore season, Craig took over as the top signal-caller for his junior and senior seasons.

Following an injury late in his junior campaign, Craig took off the spring before his senior year to recover, coming back to fall camp with newfound confidence in his unit and fresh legs. In his senior campaign, he has led the Crimson to a 9-0 record, with a 64.4% completion percentage, 2456 passing yards and 21 touchdown passes.

Coming from an FCS program, however, Craig is much less tested than his peers from Power Four FBS schools, having played relatively easy Ivy and nonconference competition. This leaves NFL teams wondering how well his skills would transfer if he were playing in the NFL, where even the best are tested. To get a better idea of how Craig might fit into the league, we will dig into his raw skill set and evaluate each factor on a scale from one to 10.

MENTAL/PROCESSING:

Craig’s decision-making is clear in his tape, with consistent ability to create opportunities for his receivers and find open windows.

“There’s a lot of security knowing that you have a good chance of getting the ball, getting open, and you’re always gonna get put in the best situation possible,” said Crimson junior tight end Seamus Gilmartin, who has been one of Craig’s most reliable receivers. “He’s just very poised and under control, which instills trust in the receivers.”

Craig’s decision-making has led to a career 4.8 touchdown-to-interception ratio, comparable to recently drafted quarterbacks Jayden Daniels (4.45), J.J. McCarthy (4.45), and Bo Nix (4.35). As Craig moves forward in the process, his mental abilities are one of his strong suits, so he gets a good grade here.

SCORE: 9/10

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ACCURACY/BALL PLACEMENT

In his physical skill set, Craig’s strongest aspect is his ability to perfectly place the ball in his receivers’ hands. His elite short-to-medium accuracy moves the ball to the line to gain, and his deep ball allows his offense to execute the big plays needed to build big leads and put pressure on opposing defenses.

“His ball placement has been really, really impressive,” said Harvard Head Coach Andrew Aurich, whom Craig has played under for his junior and senior seasons. “Whether it’s throwing it away from his own defender or it’s dropping the ball in versus man coverage, just some elite precision with his throws.”

The ability to extend drives on third and fourth down as well as the opportunity to go for the deep ball helps to make Craig one of the more coveted pocket passers in this draft, and his floor is much higher than it would have been without his accuracy. Final verdict: could not expect much more here, one of the best in his draft class.

SCORE: 9.5/10

ARM TALENT

We’ve seen Craig use the deep ball sporadically in his senior season, and when he has, it’s led to big plays for the Crimson. Passes like the 74-yard touchdown Craig threw to sophomore receiver Brady Blackburn against Dartmouth showcase a well-placed deep ball that forces defenses to cover deep on every down.

Craig’s arm shouldn’t lag behind in an NFL quarterback room, though it wouldn’t be the reason he gets picked in April. He can move the ball down the field, and he’s able to throw the ball deep when needed, so he gets a solid score here.

SCORE: 7/10

ATHLETICISM/MOBILITY

Craig has shown his ability to run with the football, running for seven scores during his sophomore campaign in a season where Harvard played a dual-quarterback offense. Since taking over the offense as the sole signal-caller, however, Craig has yet to utilize his full potential, opting to throw the ball rather than tuck it and run.

While at times this season he had failed to push the ball with his legs, advice from his coaches has helped him get back to what he did early in his career.

Speaking after their team’s win against Princeton earlier this year, Aurich praised Craig for making the shift needed to spread the defense when it was needed most.

“There was a conversation that was had after last week because there were some opportunities for him to pull the ball and he didn’t,” said Aurich. “The conversation was very simple: ‘Are you going to pull it when you are supposed to or not?’, and he said yes, so we were going to call those, and he did.”

Craig isn’t projected as a high-volume runner for an NFL quarterback, but with flashes of being able to stay mobile even with his six-foot-three, 230-pound frame, Craig gets a solid score here.

SCORE: 7.5/10

INTANGIBLES:

Perhaps the most promising aspect of Craig as a prospect is his mental fortitude, which helps him to stay calm during high-pressure moments as well as perform for his team and lead by example. Every player or coach who spoke with The Crimson highlighted his work ethic, including his ability to practice well, watch tape on his opponents, and give his offense the necessary boost to go out and win football games.

“To me, it’s really inspiring to see your quarterback work as hard as Jaden does. He’s a guy that’s always in the film room, always working on his craft whether that’s physical or mental,” senior center Aidan Kilstrom said. “He’s always making sure that by game time, he’s got everything he needs prepared so that he can play at his highest level.”

Aurich, for his part, spoke about Craig’s ability to bond with and lead his team.

“He’s not a big, vocal, rah-rah guy, but he has really strong relationships with all his teammates,” said Aurich. “You get to the NFL, and your ability to connect with your teammates is really important if you want to be a leader regardless of your leadership style, because when you connect with them, that’s when they’ll listen to you and they’ll respect you.”

On and off the field, Craig has had a clear impact on his offense and the team as a whole, pushing himself and his teammates to be better as he leads them to success. Between his work ethic, his love of film, and his love of the guys around him, it’s hard not to give Craig a perfect score here.

SCORE: 10/10

TOTAL SCOUTING REPORT GRADE: 43/50

Craig’s performance on and off the field explains why he may be the first quarterback drafted out of Harvard since Ryan Fitzpatrick ’05 went to the league 20 years ago. The work he has put in to get to this level is exactly what teams want to see out of the New Jersey native, and it certainly is pushing him up draft boards all around the country.

FINAL VERDICT: MID DAY 3 PICK

—Staff writer Connor Castañeda can be reached at connor.castaneda@thecrimson.com.