Just because a team needs a quarterback, it doesn’t mean they need to select him in the first round. There are probably three or four teams who need a starter at this exact moment. (Or think they do.) And those teams are likely to draft a quarterback in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Other teams may be preparing for life without their current starter, whether that top dog is thinking about retirement or is looking injury prone. And other teams want to bring in a competitor to work with and against the starter, who isn’t looking like the franchise quarterback they’d hoped he would be. When teams draft a quarterback, they’re hoping he’s the next Tom Brady. But if they land a backup-caliber in the sixth round, that’s also a great use of a pick. That’s why there are 11 teams that need to draft a quarterback in 2020. These teams could use a rookie signal-caller on the depth chart whether at QB1 or QB3. They’re ranked from smallest to biggest need.
11. Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders have Derek Carr and Marcus Mariota, two quarterbacks who should put together satisfactory seasons in Jon Gruden’s offense. But it’s clear that Las Vegas isn’t happy with Carr — otherwise they wouldn’t have signed Mariota. And it’s possible — maybe even likely — that Mariota isn’t a starting-caliber quarterback in the NFL. So if both Carr and Mariota begin to flail in 2020, the Raiders will want a long-term solution in the works. They could and should draft a quarterback. Maybe that youngster won’t see the field in 2020, but having a rookie at quarterback could pay dividends in the future.
10. Jacksonville Jaguars
Gardner Minshew is a one of the most fun young players in the game. I took endless entertainment from his silly persona off the field and his do-anything-to-win mentality on the field. But the Jags benched him during the course of 2019. It’s definitely a risk to think he’s a franchise quarterback. Just in case he isn’t, the Jaguars might want to consider adding another option at the position.
9. Miami Dolphins
Everyone is expecting the Dolphins to take a quarterback at fifth overall (or higher). The truth, however, is that they don’t actually need a quarterback that badly. They have a starter, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and a developmental talent, Josh Rosen. But if they can land a franchise quarterback who can start on day one, then why not nab him at fifth overall? That’s likely what they’ll do.
8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers have a two-year timeline with Tom Brady. He’s set to play for Tampa through 2021. But the team should probably have a better backup than Blaine Gabbert, who has never lived up to his first-round status. Considering Brady’s statistics declined in a big way in 2019, the Bucs might want a contingency plan, if Brady begins to look his age.
7. Indianapolis Colts
Indy signed Philip Rivers and they have a young-ish backup in Jacoby Brissett, 27. But the Colts don’t seem to like Brissett’s upside, if they were willing to turn over the starting job to Rivers. When Rivers retires, the Colts will want to have someone in place to take over the job. Indy should start thinking about adding a young quarterback to the mix.
6. New Orleans Saints
Drew Brees considered retirement in 2019, but elected to return. Count me among those who don’t believe Taysom Hill can throw the football effectively. He’s a nice offensive weapon, but he’s not a franchise quarterback. The Saints could use, at the very least, a backup-quality youngster.
5. Chicago Bears
The Bears’ quarterback situation looks a lot like the Raiders’ depth chart. Mitchell Trubisky clearly hasn’t done enough to warrant full support from Chicago. So the Bears acquired Nick Foles. It’s almost inevitable that neither quarterback proves deserving of the label, “starter.” When that realization dawns on Chicago, they better have another young quarterback waiting in the wings.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers
I have no interest in seeing another season of Duck Hodges. I imagine Pittsburgh feels the same way. At 38 years old, Ben Roethlisberger has grown somewhat brittle. He has missed a game in four of the last five seasons. The Steelers need to draft a quarterback who can be backup caliber — and perhaps they’ll have an eye on developing that player into Roethlisberger’s eventual replacement. He has toyed with the idea of retirement in the past.
3. New England Patriots
Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer are the only two quarterbacks on the roster. If Bill Belichick wasn’t the coach of that roster, the Patriots would probably be No. 1 on this list. But because Belichick and Josh McDaniels are there for Stidham, there’s a fair amount of optimism about his development. (Look at what Belichick and McDaniels did with Matt Cassel.) Even with that positive buzz, the Patriots should get another young quarterback for their competition.
2. Cincinnati Bengals
Andy Dalton isn’t that bad of a starter, but Joe Burrow is likely to be better by Week 1. Drafting him is a no-brainer (except for this one scenario).
1. Los Angeles Chargers
Tyrod Taylor won’t cut it. He’s a nice game manager, who takes good care of the ball and runs well. But he’s never thrown for more than 20 touchdowns in a single season. He’s not going to wow you, nor will he win you many games. So the Chargers need a quarterback — more than anyone in the NFL. They have options in free agency (Cam Newton and Jameis Winston), but they haven’t pounced on anyone, so it seems inevitable the Chargers take a quarterback at sixth overall.
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