2020 NFL Draft: CeeDee Lamb is WR1 in this first-round mock draft
Scouting Report. Quarterback. 12. 87. Pick Analysis. Oklahoma. Jalen Hurts. player
With the Carolina Panthers looking more and more likely to move on from Cam Newton this offseason and watching Kyle Allen struggle mightily after his hot start as the starter, I’m beginning to think that they will be open to drafting a quarterback in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft if the guy that they like is there.
A guy that makes a lot of sense to me is Jalen Hurts. Hurts is the most dynamic dual-threat quarterback in this class. Can you imagine a read option with Jalen Hurts and Christian McCaffrey?! Just think about that for a second.
The Panthers are another team that has a ton of talent on both sides of the ball but underperformed to the point where their head coach was fired and they are picking in the top 12 in the 2020 NFL Draft. Can a weapon like Hurts elevate that team back into contention?
Hurts has been incredible this season for the Sooners after transferring from Alabama. Everyone knew that Hurts could hurt you with his legs, but he has truly become a polished passer in just a short time with Lincoln Riley in Norman. He has thrown for over 3,600 yards this year with 32 passing touchdowns and just seven interceptions. He throws a beautiful deep ball and is continue to improve his accuracy on intermediate throws.
As a runner, Hurts has been equally as dominant. He has totaled over 1,200 yards on the ground with 18 rushing touchdowns. He has even caught a touchdown this season. In Carolina, Hurts could fill the role in many plays that a younger and healthier Cam Newton once did. While he is not as big and powerful as Newton, Hurts is more elusive.
I really don’t think it’s that big of a stretch to say that Hurts’ style of play resembles that of likely NFL MVP Lamar Jackson. Both carry the ball like a running back but have shown vast improvement as passers.
With their current head coaching vacancy, could Carolina lure Ravens offensive coordinator to the Panthers to become their new head coach? I doubt Roman will leave at this point but it would be awesome to see what Roman could do with the current Panthers roster and a guy like Hurts, or even a healthy Cam Newton.
If the Panthers do opt to move on from Newton, I would love to see them take a swing at Jalen Hurts. If they could bring in a creative offensive coach that could effectively utilize Hurts’ talent, they could be a very dangerous team going forward.