Riley Leonard Scouting Report

By: Michael Higgins

(Image courtesy of Stephen Lew/USA Today Sports)

School: Notre Dame

Class: Senior

Position: QB

HT: 6’4

WT: 216 lbs

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Background: Riley Leonard was a 3-star pro style quarterback out of Fairhope, Alabama. Riley comes from an athletic family, both his uncle and his father played Division I basketball. Riley was an all-state player for Fairhope as a senior. In his final season, he won Alabama Class 7A Player of the Year. He also followed in his family’s footsteps as a star basketball player. He was a two-time basketball male athlete of the year while being named to All-State basketball team. Riley also competed in track & field throughout high school. Leonard turned down schools such as Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, and Syracuse in order to play for Duke.

College: He did not see much action in his first season with the Blue Devils. He still managed to get a start but his contributions were relatively minor. 2022 was Leonard’s first season as the Duke starting quarterback. He was an All-ACC honorable mention as he has helped turn the Duke program into one that should expect to be ranked in the top 25 every week. Leonard transferred to Notre Dame for a season to take that next step as a player. He lit it up, led Notre Dame to the CFP, and played in the Senior Bowl.

Strengths: Leonard has grown significantly as a player in each season he has been at Duke. He has yet to hit a plateau in terms of his progress, which is a promising sign in terms of his potential at the professional level. He is an accurate passer that rarely makes mistakes. He delivers the ball in favorable windows for his receivers that can lead to yards after catch and lead receivers instead of relying on them to make a spectacular catch. While he more so fits the profile of an accurate passer in the short to intermediate areas of the field, he also has arm strength to rival some of the best. He hits receivers in stride and shows good ball placement at all three levels of the field. Leonard is a smart football player with a sense of how to handle pressure. His footwork within the pocket is solid and he can maneuver himself into favorable positions in order to avoid leaving the pocket until it is absolutely necessary. Leonard can also make defenses pay with his legs. He may not look like the most athletic or fastest guy on the field, but he is up there. Once he gets moving, he is hard to track and bring down. It is always going to take more than one defender to bring Riley to the ground.

Weaknesses: It is notable that Riley doesn’t have a signature attribute that sets him apart from the pack. He is seemingly above average in most categories but is not elite at most either. He struggles to throw on the run and if he gets out of the pocket, he will only beat you with his legs. Leonard is a plus athlete with extreme arm talent, but there is a visible ceiling to his game and there is a limit to what he can do for an NFL offense.

Conclusion: Riley Leonard boosted his draft stock with an impressive CFP run and showed that he has a dog mentality. He is a physical runner and will do anything to win a football game. He has certain limitations that will prevent him from reaching new levels, but he is a great safety net for an offense.

Scheme Fit: West Coast Offense

Ideal Role: Developmental QB

Best Team Fits: BUF, PIT, KC

Player Comparison: Trevor Lawrence

Player Grade: Round 5 (57.7)