From Baltimore Ravens starting quarterback Lamar Jackson to Buffalo Bills starter Josh Allen to New Orleans Saints backup Taysom Hill, today’s National Football League is welcoming all sorts of versatility at its most glorified position.
Which has Nick Tiano, the former Baylor School and University of Tennessee at Chattanooga standout, in the conversation as a potential late-round selection during next week’s NFL draft.
“Playing quarterback in the NFL is a lot different than it was even 10 years ago,” Tiano said this week. “These guys aren’t statues sitting back there anymore. Even if you’re not as athletic as Lamar Jackson, you can be like Josh Allen and still move. I definitely do think that’s a strength of mine, and it’s why I was so excited for my pro day. I think I would have tested better than many people thought I would.
“That’s been a huge point for my agent to try and sell.”
The 6-foot-5, 240-pound Tiano was not among the 337 players invited to February’s draft combine in Indianapolis, which left UTC’s scheduled pro day on March 18 as his most intimate showcase to impress NFL scouts. That opportunity was abruptly scratched due to the coronavirus outbreak that resulted in the suspension of the NBA season on March 11 and the cancellations of multiple college basketball conference tournaments on March 12.