Brad Sorensen: A pleasant surprise for San Diego Chargers


Brad Sorensen

Jody Gomez-USA TODAY Sports

Prior to the 2013 NFL Draft, draft analysts and scouts agreed that Brad Sorensen was a suspect NFL prospect. Despite his prototypical size and physical tools, the small-school quarterback didn’t have the mental toughness or consistency to develop into a quality passer at the next level.

And then, those aforementioned skeptics were put in check when Sorensen took the field for the San Diego Chargers during their preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks.

In his late-game action as the third-string quarterback, Sorensen completed seven of his 10 passes for 84 yards, including a 21-yard touchdown toss to tight end Ladarius Green. The stats were only part of the equation, though.

The Southern Utah product was poised in the pocket, stepping into each and every throw and delivering the ball with confidence. On his first professional play, he scooped up a bad snap off a bounce and immediately found receiver Mike Willie down the field for a few yards. On another play, he ducked a closing pass rusher and recovered in time to connect with his target. On his touchdown pass to Green, he rolled out after the pocket collapsed and did a great job of squaring his shoulders to put the throw right where it needed to be.

Some will discount his performance because he was playing against third-stringers and NFL longshots, but the film doesn’t lie. He carried himself like a capable quarterback, avoiding the pass rush with ease and made tough throws while under pressure. For a passer with “poor mental toughness,” he looked rather cool and collected for his first NFL action.

Admittedly, there are still three more preseason games to go before we can truly start singing the praises for Sorensen. Three more games left to shine, and three more games left to sink. If Sorensen can keep trending upward and show improvement from week to week, there’s a very real possibility that he could convince the Chargers into keeping three quarterbacks on the roster in 2013.

I knew Sorensen had potential. We’ll see if he can maintain this promising level of play during the preseason and earn a spot on the Chargers’ 53-man roster.

Gil Alcaraz IV is a Content Planner/NFL Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @GilAlcarazIV, like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.



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