2020 NFL Draft: Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert scouting report

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Arm Talent

Some of the benefits of Herbert’s arm talent have already been covered, from throwing off-platform to his pure ball velocity. This is a combination of pure upper-body athleticism that rivals Patrick Maholmes. Along with this is an immense amount of arm talent in ball placement. One topic to touch on before going into Herbert’s mechanics is his 10 frame or ~.417 second release. This is by no means slow but can be improved with slight changes and consistent reps.

Numerous times throughout this season, Herbert has found receivers behind linebackers and underneath safeties with well-placed balls that have both incredible pace and touch. These throws find a way to loop over lurking linebackers while simultaneously getting to his target before the deep-zone defender can bite on the route.

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Many quarterbacks are applauded for their touch or their arm strength, but having a combination of the two for intermediate passing attempts is unheard of outside of the elite of the NFL.

On the whole, Herbert’s mechanics are solid but possess a few flaws and inconsistencies that can hamper production. The first of these is his footwork. From throw to throw, it is an unknown whether Herbert’s front foot will come through and turn, or if it will stay placed in his pre-throw stance.

The second portion of his footwork that has become a concern is his tendency to step more left and create unneeded lateral momentum. This sideward influence on the release of the ball creates accuracy inconsistencies in combination with the varying footwork on Herbert’s throws.

Next on the list of mechanical improvements for Herbert is the placement of his off-hand. When throwing a football, a quarterback should have their front hand tucked into their chest to create more rotational momentum, similar to an ice-skater attempting to spin faster. Herbert leaves his off-hand hanging out, using more as a separate weight swinging around his body than a part of his throw.

The second part of Herbert’s upper-body mechanics is the position of his elbow while throwing the ball. Herbert has a tendency to ‘chicken-wing’ his throws and has a right angle in his elbow. This lack of arm extension creates inaccuracies downfield that will hurt more at the next level.

These two mechanical improvements will greatly increase success on a vital part of his game downfield, high-point and back-shoulder throws. Downfield success for quarterbacks at the NFL level is now predicated on throwing their receivers open with high-point and back-shoulder throws against tight coverage. These two adjustments will give Herbert a new sense of accuracy and precision downfield.

Finally, Herbert needs to improve on his throws while rolling out to his left. Oregon put him in position to produce on designed rollouts a number of times, but every single one of those plays went to the right, aka his throwing side. Throwing across your body is one of the single most difficult things to do as a quarterback, but throws off-platform throughout the season have shown it is more than feasible.

When rolling out against your throwing arm, a quarterback needs to backpedal out of his release. When running out, the throwing arm will be at the front, so when a quarterback releases he needs to turn his body back around.

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Herbert usually sets his feet when he goes to his left and struggles to get the ball away when under pressure. By turning his body around and backpedaling after releasing the ball, Herbert will be able to create opportunities for his team rolling out to a new side of the field.

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