Jordan Love: Los Angeles Chargers
Among this crop of quarterback prospects, Utah State’s Jordan Love might be one of the more polarizing. For those who are believers, they point to the powerful arm, the athleticism, and the impressive 2018 tape and say that his set of skills and traits can translate to the NFL.
For those who harbor their doubts, they point to his 2019 film, his 17 “learning experiences” as he described his interceptions both in Mobile during the Senior Bowl and out in Indianapolis during the combine, and wonder if he’ll be able to make the transition at all.
In fact, Love’s game against LSU this season, down in Death Valley, is a perfect microcosim of his 2019 campagin. He flashed some impressive downfield throws in that game, including this post route to a tight end early that really jumps out at you:
Looking forward to seeing some throws like this next week from Jordan Love: pic.twitter.com/VBOhYINfIL
— Mark Schofield (@MarkSchofield) January 14, 2020
Love makes this throw from a crowded pocket and puts it right on the money, but the pass is dropped.
But then later in the game, the interceptions mount up, and he leaves town with three more “learning experiences” on his resume.
Regardless of which camp you find yourself in, the fact remains that Love probably needs a very good fit and development situation to achieve his potential as a professional passer. Offensive system is going to play a critical role in that potential growth, and the Chargers might provide the best opportunity for him.
Los Angeles began their 2019 season with Ken Whisenhunt as their offensive coordinator. Whisenhunt has spent a number of seasons in the NFL and his offense took on various forms, but at its core it was known for a blend of Coryell concepts with West Coast elements. Lots of crossing routs underneath, some deep shots over the top, and heavy usage of 3×1 alignments, often in a Y-Iso alignment putting the tight end along on one side of the formation.
When Anthony Lynn made the decision to fire Whisenhunt last season, the Chargers promoted Shane Steichen, who was previously their quarterbacks coach, to interim offensive coordinator. The organization is keeping him in that role for the season ahead. He has spent most of his professional career with the Chargers, but cut his teeth under Rob Chudzinski as an offensive quality control coach.
Under Steichen last season, the Chargers showed more balance in their run/pass ratio than they had under Whisenhunt, but they also showed a continued willingness to push the ball downfield in the passing game, as you might expect from a new OC with a background in Chudzinski’s Coryell type offenses.
That is almost ideal for love. He can use his big arm to make throws in the vertical passing game like the one clipped above, but the balance in the offense will not ask him to do a ton when he sees the field as a young NFL passer. Love needs the right developmental situation to flourish in the league, and while Steichen might not have the track record of developing quarterbacks yet, his scheme could put him and Love on the right path together.