2020 NFL Draft scouting notes: QBs have mixed results in week 12

How did the 2020 NFL Draft quarterback class fare in their performances in week 12? Here are some scouting notes from Saturday’s games.

It was a great week in college football to study the top 2020 NFL Draft quarterback prospects. Other than Jacob Eason, all of the potential top quarterbacks for 2020 were in action, which made it a big week to tune in and gather more notes on each guy.

The big news surrounding the quarterback position from week 12 was the injury to Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. His hip injury will sideline him for a long time following surgery, but there isn’t an official timeline at this point.

This week’s performances as a whole had their highs, but they also had lows. It was a mixed bag this week at the quarterback position. Let’s look at each performance from a scouting perspective.

Tua Tagovailoa

The injury is going to play a part in where Tua Tagovailoa is drafted come April, but as far as what happened on the field, it was another very good performance from Tua on Saturday. Tua looked more comfortable in the pocket against Mississippi State, in part because of his ankle healing more. His first big-time throw was a dart to Jerry Jeudy down the seam with perfect placement between a couple of defenders.

Tua made another great play above there on 3rd down, climbing the pocket, keeping his eyes downfield, and delivering a strike to Jeudy. His best throw of the game was his last touchdown pass. Wide receiver Jaylen Waddle ran an out, but Tua threw him open by leading him up the field towards the end zone, a great example of anticipation and reading coverage. It was a great game from Tua, and when he recovers, he can be a franchise quarterback in the NFL.

Joe Burrow

Another day at the office for Joe Burrow, and another very good performance. Burrow threw for 489 yards and five touchdowns in LSU’s 58-37 win over Ole Miss, completed 78 percent of his passes. He continued to make the position look easy, especially early on in the game. Burrow was clutch on third downs, making quick and clean reads.

He continues to be excellent at maneuvering in the pocket, as he avoided pressure numerous times against the Rebels. Burrow makes splitting defenders look so easy, and he does it while keeping his eyes downfield and scanning for open receivers. He even made some plays on the run this week, including his first touchdown pass to Ja’Marr Chase.

No prospect is perfect though, and as we continue to monitor his rise, it’s important to note where Burrow can improve. He did throw two picks against Ole Miss, one of which he didn’t anticipate a linebacker dropping into coverage and dictated where he was going with the ball pre-snap. Still, an overall great performance from Burrow on Saturday.

Justin Herbert

A lot of the talk early in the year was that Justin Herbert really hadn’t improved much as a passer in 2019 and that the same issues are there that were there in 2018. However, his inconsistencies are nowhere near as wild as they were in 2018, and he continues to show how great his arm talent is every week.

Yes, this week he played against Arizona, one of the weaker teams in the Pac 12, but he took care of business and dominated them from the jump. Herbert opened the game with a long touchdown pass. His receiver was wide open, but Herbert threw it on target even with pressure right in his face, something that has been inconsistent this season.

He followed it up with this excellent throw above. Oregon ran a little reverse flea flicker, and Herbert threw a beauty 50 yards down the field to Juwan Johnson for another score. His third touchdown was a perfectly placed back shoulder throw. The tools and arm talent continue to flash on tape for Herbert, and there’s a chance with a strong draft process that he gets taken very early in April now with the injury to Tua.

Jalen Hurts

It was an up and down game for Jalen Hurts as Oklahoma traveled to Waco to face Baylor in the game of the week. It didn’t go well for Oklahoma in the first half of this game, as they found themselves in a 28-3 hole. That in part fell on Hurts, who had three turnovers on the night, two of which came in the first half leading to 14 Baylor points. The interception was a long throw beyond the far hash, which was a combination of Hurts not getting the ball out on time and not driving through the throw and letting it hang up too much.

The second half was a different story other than the second fumble (which was at the goal line). Hurts was efficient as a passer under 10 yards down the field, taking the short throws and steadily marching the Sooners down the field. He made a couple of big-time throws on late touchdown drives as well. Hurts was also extremely effective as a runner, picking up good chunks of yardage on every touchdown drive.

The second-half comeback was well-orchestrated by Hurts, and head coach Lincoln Riley played to his strengths. It’s still a mixed bag with Hurts though. The arm talent isn’t off the charts for Hurts, and he sometimes doesn’t put enough heat behind it, but he has the powerful running ability, leadership and intangibles to be an interesting study for the next level.

Jordan Love

Utah State’s Jordan Love had plenty of draft analysts on his side entering the 2019 season, and many expected big things this year. It’s been a very up and down season for Love. He’s had some real poor outings and still has more interceptions than touchdowns this season due to mental lapses and issues with processing the defense pre-snap.

It was a similar outing for him against Wyoming. He had two picks early in the game, one of which was returned for a score. Love sometimes decides where he’s going with the ball pre-snap, and doesn’t read the coverage before he throws.

After the two picks, it was a very good day for Love, and he showcased the elite-level tools he possesses and why teams and analysts still love him. His first touchdown was a very good throw down the seam to the perimeter of the field in between two defenders, where Love needed to throw a laser. He did a good job staying in and facing pressure for his second touchdown, getting the ball out just in time and on the money to the open man.

His best throw of the game came above, and it didn’t even count because of an illegal man downfield. Love rolled left on this play, quickly set his feet, and with the flick of the wrist, this ball traveled 51 yards and was on the money for a touchdown. He also made some more throws on the run and off-platform in this one, and somehow still has all the power behind the ball when he does.

The traits and tools make you want to risk it all and draft this guy in the first round, but the processing is still an issue. He should still return to school and transfer or he needs to sit for some time and develop.

Jake Fromm

Jake Fromm, like Love, is still a conundrum at the quarterback position. He lacks some physical tools, but has the ability to read defenses, make quick decisions, and be a facilitator. His game against Georgia was more of the same. He completed 13 of 29 for 110 yards and three touchdowns.

He made a lot of decisions to check down in the game, much like he has done all season long. But sometimes, he sees a shot down the field he likes and takes it, like the throw below here.

It’s interesting that Georgia doesn’t take more shots down the field when you see Fromm do this, but there are times where he is completely off the mark when it comes to his accuracy down the field. Fromm also isn’t the best athlete, so it’s hard for him to make plays out of the pocket and make things happen on the move. He needs the pocket to be mostly clean so he can find areas to step up.

It’s worth noting that D’Andre Swift had a big game, so Georgia didn’t ask Fromm to do too much and play hero ball. However, while the processing and decision making is there, the lack of downfield ability is going to make teams hesitate. It was more of the same this week for Fromm.