2020 NFL Draft Quarterback Rankings Top Five
5. Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma
Size: 6-1, 222
The Good: The ultimate leader and character guy, who transfers from a place like Alabama and becomes more beloved than ever? He has played in the biggest of big games, had what it took to be Nick Saban’s starting quarterback as a freshman, and was able to adapt and mature his game to go from being a mobile guy who could throw a little to a Heisman-caliber passer in the Oklahoma attack.
He was a better thrower than he ever got credit for at Alabama. His biggest crime was that he wasn’t Tua Tagovailoa throwing the ball.
However, he only threw one pick in 2017, was brilliant at times as a freshman, and was special with the Sooners with 1,298 rushing yards, 20 touchdowns, and one of the highest single-season passer ratings in college football history.
“Heatin Up”#UNTAMED #RAREBREED pic.twitter.com/fYwvNsu1y5
— Jalen Hurts (@JalenHurts) March 14, 2020
The Not-So-Good: There’s something to be said for the Oklahoma system. Hurts was smart enough and experienced enough to adapt to it right away, but he also was helped by the scheme.
He’s not going to be a consistent pro-style passer who can push the ball through a window. He’ll be more of a playmaker on the move without the deep ball accuracy to hit covered receivers on a regular basis.
His running ability is a bit of a negative – he’s more of a power runner than slippery.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: Just draft him and figure it all out. He’ll need to have a good running game to help the cause, and he’s not going to be Aaron Rodgers when it comes to bombing away all over the yard with pinpoint darts, but he can start out as a solid backup who’ll grow into a decent starter.
Projected Round: Second