Every year, the NFL has its shelves restocked with the top college talent in the game. Whether you are the first pick or the last pick, teams draft players in hopes that they will become part of the long-term futures to maintain or build a franchise. These are the QBs fans should be aware of heading into the draft, some of whom are already being touted as the future faces of the NFL.

 

POSITION ANALYSIS – As is always the case, the talent level of quarterbacks rarely matches up to their draft status. Every team is always looking for the "Next Big Thing" and the value of players increases accordingly, pushing guys who aren’t top 10 talents into the first handful of picks. This year is no different. As many as four quarterbacks could go in the first round and Day 2 will likely see as many or more come off the board.

 

Joe Burrow, LSU, 6-3½, 221 – Two-year starter…Won the Heisman Trophy in 2019…Transferred from Ohio State…Had the greatest single-season numbers in college football history, throwing for 5,671 yards 60 touchdowns and six interceptions…Has the ability to be very good if he plays in a West Coast Offense…Very accurate and at his best when he’s on the run and can extend plays…Very intelligent and reads defensive very well…Has good toughness and is a leader…Doesn’t have elite arm strength or velocity…A one-year wonder who, while putting up eye-popping numbers, he had a lot of talent at his disposal…Takes too many big hits. PROJECTION: Timing is everything in the NFL Draft. He had the greatest season ever by a college quarterback, he’s an Ohio native and Cincinnati is sitting with the first pick. Sounds like a glove fit for a franchise in need of a faceplate.

 

Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama, 6-0, 217 – Third-year junior…Two-year starter who threw for 6,806 yards76 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 24 games…Has the most natural talent of any quarterback in the draft with a combination of arm strength, accuracy and the ability to read the field…Makes big throws on the move with good accuracy and gives receivers time to get open deep…Has elite balance and athleticism…Injuries are a giant red flag, especially with teams unable to work him out – he has had three significant lower-body injuries…Undersized for an NFL QB and may have to learn to move to throw in lanes to keep passes from being batted down…Struggles with defenses disguising plays and baiting him, causing him to put up too many passes that will be interceptions in the NFL. PROJECTION: He has superstar potential from the talent standpoint, but he is going to be the biggest gamble in the draft. That being said, he likely won’t last outside the top five and Miami may have to trade up to get him.

 

 

Justin Herbert, Oregon, 6-6¼, 236 – Fourth-year senior…Started 42 of 44 career games, throwing for 10,541 yards with 95 passing touchdowns, 23 interceptions and 13 rushing touchdowns…A huge quarterback who doesn’t get passes batted down and has Ben Roethlisberger potential…Has good arm strength and deep ball accuracy…Can be very effective on the move…Struggles when pressured and will throw bad passes…Has happy feet and will bail the pocket before he has to. PROJECTION: A dangerous pick because his intangibles and measurables, but he is a soft-spoken player who doesn’t seem to play with fire, which will cause problems. Teams looking for the next Big Ben will take the bait, but he’s a coin flip for greatness.

 

Jordan Love, Utah State, 6-3¾, 224 – Third-year junior…Two-year starter who threw for 6,969 yards with 52 touchdowns and 23 interceptions…Has a strong arm and a quick release…Has very good accuracy…Toughness and the ability to take hits, take chances and make them pay off…He has a lot of learning to do as he operated in a vanilla offense as sophomore and had a pedestrian supporting cast as a junior which leaves some question marks…If his first read isn’t open, he is a half-click slow making his next progression…When he was bad at times, he was really bad. PROJECTION: He has the reputation of being a gunslinger, which always plays well on draft day. I have him rated as a second-round prospect with a lot of upside. But, he has enough good tape showing off his athleticism that he’ll be a guy who will get somebody to jump in the first round. How high is the only question.

 

Jacob Fromm, Georgia, 6-2, 219 – Third-year junior who started 42 of 43 career games, throwing for 8,224 yards with 78 touchdowns and 18 interceptions…Has good field awareness and reads his progressions in a hurry…Very accurate in short and intermediate throws…Intelligent QB who will have a long career, even if not as a long-term starter…Isn’t an elite athlete and has a lot of average traits for NFL quarterbacks…Is immobile, rushing for minus-39 yards in his final two seasons…Loses his accuracy throwing the deep ball, which is why he rarely does it. PROJECTION: There are a lot of differing opinions on Fromm, who has good short-pass accuracy and has the mindset to be an NFL quarterbacks, but his physical limitations will likely push him to Day 2, but he has the ability to succeed in the right system.

 

Jacob Eason, Washington, 6-6, 231 – Fourth-year junior…Started 26 career games (16-10 record), throwing for 5,590 yards with 39 touchdowns and 16 interceptions…A huge frame with the velocity to throw a rocket ball…Has good touch on both the intermediate and deep ball…Played in a pro-style offense and is more NFL-ready than a lot of system quarterbacks…Is a glacier in the pocket – he has minus-127 career rushing yards and doesn’t move effectively to buy time in the pocket…He struggles when forced to move against the grain to his left. PROJECTION: NFL coaches love quarterbacks with a cannon arm, convinced they can teach the rest and velocity is the necessity that can’t be taught. He may go earlier than we have him projected, but he’s going to need to be in the right system to succeed.

 

Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma, 6-1, 222 – Fourth-year senior…A two-year starter at Alabama who lost his starting job and transferred to Oklahoma…In his only season with the Sooners, he threw for 3,851 yards with 32 touchdown passes, eight interceptions, 1,298 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns…Has a running back’s mentality and could be the sleeper of this draft class…A proven winner who posted a record of 38-4 in 42 career starts…Has as a strong arm and made a lot of plays with accurate throws of 40+ yards on the fly…Rarely played in the pocket and his game is difficult to translate to most offenses…Has surprisingly bad touch and accuracy on short and intermediate passes…When pressured, his mechanics fall apart. PROJECTION: He is a player I like as a guy you bring in and groom as the replacement for an established starter near the end of line (like Drew Brees or Tom Brady). His high-profile college career will likely play in his favor, but he could fall into the third round, where he would be a value pick.

 

Anthony Gordon, Washington State, 6-2½, 205 – Fourth-year senior…One-year starter who threw for 5,579 yards with 48 touchdowns and 16 interceptions…Excelled in the quick-pass, accurate offense and developed good timing…Has the gunslinger who is dangerous throwing on the move…Has good velocity in the short to intermediate passing game…Mike Leach-coached quarterbacks put up eye-popping numbers, but have rarely succeeded in the NFL…He struggles under blitzes and pass rushes when the pocket closes in…Doesn’t read his progressions quickly when the first one or two targets are covered. PROJECTION: A developmental prospect with the ability to make plays, but was very inconsistent from one week to the next and will likely last in Day 3 because he has a lot of work to do.

 

Nate Stanley, Iowa, 6-3¾, 235 – Fourth-year senior…Three-year starter who threw for 8,240 yards with 68 touchdowns and 23 touchdowns…He comes from a pro-style offense and checks a lot of boxes…Very good at disguising plays with play action and throws with enough zip to complete passes to an entire route tree…He’s good on the move and often stays on his feet after first contact…Doesn’t have a big arm and has to put air under the ball too often, which results in interceptions in the NFL…Struggles to move against the grain to his left and throw with accuracy…Doesn’t spin the ball with a lot of velocity. PROJECTION: He doesn’t have a great upside, but he does a lot of things well and will likely have a lengthy NFL career, but much of it may be as a backup.

 

Steven Montez, Colorado, 6-4, 231 – Fourth-Year senior…Three-year starter who threw for 8,632 yards with 54 touchdowns and 28 interceptions in that span…Has an ideal combination of size athleticism and arm strength…Throws with a lot of velocity…Has good size and stands tall in the pocket to see the field clearly…He isn’t a "first-guy in, last-guy out" type of player and some will question his work ethic…Never has a winning season, finishing 5-7 in each of his three seasons as a starter…Doesn’t read his progressions well and tries to force passes too often into tight windows. PROJECTION: He has a lot of positives and definitely looks the part. But he had two or three passes a game that would be problematic at the next level. He has the potential to be a starter, but will likely have to take his time and improve to get the opportunity.

 

Cole McDonald, Hawaii, 6-3¼, 215 – Third-year junior…Two-year starter who threw for 8,010 yards 69 touchdown passes, 24 interceptions and 12 rushing TDs in that span…Has prototype size and throws with a lot of velocity…Has good pocket movement and running skills to extend plays or take off and run…Stands tall in the pocket and will take a big hit to deliver a pass…Throws a lot of bad passes…Will not see defenders who jump routes and intercept passes…Doesn’t have great natural mechanics. PROJECTION: A Day 3 prospect who has some upside, but anyone who watches his tape sees the bad traits that are going to have some teams giving him a very late-round grade.

 

Brian Lewerke, Michigan State, 6-2½, 213 – Fifth-year senior…Three-year starter who threw for 7,908 yards with 47 touchdowns and 32 interceptions…MSU career leader in total offense…Has good short-to-intermediate accuracy and is good at throwing slant passes into tight windows…Moves defenders with his eyes and gets them out of position…A three-time captain who was well respected by his teammates…Can look great one game and awful the next…In his final two seasons, he had almost as many interceptions (24) as touchdowns…Does not react well when the pocket collapses and tries to make plays that aren’t there. PROJECTION: He played in a pro-style offense and has some good intangibles, but he hurt his team more times than most scouts can tolerate, which will keep him on the board a long time with backup potential his most likely option.

 

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