Every QB beyond Burrow and Tua have serious issues to work out.
The two quarterbacks with little to prove on the field didn’t throw during the combine drills, which is the way it usually happens. Joe Burrow didn’t throw because he just threw 60 touchdown passes in LSU’s national championship season, and Tua Tagovailoa is still recovering from a hip injury, though all the news is good regarding his recovery.
Burrow and Tua make up the top shelf of this year’s quarterback class. After that, teams are going to be taking signal-callers with exciting upsides, but potentially fatal flaws.
- Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts wowed during his combine drills, showing a great arm and improved footwork, but there are still a lot of uncertainties when it comes to his ability to succeed in a timing-and-rhythm offense at the next level.
- Oregon’s Justin Herbert looked good when he let it go on the deep throws, but there are legitimate questions about his consistency, progression reads, history of fumbles, and inaccuracies on short and medium passes.
- Utah State’s Jordan Love wows at times with his deep ball and athleticism, but he pressed his way into 17 interceptions last season, his lower-body mechanics remain a work in progress, and he can be eliminated as a thrower by consistent pressure.
- Washington’s Jacob Eason also has trouble throwing under pressure, and while he looked great on the deep-throw drills, he’s a serious project when it comes to timing and anticipation throws.
- Georgia’s Jake Fromm? Well, everybody says the same thing, because it’s true. Fromm is probably the best quarterback in this class above the neck, but he limits your offense with his inability to generate the easy velocity required for deep throws.
This is a somewhat deep quarterback class, but hardly historic. A lot of guys will be sitting for at least their first NFL seasons if they are to ultimately succeed.