Former Florida International quarterback James Morgan has been regarded by many as potentially one of the biggest sleepers in the 2020 NFL Draft, but he’s not getting caught up in all the hype.
“I’m excited by the media publicity and all of this stuff. I think my agents have done a fantastic job,” he told me. “But I’m not playing too much into anybody else’s perception of me.”
Morgan is confident in what he brings to the table, though, and could end up being a steal for teams like the Tennessee Titans in the later rounds.
“I really think I can throw it the best in this class. My intelligence is at the top,” he said. “I’m just worried about doing everything that I can to impress teams and as long as one team thinks that I am worth taking, then that’s all I need and I’ll go full speed with that.
“On the field, my arm strength is huge. It allows me to make throws into tight windows and I have anticipation and the ability to accurately put the football where I want to put it. I feel confident with my arm, and I’m not scared to make any throw on the field.”
Intangibles are just as important for a signal-caller, and Morgan has them.
“I feel some of my biggest strengths are my dedication, my preparation, my work ethic and my leadership. I’m in love with the game, I really am, I absolutely enjoy it. I’m hopefully getting the chance to do this as a profession and just studying the strategic elements and defenses — I love getting into that.”
Football IQ is something Morgan has been commended on, and he says it’s at the top of a quarterback’s traits.
“You look at the good ones, and they definitely study the game. They love the game, they love the detail and analyze defenses quickly and know where to go. That’s where I’d like to be,” he said. “My mentality with it is to be a sponge and absorb as much information as I can. In the last few years at FIU under a pro-style system, I learned so much and that’s going to translate for me to the NFL. I’m excited to dive into a playbook. You’ve got to study it to the point that it’s second nature and so that when you’re in the game, you don’t have to think too much about it.”
Morgan has met with all 32 NFL teams between the East-West Shrine Bowl and the NFL Combine, including the Titans.
He had both a combine interview with the team and a virtual interview. In the past two weeks, Morgan says he’s had about 12 FaceTime interviews.
“You look at a guy like (Ryan) Tannehill and I think he’s obviously come into his own this past season, Comeback Player of the Year,” he said. “So the opportunity to learn from someone like that, and I find a lot of similarities in the way he plays the game with how I do as well.”
It’s not just about a mentor at the quarterback position, though. Morgan likes what he sees in the supporting cast.
“It never hurts to have a running back who is as much of a beast as Derrick Henry is. I think there’s a great feel with their coaches, I really like their coaching staff. I really like their system of offense. I think if it does happen, it’ll be a great fit.”
Regardless of where he lands, Morgan is going to give a team his best shot.
“I transferred in college, and when I was looking for a landing spot, I had very certain parameters. I wanted experienced coaches, a great atmosphere, great style of offense. It’s different for this process and this perspective, though, because my mentality is that whatever team takes me is the perfect fit. I think whoever takes a chance on me is not going to regret it.”
Morgan’s draft stock has consistently risen over the past two months, and he’s expected to be taken as early as the fourth round.
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