Matt Waldman’s RSP Boiler Room examines the pocket footwork of 2018 NFL Draft Prospect Kyle Lauletta.

I recently studied Kyle Lauletta’s performance against William & Mary. The box score was ugly — 221 yards, 2 interceptions, 4 dropped passes, 3 sacks, and a fumbled shotgun snap. As is often the case, the box score provided no context for Lauletta’s talent.

And he is worth your attention.

Lauletta has a skilled play-action game, works well from center and spread sets, and often works through progressions. The most impressive thing I saw from Lauletta was quiet feet. It’s a skill Tony Romo touched upon last month during a Rams’ broadcast as he was praising Jared Goff’s game.

I was grateful to hear Romo share his thoughts about Goff’s pocket presence because many draft analysts missed this strength of Goff’s game or misdiagnosed it as lacking. Romo’s term for articulating a highly specific aspect of Goff’s pocket maneuvering as “quiet feet” is something I wasn’t familiar with, but I’ve seen it an noted it in other ways throughout the years.

Having a term for it is helpful and it’s a trait worth isolating as a teaching point for readers who wish to learn about quarterback play. Lauletta’s display of quiet feet on this third-down play is an important trait for quarterback evaluation. The technique is often the thread that links a player’s skill with progression reads, his efficiency of movement, lower-body throwing mechanics, and overall pocket awareness.

If you’re obsessed with the passers that “big draft” is obsessed with, you may not be interested in Lauletta’s prospects at this time. However, if you want knowledge that will help you discern which of these big-time prospects have the goods or are simply good college players with a lot of buzz, your grasp of pocket management is important.

For analysis of skill players, get the 2018  Rookie Scouting Portfolio, now available for pre-order. If you’re a fantasy owner the Post-Draft Add-on comes with the 2012 – 2018 RSPs at no additional charge. Best, yet, 10 percent of every sale is donated to Darkness to Light to combat sexual abuse. You can purchase past editions of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio for just $9.95 each.