2020 NFL Draft: LSU QB Joe Burrow scouting report
By Ian Higgins
Mental
Burrow is a much more refined passer than many others within his class, and much of his success stems from his ability to make his reads and run and complete offense. One of his best traits has been running play-action.
LSU frequently uses play-action passes to create space behind the linebackers of an opposing defense, and allow Burrow to place the ball into the hands of a waiting receiver in the middle of the field. His ball fake is committed, and Burrow sells it well by keeping the ball in the stomach of his back until the defending linebackers have committed.
This leads into the next part of his game that makes him one of the best passers in the country. He is willing to take what is given by the defense and follow the game plan. Burrow knows with the play action that the middle of the field between 10-20 yards will be open much of the time, and if not, he can likely find a receiver on the outside who won his route. Many young passers are too focused on the big chunk plays, looking to eat the whole meal at once instead of taking it piece by piece.
When standing in the pocket, you can see Burrow move his eyes from read to read if his first is taken. Anytime LSU runs a play-action pass, look to Burrow’s eyes and watch them move from the center of the field to the boundary. He knows his assignments and how to manage the game well for his team.
The only major issue I saw in the mental part of Burrow’s game is his readiness to leave the pocket once pressure collapses (especially in his game against Texas). Once off of his spot, Burrow rarely resets his platform to throw from and makes throws more difficult to make than they should be.
When he does roll-out of the pocket though, Burrow does a good job keeping his eyes up the field and looking for a better play than his legs, often resulting in failed coverage due to the amount of time opposing secondaries are left with their assignments.
Overall, I believe Burrow’s performances can be primarily attributed to taking what is given and following the game plan. He follows his assignments and is smart with the football.