2020 NFL Draft: 5 quarterback prospects to watch for the Saints

If the New Orleans Saints lose Teddy Bridgewater, they could pick a quarterback like Jalen Hurts or Jordan Love in the 2020 NFL Draft.

The New Orleans Saints are headed for an offseason of uncertainty at quarterback. Even if Drew Brees returns for one more year as the face of the franchise, it’s no guarantee that his backup and heir apparent will follow him. Teddy Bridgewater deserves the opportunity to start next season, and there’s several teams who could offer that to him.

And as for Taysom Hill: his most exciting plays haven’t happened at quarterback. He’s become an effective receiving threat and runner in short-yardage situations, but his future shouldn’t include much more passing. He’ll turn 30 later this year and should continue to focus on where he’s most gifted, while he still has the athleticism to overwhelm defenders. He’s a restricted free agent, and it’s possible (but unlikely) he joins a new team, too.

But let’s say that Brees and Hill return, while Bridgewater gets the starting nod in another city. There are options the Saints could consider in free agency, and that’s normally been their strategy — plugging holes with veteran players so that the draft is wide-open. Still, maybe this year quarterback is more of a draft priority than something to target with free agents. Here are five names to watch (and no, a trade up for Joe Burrow isn’t even worth considering).

2020 NFL mock draft: 4-round projections after divisional playoffs

Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling updates and expands his latest mock for the 2020 NFL draft, covering the first four rounds with new projections

We’re down to just four teams remaining in the NFL Playoffs, as another wild week of postseason action sent another disappointing quartet back to the drawing board to prepare for the offseason.

At the same time, the college football landscape is buzzing, with the national championship game taking place Monday night, and the all-star circuit already in full swing for some of this year’s top prospects. Shrine Game practices kick off this week, while the Senior Bowl awaits in Mobile next week.

As draft stock continues to shift, underclassmen make their declarations, and the selection order becomes more secure, here’s an updated look at how the first four rounds of the 2020 NFL draft could shake out, using the latest updated order:

1. Cincinnati Bengals

Joe Burrow | QB | LSU

The last time the Bengals had this pick, they spent it on a Heisman-winning quarterback in Carson Palmer. 17 years later, Cincy’s hoping to land another franchise quarterback in Burrow, who has been dominant all year long despite facing stiff competition. Only an elite QB prospect would be worth passing up Chase Young, but Burrow is exactly that.

2. Washington Redskins

Chase Young | EDGE | Ohio State

For the second straight year, the team picking No. 2 gets the No. 1 prospect. Washington has bigger needs elsewhere, but Young is a generational talent who would be the rare “bargain” at this pick. A complete player who can take over a game all on his own, Young is one of the best pass-rushing prospects we’ve seen in years.

3. Detroit Lions

Jeff Okudah | CB | Ohio State

This defense has needs at every level, so this pick is about getting the best value anywhere they can. Trading down would be ideal, likely for a team targeting a franchise quarterback, but Okudah is the most worthy candidate for this pick if they stay put. He’s the best of a corner class that could produce a handful of first-round picks.

4. New York Giants

Andrew Thomas | OT | Georgia

You won’t find a more old-school general manager than Dave Gettleman, so don’t be surprised when he spends this pick on improving the offensive trenches. If Saquon Barkley and Daniel Jones are going to rebuild this offense, they’ll need plenty of improvement up front. Thomas is a franchise left tackle who will be pro-ready from Day 1.

5. Miami Dolphins

Tua Tagovailoa | QB | Alabama

They might have to move up to land him on draft day, but if Tagovailoa is still on the board here, it’s a no-brainer for the Dolphins. Assuming his medicals check out, Tagovailoa is an elite quarterback prospect with all the physical and mental tools to be the difference-maker Miami has been desperately seeking for years.

Twitter reacts as Jamie Newman transfers to UGA

Former Wake Forest QB Jamie Newman is transferring to the Georgia Bulldogs.

The Georgia Bulldogs have lost their fair share of quarterbacks to the transfer portal over the years: Justin Fields, Jacob Eason, Nick Marshall, Zach Mettenberger, and more. It’s about time UGA landed somebody in return: Wake Forest graduate transfer Jamie Newman.

Newman is the most talented transfer QB on the market and Georgia needed somebody to start while talented UGA QB signee Carson Beck learns the system and adjusts to the speed of college football. Newman threw for 26 touchdowns and ran for six more last season. He also threw eleven interceptions. He’ll have to cut down on the picks in Athens. Jake Fromm threw just five interceptions last season and eighteen in his UGA career.

Here’s how Georgia Bulldog fans, former coaches, and the college football world reacted to the signing on Twitter:

Former UGA coach Mark Richt predicts Newman will be the SEC’s best quarterback. Richt knows his football, so I’d trust him on this one:

Newman put up some impressive numbers according to PFF:

Newman must be careful around the notorious folding chairs in Athens:

This reminds me of politics:

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2020 NFL Draft: Washington QB Jacob Eason dubbed best fit for Bears

The Bears have a lot of work to do this offseason including figuring out the QB position. Could Washington’s Jacob Eason be a fit?

The Chicago Bears have a lot of work to do this offseason, and one of the most important parts is figuring out the quarterback position.

While general manager Ryan Pace publicly backed quarterback Mitchell Trubisky in his end-of-year press conference, things can certainly change from January to September.

Even if the Bears do remain committed to Trubisky — who has one year left on his current deal with his fifth-year option yet to be picked up — they have to address quarterback this offseason. Chase Daniel and Tyler Bray are both free agents, which means the Bears’ quarterbacks room is bound to look a lot different this year.

The Bears are projected to have seven draft picks — which includes a projected fourth-round compensatory pick by way of Adrian Amos — and they could certainly snag a quarterback to develop.

As for which young prospect fits the Bears best, Bleacher Report believes Washington quarterback Jacob Eason is the perfect fit in Chicago.

If Eason stays floating in the mid-first-round area, he’s a fun idea for a Chicago Bears offense that needs more than it’s getting from the conservative Mitchell Trubisky.

Granted, Eason wouldn’t be a guarantee to win the starting job right away. But it provides Matt Nagy and his staff with some upside at the position. And that upside is unafraid to push the ball down the field, which is fun with an Allen Robinson-Anthony Miller combo ready to flourish with better play from under center.

Certainly Tua Tagovailoa declaring for the 2020 NFL Draft helps the Bears’ chances of Eason possibly falling to them in the middle of the second round. Chicago has two picks in the second round — No. 43 and No. 50.

While the Bears have a lot of needs this offseason, if they were to take a quarterback — possibly Eason — in the second round, that would tell you all you need to know about their feelings about the quarterback position.

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7 potential replacements for Tom Brady in 2020

Looking at options in free agency, the draft and the trade market.

The New England Patriots have one of the most difficult decisions that an NFL franchise can make. They have to decide who their starting quarterback will be next season.

Tom Brady is still an option. He might be the option. But he can enter free agency this offseason, and his contract prevents the Patriots from franchise-tagging him. New England and Brady could be set for a breakup. Maybe. Probably?

Still, the Patriots may end up having no shortage of other options.

Dak Prescott, Drew Brees, Philip Rivers, Jameis Winston and Teddy Bridgewater, among others, are pending free agents. Extensions will come over the next few months. The options will thin out. The NFL draft will also present a few tantalizing options, like Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert and Jacob Eason. And of course, there’s always the trade market, where stars like Cam Newton might be available.

Here’s who the Patriots might consider as a starter in 2020 if they part ways with Brady.

1. Jarrett Stidham, QB, Patriots

Technically, he’s the most obvious option. He served as Brady’s backup for the entire 2019 season, even when Cody Kessler arrived to serve as the team’s third-team quarterback. That transaction transpired immediately after Stidham threw a pick-six in his regular-season debut. He was filling in for Brady during a blowout. But Stidham didn’t get demoted. Though his public-consumption body of work has been small, the Patriots have seen a lot of him. And perhaps we’ll begin to hear rumblings — which have already started — that they’re very impressed with his development in 2019.

Maybe they’ll give the 2019 fourth-round pick a shot at the job.

How Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa’s decision could affect Chargers’ 2020 NFL draft plan

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez breaks down Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa’s decision and how it could affect the Chargers’ 2020 NFL draft plan.

When the clock strikes 10:00 a.m. PT on Monday, Jan. 6, all attention is going to be shifted to what’s going down in Tuscaloosa, AL.

That will mark when Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa reveals his decision whether or not he’s entering the 2020 NFL draft.

Tagovailoa will announce his decision about his future during a press conference with coach Nick Saban, according to Fox Sports’ Bruce Feldman.

Tua was regarded as the top quarterback prospect in the upcoming draft before suffering a season-ending hip injury in November.

With the Chargers in need of looking towards the future at the quarterback position, Tagovailoa has still been commonly mocked to them. But if he goes pro remains to be seen.

Tagovailoa’s decision tomorrow could have an affect on Los Angeles’ draft plans. But how?

If Tua makes the leap to the pros, he will continue to be a strong possibility for the Chargers leading up into the draft. However, there’s a quarterback-needy team that sits in front of them: the Miami Dolphins.

The Dolphins, who have done their work on Tagovailoa, could take him at No. 5, and that would allow Los Angeles to still take their future face of the franchise in someone like Oregon’s Justin Herbert.

This would be the best case scenario because the Chargers would be able to sit at their spot knowing that they will have their choice between consensus’  top-two signal-callers (assuming that LSU’s Joe Burrow is already off the board).

Now, what if Tua feels like he could benefit from another year at Alabama?

This is where it could become tricky.

Miami, who has the advantage being one spot in front of Los Angeles, could select Herbert, leaving the Chargers in not the most ideal position to grab a quarterback at the slot.

L.A. would have their choosing at the offensive tackle position or they could elect to take the best player available still, but I’m a firm believer that the team should grab their quarterback in Round 1 and take their other positions of need the rest of the draft.

If you take an offensive tackle or another position in the first, they would be forced to play the waiting game, in hopes of having a quarterback like Utah State’s Jordan Love or Washington’s Jacob Eason fall to them in Round 2.

The Chargers could trade up to the back end of the first-round if they see a quarterback slipping, but nothing is guaranteed, especially when you have teams like the Panthers, Colts, Raiders, Steelers among others that could snag one.

If Tua doesn’t come out and the Chargers get the sense that the Dolphins are going to draft Herbert, they could jump into the No. 4 spot to select him, but I don’t know if general manager Tom Telesco is willing to give up capital when they’re already in a good position to begin with.

Another option across the waves of social media consists of waiting until 2021 to draft a quarterback with someone like Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence, Ohio State’s Justin Fields or even Tua if he goes back to school.

I don’t think it’d be the greatest idea. Los Angeles is built to win, given their roster. It’s a guess, but the chance of them picking in the top-10 again is slim-to-none.

Not to mention, Tyrod Taylor only has one more year on his contract and should Philip Rivers re-sign, my guess is it’s for one year, with a possible second-year option.

The rookie that they select would be able to sit behind either Rivers, Taylor or even a potential trade or free agent option and then take the reins in 2021 with some NFL experience under his belt.

The bottom line is that when Tua makes his decision, Chargers fans should be hoping that he enters the 2020 NFL draft. This would really open things up for the team, and put them in the best position to take a quarterback with the No. 6 overall selection.

Washington QB Jacob Eason declares for 2020 NFL draft

Washington quarterback Jacob Eason is leaving school early to enter the 2020 NFL draft

The 2020 NFL draft quarterback class just got more interesting,

Washington quarterback Jacob Eason has declared for the 2020 NFL draft.

He announced his decision via Twitter.

Eason is a big armed quarterback who threw for a career best 23 touchdowns for the Huskies in 2019.  Eason finished the year with more than 3,000 passing yards and established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in college football.

“Playing this season for the University of Washington has been one of the best experiences of my life,” Eason said in his declaration statement. “My experience as a student-athlete has been special and I am eternally thankful.”

His decision comes as no surprise, as the former Georgia Bulldog would likely not benefit from returning to Washington for another year.

Eason is a decent athlete who’s put some really good football on tape at times. It’ll be interesting to monitor his draft stock over the next couple of months.

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Former Georgia football QB declares for the NFL Draft

Former Georgia football quarterback Jacob Eason declares for the NFL Draft

Former Georgia football quarterback Jacob Eason has declared for the NFL Draft after four seasons of college football.

Eason shined in his freshman season at Georgia, leading the Dawgs to a come-from behind victory at Missouri before getting injured against Appalachian State in the 2017 opener.

You know the story from there, as Fromm went on to replace the injured five-star, who would later transfer due to Fromm’s success as the starter with the Dawgs.

Then, Eason sat out a season at Washington due to eligibility requirements, before leading the Huskies to a Las Vegas Bowl win over Boise State.

Now, the Washington-native will enter the NFL Draft, with what was once a promising collegiate future turning into a career of what could have been. We expect Eason to find success in the NFL, but will always be grateful for his time in Athens.

Getting to know 6 quarterbacks the Chargers could draft

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez gives an overview on six quarterbacks that the Los Angeles Chargers could select in the 2020 NFL draft.

The Los Angeles Chargers’ season is essentially over and all attention has been shifted to the upcoming offseason. It’s expected that the Bolts will be making some acquisitions to certain positions and among them is the quarterback position.

Whether or not quarterback Philip Rivers is back in 2020, Los Angeles will likely be in the market for one in the early rounds of the upcoming draft, if they elect to not do so via free agency or through a trade that is.

With the team being a lock for a top-10 selection they should have a few options to choose from. With that, we decided to introduce some of the quarterbacks that could very well be the pick when the Chargers are on the clock.

* Note: LSU’s Joe Burrow is excluded from this list because it’s almost certain that he will be a lock for a top-3 pick and the Cincinnati Bengals are the early favorite.

Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama

Overview: Tagovailoa entered this season as a lock to go in the top-5, but a serious hip injury has given some reason to be concerned for his future. Tua has not decided whether or not he will declare or go back to his school for his senior season. Outside of the durability concerns, Tua has a great feel for the game, thriving with his instincts, processing skills and vision where he’s one of the best in this class when under pressure. He’s accurate, especially on the deep ball where he delivers them with nice touch. If he declares, the medicals will be the most important part to his evaluation.


Justin Herbert, Oregon

Overview: Herbert is a well-known quarterback in this class because he was touted as a first rounder last year, but he decided to return for his senior season. Herbert, the 6-foot-5 and 237 pounder has all the physical traits that you would want in a quarterback. Herbert’s arm talent is special. Not only can he deliver a beautiful deep ball, but he has shown to be sound when throwing outside the pocket, where he will move around, set his feet and deliver a fastball. Though you don’t see it as much, Herbert shows the ability to beat defenses with his legs, too. Consistency and accuracy is the knock on him. While Herbert can make big plays at any given moment, some of the easy ones in the short passing game are missed.

2020 NFL mock draft: Updated 3-round projections after Week 15

Check out Luke Easterling’s latest three-round projections for the 2020 NFL draft

Only two weeks remain in the NFL regular season, and in the college football world, bowl season will be kicking off this week.

The battle for the top picks in next year’s draft is coming to a dramatic close, while this year’s top prospects and sleeper hopefuls have one last chance to put out some quality game film for NFL decision-makers.

As we hit the homestretch of another football season, here’s an updated look at how the first three rounds of the 2020 NFL draft could shake out, using the latest updated order:

1. Cincinnati Bengals

Joe Burrow | QB | LSU

The Andy Dalton era needs to end, and the Bengals are in the perfect spot to take his successor. After yet another masterful performance in the SEC title game, Burrow should be locked into this spot, even before he takes home the Heisman Trophy and leads the Bayou Bengals into the College Football Playoff.

2. New York Giants

Chase Young | EDGE | Ohio State

If this scenario holds, the Giants will luck out by landing the best overall prospect in the draft without having to get the No. 1 pick. Young is one of the most dominant pass rushers I’ve ever seen at the college level, and he has the potential to be a dominant player at the next level from Day 1.

3. Miami Dolphins

Tua Tagovailoa | QB | Alabama

After a season-ending hip injury, Tagovailoa is obviously the biggest wild-card in this year’s draft. If he makes a full recovery, Tua still has a fantastic skill set and all the tools to be a franchise quarterback. It’s a big if, but if he’s healthy, he’s still worthy of top-five consideration for a QB-needy team like Miami.

4. Washington Redskins

Andrew Thomas | OT | Georgia

This pick has to be about helping Dwayne Haskins reach his lofty potential. While a premier pass-catcher like Jerry Jeudy would be tempting, Haskins already has a stellar rapport with former college teammate Terry McLaurin. The bigger need, and the better pick, is a franchise left tackle like Thomas.

5. Detroit Lions

Derrick Brown | DL | Auburn

This defense needs a dominant, disruptive force in the trenches to build around, whether that’s on the edge or along the interior. In this scenario, Brown is the best combination of value, need and fit. He’s got rare athleticism for his size, and all the strength and power you’d expect.

6. Arizona Cardinals

Jerry Jeudy | WR | Alabama

Offensive tackle is the bigger need, but I would be shocked if the Cardinals passed on the chance to give Kyler Murray an elite pass-catcher like Jeudy, should he fall into their lap. His combination of explosiveness and polish will make him an instant sensation at the next level, and a steal outside the top five.

7. New York Jets

Tristan Wirfs | OT | Iowa

Sam Darnold needs more help up front, and both tackle spots especially need attention. If the draft plays out this way, the Jets would land one of this year’s best prospects at the position, getting a powerful blocker in Wirfs who can be an immediate upgrade on either side.

8. Jacksonville Jaguars

Jeff Okudah | CB | Ohio State

After trading one of the NFL’s best corners, the Jags need to replace Jalen Ramsey with one of their multiple first-round picks in this draft. They luck out here, as this year’s top cover man falls to them at this pick. Okudah is a complete player who can make an immediate impact at a premium position of need.

9. Los Angeles Chargers

Justin Herbert | QB | Oregon

The Philip Rivers era is limping to a halt, so it’s time for the Bolts to find a successor for the future Hall of Famer. Herbert went back to school to polish his skill set, and while he’s still somewhat inconsistent, he’s got more than enough tools to work with, and he should end up being a top-10 pick.

10. Denver Broncos

Isaiah Simmons | LB | Clemson

This defense needs a three-down playmaker at the second level, and this pick would be the perfect fit. Simmons is a rare athlete and a versatile defender who can matchup with the best player on any offense, making him the kind of guy opposing offenses have to scheme for on a weekly basis.