Kaidon Salter and Julian Lewis, opposite instincts at the same position
- Aditya Makam
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
The contrast between dual-threat quarterbacks and pocket passers has been a topic of widespread debate in recent years.
This debate is exemplified by Colorado QBs Kaidon Salter, a transfer from Liberty known for his dynamic mobility, aiming to lead the Buffaloes into a new era, and Julian Lewis, a 5-star true freshman from Carrollton, Georgia, who is recognized for his strong pocket presence and mentored by the now-NFL quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
Salter starts plays like any other quarterback, looking for an open receiver. What he does next is where the difference lies. Once the pocket breaks down, he doesn't accept that he will be sacked. He looks to extend the play with his legs, find open gaps and any way to get more yards. He turns chaos into opportunity.
He combines the athleticism of a running back with the precision of a QB.
He plays a similar role to a point guard in basketball.. If the play breaks down, he finds a way to adapt to the situation and go forward.
One of the problems with this type of play style is that it tends to lower the accuracy of his throws on the run. It might stress the opposing defense out in some cases, but as seen in the game against BYU a throw on the run led to his first interception of the season.
Here’s how the characteristics of a pocket passer like Lewis compare to those of Salter.
Lewis takes a calmer approach. He waits for his players to get open and doesn't always use his legs even when the play breaks down. Even throughout his three years of high school, he only carried the ball 68 times for a total of 215 yards while throwing for 11,010 yards and 144 touchdown passes.
He sees the field like a chess player; he wants control of the game before it gets out of hand. He looks at the coverage the defense is set up in pre-snap and adjusts accordingly to gain yards on that play. A downside of his play style is that when the play does break down he struggles to adapt as easily as Salter.
Lewis’s calm presence in the pocket isn’t accidental; it is a product of his natural skill and training environment.
Lewis has spent time training behind Sanders, one of the most composed pocket passers in college football in his time at CU. It’s clear that Sanders influences Lewis’s game. Like Sanders, his first instinct is to stay in the pocket and make reads down the field, not to flee at the sight of an oncoming lineman.
Both quarterbacks (Sanders and Lewis) thrive on keeping plays alive without abandoning structure.
An NFL comparison for Salter is Lamar Jackson. He also makes those reads like Salter, but when the pocket collapses, he finds ways to extend the play while still thinking like a quarterback.
Ultimately, Salter and Lewis represent opposite ends of the quarterback spectrum: Salter as the improvisational creator and Lewis as the structured field general. Their contrasting approaches highlight both the evolving nature of the quarterback position and its enduring essentials—the artist in motion versus the architect in control.
Comments