Nick Sirianni evaluates Tanner McKee's first-half performance against Colts

Tanner McKee won’t be the starter for the Philadelphia Eagles this season. Nonetheless, that doesn’t mean he can’t make a fantastic first impression.

In the first half of the Eagles’ preseason matchup against the Indianapolis Colts, McKee threw 15/27 for 143 yards while only being sacked twice. At the half, the Eagles trailed the Colts 17-13. Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni was pleased with his rookie’s preseason performance.

“He’s had a really good preseason,” Sirianni said at the halftime break. “I was impressed by the two-minute drive out there against some of their some of their starters. He’s just he’s very composed, he knows where to go with the football and makes accurate throws.”

It sounds like the former Stanford standout passed the preseason test with flying colors. The Eagles draft McKee with the No. 188 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. As of now, McKee is third on the team’s depth chart, sitting behind QB1 Jalen Hurts and QB2 Marcus Mariota.

McKee won’t be used to playing second (or third) fiddle. In 2022, he threw for a career-high 2,947 yards for 13 touchdowns on a 62% completion percentage at Stanford. McKee was equally fantastic in 2021, boasting 2,327 yards for a career-high 15 touchdowns.

Mckee has always been a highly-touted talent. The California native was a four-star prospect in the Class of 2018, according to On3’s Industry Rankings. Further, he was the 58th-best prospect nationally and the No. 7 QB in the country.

Tanner McKee’s size demands attention

Although McKee isn’t immediately expected to take over the league, NFL analyst Lance Zierlein believes the 6-foot-6 quarterback does have some upside.

“Long, tall pocket passer with better arm strength than arm talent as a passer,” Zierlein wrote. “McKee throws with an unorthodox delivery that becomes even more irregular when he feels rushed. He can make all the NFL throws and delivers a tight spiral with good velocity on intermediate and deep throws to the field side.

“However, his heavy feet and a lack of agility limit his effectiveness outside of the pocket and make him a magnet for pass rushers when protection becomes spotty. McKee clearly improved his throwing process in 2022, but he might lack the decision-making and functional mobility to make it in today’s NFL.”

For now, McKee simply needs to stay on roster. The Indianapolis Colts will kick off their regular season 2023 campaign agains the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 10.