ESPN NFL Draft analyst Matt Miller projects Canadian QB Kurtis Rourke as NFL backup

ESPN NFL Draft analyst Matt Miller sees a future for Canadian quarterback Kurtis Rourke in the NFL.

“He projects as a backup at the next level, but there’s tools there that can be developed,” Miller told 3DownNation. “I would say it goes back to ball placement accuracy or areas where he’s got to get a little bit better. By speeding up his release and playing healthy, those things could definitely be improved.”

The Oakville, Ont. native is coming off a career year at Indiana University, leading the Hoosiers to an 11-2 record and a berth in the College Football Playoff. The graduate transfer threw for 3,042 yards with 29 touchdowns versus five interceptions during his lone season in Bloomington, earning second-team All-Big Ten honours and finished ninth in voting for the Heisman Trophy.

Those accomplishments came despite Rourke playing the entire campaign on a torn ACL he re-injured in training camp. In addition to wearing a brace on his right knee, the Canadian pivot also battled through a broken thumb which required surgery and caused him to miss one game. That sent a clear message to NFL evaluators about who the QB is and makes it impossible to grade his film without appreciating the context.

“Toughness, number one. That’s the first thing that pops up is you love that. So much of our time is spent studying: ‘Does this guy love the game? Do they love being a football player?’ For Kurtis Rourke, you don’t have to worry about that,” Miller said.

“Accuracy of ball placement is probably something that needs to be worked on, but again that goes back to playing with a hurt knee in 2024. How much does that impact your ability to put the ball in those tight spaces? I have nothing but praise for him to gut out multiple injuries like that. I thought even before the injury, going back to 2023, really good college player.”

Rourke is reportedly ahead of schedule after ACL revision surgery on January 8 and could be healthy in time for training camp. However, rehab has left him watching the pre-draft process from the sidelines and took away opportunities to showcase his talents at the East-West Shrine Bowl, NFL Combine, and Indiana pro day.

Although, Miller does not feel that will adversely affect the quarterback’s stock too much and still has a draftable grade on him.

“It might impact his draft slot a little bit because of the injury and the timeline from it, but his game shows really good delivery, really good velocity. When he does have a healthy knee and he’s able to drive the ball, you definitely see that from him. He can make pro throws,” he said.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s the sixth or seventh round, but again, he’s projecting as a backup coming off the career in Ohio that he had, which was very prolific. Then what he did last year in Indiana, it’s fun to see him in that Indiana scheme. I think you get excited about what that can look like moving to the next level.”

Rourke began his career at Ohio University, following in the footsteps of his older brother, Nathan, to become the Bobcats’ starter. He threw for 7,651 yards with 50 touchdowns against 16 interceptions while running for 828 yards and 11 scores over five seasons. The six-foot-four, 220-pound pivot was named the Mid-American Conference’s Most Valuable Player in 2022 — the same season in which he tore his ACL for the first time.

By transferring to Indiana for his final season, Rourke was attempting to prove he could compete against Power Four competition. He exceeded that bar by spurring the program to its best-ever finish, which led to speculation he could be selected as high as Day 2 in the NFL Draft. Those rumours cooled after his injury became public but Miller never felt like the chatter was realistic, even though Rourke could have helped himself more if healthy.

“We’ve seen players like Brady Cook from Missouri help himself a lot in the pre-draft process by having a good Shrine game, a good Combine, and a good pro day. The more opportunities you have, certainly the better,” he acknowledged. “It can always improve your draft stock, but I don’t think it was going to take him from being a round-six player to a round-three player. I don’t think we would see that type of rise.”

NFL teams will make their real opinions known on Rourke when the draft gets underway in Green Bay, Wisc. beginning on Thursday, April 24. Miller expects the 24-year-old to hear his name called late on Saturday, but sees the potential for it to happen earlier due to the QB’s established résumé.

“I wouldn’t be surprised, I guess, if he got into the sixth round because of that experience that he has,” he said. “He’s a good athlete. He is somebody that can make all the pro throws with the arm strength that he has.”

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