Justin Herbert | QB | Oregon
Height | 6-6
Weight | 237
College Bio Page
Career Stats
Strengths
If you sculpted the prototypical quarterback prospect, odds are it would look a lot like Herbert.
Tall and well-built, Herbert has an impressive frame that teams love at the quarterback position. He possesses a very strong arm, as his throws carry great velocity and can travel a long distance. He has the natural arm strength to deliver rockets regardless of his footing or body positioning. The force behind his throws allows him to fit passes into tight windows on a pretty regular basis.
Herbert is a good athlete who can evade defenders in the pocket and pick up yards with his feet if necessary. He delivers the ball with a quick release and sound upper-body mechanics. His throws are executed with a solid sense of anticipation, and he has flashed deadly touch on the deep ball at times. Jump-ball situations are a specialty of Herbert’s, as he does a very good job of placing his throws right where the receiver can grab them.
Herbert has a reliable resume, having being a starter at Oregon for four years. The senior has a lot of quality tape to his name, and that will certainly entice teams during the draft process. Herbert is also a biology major who finished with a 4.01 GPA and is known for excelling in the classroom, as well as on the field.
Weaknesses
Though Herbert has had plenty of reps at the collegiate level, he still has some fine-tuning to do to his game.
His footwork has the tendency to fall apart in a collapsing pocket, thus hurting his ability to deliver an accurate ball. He drops back with a bit of a wide base and could stand to narrow his approach ever so slightly. Oregon’s offense doesn’t require him to look past his first read very often, and he has shown struggles with forcing throws and being unable to consistently read the field.
The touch on Herbert’s throws can be perfect at times, but he still needs some more consistency in that regard. He can overthrow his targets on deep balls from time to time and can get better at timing his vertical throws. He is also prone to firing rockets on short passes in situations that don’t require them, which can make it tougher for his targets — running backs, in particular — to make the catch.
Bottom Line
A productive, proven starter at the collegiate level with physical tools aplenty, Herbert has the potential to become a franchise quarterback at the next level. With Tua Tagovailoa’s injury likely dropping his stock, expect Herbert to be the second quarterback selected in the 2020 draft.