The prospect of Jalen Hurts being an NFL quarterback has seen plenty of debate.
The former Alabama and Oklahoma star showcased his ability to find ways to win football games in college behind a powerful running style and timely passes. With the NFL Draft less than a month away, the final talks of who these prospects could become are nearing their end.
Hurts isn’t like many of the mobile quarterbacks who have been drafted as of late. His balance of power running and throwing is that more resemblance of Tim Tebow than Lamar Jackson.
But one NFL Draft analyst has his comparison and says its one of the easiest to make: a young Dak Prescott.
Which NFL QBs does @OU_Football QB @JalenHurts compare to? @MoveTheSticks and @BuckyBrooks give their answers. Presented by @QuickBooks.
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“When you go all the way back and you look at how Dak Prescott played at Mississippi State when he was the SEC Offensive Player of the Year and he was doing things as a dynamic dual-threat and, man, you fast-forward and look at Jalen Hurts when he was at Alabama, he did the same stuff when he was the SEC Freshman Offensive Player of the Year,” said NFL Network’s Bucky Brooks. “This is a guy that is terrific with the ball in his hands. We see the physical running style, but he has really improved a ton as a passer. I think the move to Oklahoma enabled him to show some of his ability from the pocket.
“He’s continued to get better and better as we saw him at the Senior Bowl and then at the Combine. When I look at what Jalen Hurts could be in the pros, he could be another version of Dak Prescott. Goes to a good team. Has all the managerial skills that you look for and intangibles to lead his team to the winner circle. To me, I think this one of the easiest comparisons to make. When I look at Jalen Hurts, I close my eyes and see another version of Dak Prescott.”
The other idea, and one that has been the most prominent, for Hurts is to be utilized in a utility role like Taysom Hill of the New Orleans Saints early on in his career.
“If he were to get picked by a team that maybe he can’t get on the field right away at quarterback, I’m saying you can get him on the field in some capacity,” said NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah. “He is a quarterback. He’s going to be a long-term quarterback, but in the mean time, you can run packages with him at quarterback. You can do a lot of different things with him because he is such an outstanding athlete.”
At Oklahoma, Hurts threw for 3,851 yards, rushed for 1,298 more and accounted for 52 total touchdowns in his lone season under center for Lincoln Riley.
The NFL Draft is scheduled for April 23-25.
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