Steelers' Devlin Hodges outshines heralded 2019 NFL rookie QBs

The NFL’s official draft page included 21 quarterback prospects in advance of this past spring’s draft.

Devlin Hodges was not on the list.

With good reason, it turned out, as only 11 of the 21 tracked by the league’s official news outlet ended up being drafted.

Included were four from outside “major” college football (the NCAA’s FBS subdivision) — and one of those four (North Dakota State’s Easton Stick) was selected.

Not drafted — and not even thought highly enough to monitor — was a four-year starter from Samford in suburban Birmingham, Ala., named Devlin Hodges.

As the year’s end draws near, none has led his team to more wins than Hodges.

Given a $1,000 signing bonus after going undrafted and not even signed as an undrafted free agent — he would make the 90-man offseason roster as a tryout — Hodges has directed the Pittsburgh Steelers to wins in each of his past four appearances. Only Gardner Minshew matches those four wins among all quarterbacks in this rookie class.

Hodges is 3-0 as a starter, and he led a comeback win off the bench in the second half of the Nov. 24 win at Cincinnati.

Of the 11 drafted quarterbacks, one was cut and ended up on a rival’s practice squad. Seven have thrown a pass during the 2019 regular season and only six have started at least one game.

Hodges is one of two undrafted rookie quarterbacks to throw a pass this season; both have started at least one game, but only Hodges has won one.

That’s more than can be said of the 10 QB prospects that NFL.com tabbed as worthy tracking into the draft but who did not get drafted. Of that group, only one is even on an active roster currently (four others are on teams’ practice squads).

In other words, “Duck” is flying above all those who were more highly heralded than him. On the heels of Hodges outdueling the draft’s No. 1 overall pick Sunday — leading the Steelers to a win over Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals — the Trib looked at this year’s drafted quarterbacks in addition to the only other undrafted QB to throw a pass so far.

A look at all the rookie quarterbacks in 2019

Notes: QBR is the “Total quarterback rating” metric developed by ESPN Stats & Information Group that purports to “incorporate all of a quarterback’s contributions to winning,” as opposed to the limitations of the traditional “passer rating” statistic. … Salary information courtesy spotrac.com. … Order is order of draft or signing.

Kyler Murray
Draft: First round, No. 1 overall, Arizona
Money guaranteed at signing: $23.5 million
Record as starter: 3-9-1
QBR: 55.6

Daniel Jones
Draft: First round, No. 6 overall, N.Y. Giants
Money guaranteed at signing: $16.7 million
Record as starter: 2-8
QBR: 51.3

Dwayne Haskins
Draft: First round, No. 15 overall
Money guaranteed at signing: $8.5 million
Record as starter: 2-3
QBR: 15.7

Drew Lock
Draft: Second round, No. 42 overall, Denver
Money guaranteed at signing: $3.9 million
Record as starter: 2-0
QBR: 80.2

Will Grier
Draft: Third round, No. 100 overall, Carolina
Money guaranteed at signing: $822,180
Record as starter: Has not played
QBR: N/A

Ryan Finley
Draft: Fourth round, No. 104 overall, Cincinnati
Money guaranteed at signing: $789,656
Record as starter: 0-3
QBR: 23.0

Jarrett Studham
Draft: Fourth round, No. 133 overall, New England
Money guaranteed at signing: $633,692
Record as starter: 0-0
QBR: 0.0

Easton Stick
Draft: Fifth round, No. 166 overall, Los Angeles Chargers
Money guaranteed at signing: $277,564
Record as starter: Has not played
QBR: N/A

Clayton Thorson
Draft: Fifth round, No. 167 overall, Philadelphia
Money guaranteed at signing: $273,320
Record as starter: (Waived, now on Dallas’ practice squad, has not played)
QBR: N/A

Gardner Minshew
Draft: Sixth round, No. 178 overall, Jacksonville
Money guaranteed at signing: $190,884
Record as starter: 4-5
QBR: 42.5

Trace McSorley
Draft: Sixth round, No. 197 overall, Baltimore
Money guaranteed at signing: $160,688
Record as starter: Has not played
QBR: N/A

David Blough
Draft: Undrafted, signed May 3 by Cleveland (traded to Detroit on Aug. 30)
Money guaranteed at signing: $20,000
Record as starter: 0-2
QBR: 39.5

Devlin Hodges
Draft: Undrafted, signed after tryout at rookie minicamp
Money guaranteed at signing: $1,000
Record as starter: 3-0 (plus comeback win in relief)
QBR: 53.5

Devlin Hodges TD to Diontae Johnson on a double-move. Heck of a throw vs pressure. #Steelers pic.twitter.com/WomQH3O0pO

— Alex Kozora (@Alex_Kozora) August 18, 2019

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