With time to develop, Justin Herbert could turn into a successful NFL quarterback for the Chargers.
The Chargers took a swing on who they view as the long-term answer at the quarterback position, drafting Justin Herbert with their first-round pick of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Los Angeles fell in love with the physical tools, athleticism, arm strength and the production of Herbert, as he went 29-14 while he completed 813 of 1,273 passes (64 percent) for 10,541 yards, 95 touchdowns and 23 interceptions during four seasons at Oregon.
NFL Media’s Charlie Casserley recently talked about the quarterback battle between him and Tyrod Taylor. Casserley believes that L.A. is going to play the best player and while he think Herbert is capable of starting in 2020, there are two major things he needs to work on in 2020.
“Anticipation. He’s got a fastball. He would be able to throw to wide receivers when they were wide open, and the ball was so quick and the arm was so strong that he wouldn’t have to anticipate. He’s going to have to anticipate and throw the ball earlier. The other thing is his touch.”
Like Casserley mentioned, the biggest concern of Herbert that needs to improve is his lack of anticipation, as he waits too long to cut the ball loose. His touch needs improvement as well, as his placement is a little inconsistent because his front side flies open at times, which impacts his accuracy.
With the help from quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton along with running an offensive system tailored to his strengths and a handful of skill players to distribute the wealth to, Herbert could eventually turn into a successful NFL quarterback.
The Herbert family is excited to see how their son does with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Chargers rookie quarterback Justin Herbert is making the leap from the collegiate to professional level with the hopes of guiding the franchise to success for years to come.
Before he takes he suits up in the blue and gold, Herbert’s parents shared a heartfelt message for their son, which was shared by the team’s official Twitter account.
Check it out:
"You got this. And if you ever need anything, we got you."
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert checks in right about where he should heading into Year 1.
Former NFL quarterback and current NBC Sports analyst Chris Simms has started unveiling his annual quarterback rankings.
No. 36-40 are the only ones that have been released.
Checking in at No. 37 is Chargers rookie Justin Herbert.
“Ceiling could be higher than Joe Burrow. Big-time arm is just a tier below Mahomes-Rodgers. Can throw with touch too. Battle-tested in college & handled the spotlight at Senior Bowl & Combine. But needs to throw with body more rather than just arm,” Simms said.
Herbert came in ahead of Bears Mitchell Trubisky (No. 38), Redskins’ Dwayne Haskins (No. 39) and Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa (No. 40).
Seeing Herbert rank this low is no surprise, but seeing him above Tagovailoa might raise some eyebrows due to many having the former Alabama product ranked higher than the former Oregon product throughout the pre-draft process.
The anticipation is at an all-time high to see the No. 6 overall selection take the field. Now that the Philip Rivers era has come to an end, fans are hopeful that Herbert can help the team take a leap.
There’s no denying Herbert’s NFL-style tools with his size, athleticism, arm talent and intelligence, but he needs to improve his decision-making, eye discipline and consistency to succeed.
The Chargers are hopeful that he can fix those with the mentorship of quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton, as well as surrounding him with an offense that’s tailored to his strengths and above-average skill players.
Pep Hamilton is already working on improving some of Justin Herbert’s weaknesses from college.
The Chargers made two changes to the quarterback room this offseason. They drafted Justin Herbert in the first-round of this year’s draft, and followed that up with giving him a mentor by hiring Pep Hamilton to fulfill the duties as the team’s quarterbacks coach.
So what does Hamilton think of his new project? NFL Media’s Jim Trotter recently spoke with Hamilton to get an idea how Herbert is doing in (virtual) rookie minicamp thus far.
“I asked him [Hamilton], what did you learn about your quarterback about you didnât know before? He said, âLook, we knew about his intelligence, we knew about his athletic gifts but what I didnât know is how important football is to him.â
And he told me that with Justin, one of the things is he wants more. He wants to understand all the conceptual things behind a play design. He wants to know the why, as opposed to just the what. And Pep told me thatâs important because you have to understand and see the big picture to succeed at the position,” Trotter said.
One of the things that Herbert struggled with in college was not seeing the entire field and being late to locate coverage. In Oregon’s system, he did benefit from pre-determined reads at times, but that will have to change at the next level.
To work on this, Hamilton has already given Herbert an assignment during the offseason training.
“What Hamilton told me is that heâs given Herbert an assignment. And he wants him to basically make a mental checklist of everything he goes through while watching NFL defenses.
Pep said, âwhen you see a little, you see a lot. When you see a lot, you donât see anythingâ and by that, what he means is that Herbert should be focusing on certain keys pre snap to know what a defense is going to do and what that coverage is going to be,” Trotter said.
Hamilton has worked with many NFL and some college quarterbacks, including Andrew Luck at Stanford and with the Colts. The Chargers are hopeful that he will help elevate Herbert’s game as he looks to be the long-term answer at the quarterback position.
The only way this happens is if Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert starts Week 1.
Chargers linebacker Kenneth Murray has been pegged as one of the front runners to win Defensive Rookie of the Year by oddsmakers already.
However, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler believes Los Angeles possesses a potential Rookie of the Year on the other side of the ball.
Fowler, along with eight other NFL experts, made bold predictions for the 2020 draft class this upcoming season. For Fowler, he believes that quarterback Justin Herbert is going to win the OROY honors.
I’m betting Herbert gets on the field sooner rather than later despite the presence of Tyrod Taylor. The Chargers will simplify the playbook and let Herbert rip corner routes to Keenan Allen all day. There’s enough talent on this offense to make a rookie look good.
I believe that Herbert would have a legitimate shot, but there’s one thing that’s holding him back for the honors: Tyrod Taylor. Taylor is expected to enter the season as the starting signal-caller, while Herbert sits to work on the deficiencies in his game before taking the reins.
There’s a possibility that Herbert could see the field in 2020, but it likely wouldn’t come until later down the stretch, and that’s assuming the team performs poorly with Taylor under center, which leads the decision to change quarterbacks. Or Taylor goes down with an injury.
Herbert isn’t in a position where he will start away like Joe Burrow of the Bengals. That already hurts his chances and there are many immediate impact rookie skill players that he would have to fend off in order to walk away with the award.
The fact that Herbert isn’t likely to start Week 1 is the best thing for him, though. Even though he has the physical traits, arm talent and play-makers around him to flourish, there are mental aspects of the game that need development before he takes over as the team’s starter.
Find out how quarterback Justin Herbert was feeling when he got the call from the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Chargers secured their quarterback of the future in the first-round of the 2020 NFL Draft. It’s safe to say Justin Herbert was elated to be selected by Los Angeles on Thursday night.
To get an idea of how he was feeling when he got the call from general manager Tom Telesco and what he’s going to bring to the City of Angels, check out his introductory press conference.
Quarterback Justin Herbert brings a fun and dynamic element to the Los Angeles Chargers offense.
The Los Angeles Chargers selected former Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert with the No. 6 overall pick.
To get familiar with the Bolts’ new signal-caller, here is my scouting report on Herbert, along with brief notes from three of his games from the past couple of seasons and his week at the Senior Bowl.
Justin Herbert | Oregon | #10 | Senior | Eugene, OR | 6062 | 236
Career: 2019 PAC-12 Honorable Mention. Playing in 44 games, Herbert threw for 10,541 yards, 95 touchdowns, 23 interceptions, and a 64% completion percentage.
Red Flags: Broke his collarbone in 2017 and missed time due to a leg injury in 2018.
Strengths: Tall, workable frame. Above-average arm strength to deliver downfield with required velocity and can make all the necessary NFL throws. Tight release. Pinpoint ball placement to keep away from defenders. Comfortable stepping up into the pocket when he senses pressure from direction directions, leading them with darts. Decent anticipatory skills. Effective head/shoulder fake to freeze defenders and throw to double-move routes. Functional athleticism as a scrambler, avoiding rushers and extending plays with long strides. Physically and mentally tough with professional poise and work habits.
Weaknesses: Needs to develop his eye useâlocks onto reads and stares down targets. Needs to improve his feel for timing routes. Good athlete on the move, average athlete in the pocket at times. Guides throws at times, which affects the placement on his passes; touch can be inconsistent. Footwork can get messy. Can be a bit late to diagnose, which leads to him getting gun shy.
Final Word: Herbert possesses NFL-style tools with his size, athleticism, arm talent, intelligence along with above-average accuracy but he needs to improve his decision-making, instincts and consistency, projecting as an NFL starter in a spread, RPO-heavy offense.
Fit Likelihood: High
Grade: 1st Round
Film Study – vs Stanford (2018)
This was arguably Herbert’s best collegiate game. He showed off his arm, a good understanding of coverage rotations and his mobility.
Film Study – vs Arizona (2019)
Herbert’s strengths and weaknesses were evident in this game. He displayed the ability to make some really impressive and explosive throws to all levels of the field with very little effort, but the weaknesses were him locking onto his receivers, trusting his arm too much, along with showing an inconsistent feel for pressure.
Film Study – vs Wisconsin (Rose Bowl)
Wanna see Herbert win the game with his legs, literally? In the Rose Bowl, he accounted for three touchdowns on the ground. There were some head-scratching throws and decisions as a result of being late to locate coverage and not anticipating efficiently. However, Herbert didn’t let the moment get too big for him, carrying the Ducks to victory in arguably the best game of his career.
Senior Bowl Week
I was in attendance for the Senior Bowl, and Herbert did what he does best by lacing the ball over the field with ease, but he took a leap with his processing speed to make whole field reads and anticipate windows and quickening his eyes and expanding his vision, which was great to see.
What do you grade the Los Angeles Chargers’ selection of quarterback Justin Herbert?
The Chargers drafted former Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert with the No. 6 overall selection.
Many experts were expecting Los Angeles to select Herbert throughout the pre-draft process. It was a glaring positional need, he fits what the team covets and it was a strong possibility that he would be available when they were on the clock.
Even though he received mixed reviews, Herbert was one of my favorites among those who were mocked to the Bolts at No. 6 overall. He gives them a polarizing signal-caller with the size, athleticism, arm talent, intelligence along with above-average accuracy with plenty of room to grow his skillset.
The Bolts received an A-grade from Chargers Wire for their selection of the former Oregon product. Chargers fans, tell us what you think about Los Angeles selecting Herbert by voting in the poll below.
Justin Herbert has the talent that’s capable of taking the Los Angeles Chargers to the Super Bowl.
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The Chargers moved on from quarterback Philip Rivers after 16 seasons. The move was an indication that they were eyeing a new era at the position.
After striking out in the sweepstakes for veteran Tom Brady and electing to not pursue Cam Newton, it became more clear that Los Angeles was going to likely take advantage of picking in the top-10 for the third time in 15 years by selecting Rivers’ replacement.
Justin Herbert and and now Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa were commonly mocked players to Los Angeles after bypassing Brady and Newton. Many fans were in favor of Tagovailoa while Herbert received mixed reviews.
Some wanted him, while others didn’t due to concerns with him as a passer and his “reserved personality”.
Regardless, Herbert possessed NFL-style tools with his size, athleticism, arm talent, intelligence along with above-average accuracy. General manager Tom Telesco covets production, which is what Herbert exemplified in college.
Herbert appeared in 43 career games (42 starts) for the Ducks, amassing 10,541 passing yards and 95 touchdowns to 23 interceptions.
Coach Anthony Lynn values ball security and his touchdown to interception ratio spoke for itself.
Herbert also led the Ducks to a win over Wisconsin in the 2020 Rose Bowl Game. He was named the game’s Offensive MVP after scoring three rushing touchdowns.
In January, Herbert participated in the 2020 Senior Bowl. He went 9-of-12 for 83 yards and a touchdown in the game, earning MVP honors.
With Los Angeles shifting gears to a mobile quarterback, Herbert possesses the ability to win with his legs. And with the offense shifting to a spread, RPO-heavy scheme, it’s a match made in heaven.
Herbert is unlikely to start Week 1 because Tyrod Taylor will serve as the bridge, but this will allow him to develop any inconsistencies to his game and get into an offense with NFL level coaching to match his strengths and abilities.
The bottom line is that Herbert has the intangibles to revitalize the L.A. offense and if the Chargers coach the best out of Herbert, they have themselves a heck of a signal caller that could potentially lead them to a Super Bowl.
“This is just such an incredible opportunity. Words can’t describe how excited and thrilled and fired up I am for this,” Herbert said after being selected by the Bolts.
To read more about Herbert, I wrote an article in January, stating why I believe he would be a home run of a pick for the Chargers.
How did Twitter react after the selection of quarterback Justin Herbert to the Los Angeles Chargers?
With the No. 6 overall selection of the 2020 NFL Draft, the Chargers selected former Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert.
This was a very common pick throughout the pre-draft process. While many are mixed on the selection, Los Angeles has finally secured their quarterback of the future.
Here are some of the reactions from Twitter after Herbert was selected:
Earlier this week, I talked to Chargers GM Tom Telesco about Herbert. He loves his movement skill, mental toughness and the fact that he's very self-motivated.
I'm going to get into all this in my analysis later tonight. But one quick thing: If you need a QB, you don't trade down and hope a guy falls to you. The position is way too important. If you like a guy, you take him with your earliest pick. You can't risk another team taking him
