The Panthers have a big decision to make at the quarterback position this offseason. Whether they decide to stick with Cam Newton or not, the team will most likely be looking for a young quarterback who can take the reins of Joe Brady’s offense once Newton’s time is up in Charlotte.

So, let’s take a look at one of 2020’s potential franchise quarterbacks who might be able to fill that need: Oregon’s Justin Herbert.

Scouting Report:
The first thing you notice when watching Herbert (6-foot-6, 237 pounds) is his rifle of an arm. When he is comfortably making a throw, the ball will absolutely jump off his hand. One quality he shares with Newton is he can put a lot of extra zip on a ball to squeeze it into a tight window. His ball placement is brilliant as well, as Herbert has shown he can consistently make accurate throws while leading his receivers away from contact.

Mobility is another strength of Herbert’s game, as he has the legitimate speed and short-yardage quickness to get outside the pocket and scramble away from pressure. Herbert also scored 13 rushing touchdowns in college.

Even though Hebert possesses all of these great traits, he is still considered a raw prospect. He will need to improve on many aspects of his game, including making throws with anticipation, pocket awareness, and getting through his progressions. At times, Herbert waits too long to shake off his primary read, which can lead to him missing the rest.

Highlights:

Herbert vs. Washington

Herbert vs. Stanford

Herbert vs. Arizona

Herbert vs. Auburn

Herbert vs. Colorado

Herbert vs. Cal

2019 stats:
Completed 286 of 428 pass attempts (66.8%), 3,471 yards, 32 touchdowns, six interceptions, 156.8 passer rating

Fit with the Panthers:
Carolina would have to be patient with Herbert as a potential long-term QB option. It might take him a few years to figure things out, but with Joe Brady’s help, he might develop into something special. Like Joe Burrow, Herbert thrives in a spread offense that primarily gets the ball out quickly and stretches the field vertically from time to time, so he’s a natural fit for Brady’s offense. Still, picking Herbert would be a high-risk, potentially high-reward kind of scenario.

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