Top 10 Quarterbacks in the 2020 NFL Draft: No. 7 Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma

Film Review

In 2019, Hurts started off strong for the Sooners, breaking multiple school records, according to his Sooner profile. Hurts started the season off strong with a 7-0 record, before a heartbreaking loss to Kansas State.

Watching Hurts reminds me a lot of Cam Newton coming out of the snap. Just the way he leans forward as he drops back, leaning his weight forward as he scans the field. Hurts always looks like he is ready to take off and run down the field. That is a great technique to keep defenses honest and safeties guessing.

His throwing motions are outstanding and since transferring to Oklahoma, Hurts has made his throws look much faster and crisper. Hurts has great arm strength and can get the ball to all corners of the field. His pocket presence is also outstanding, although that comes with the territory of being a dual-threat quarterback.

When Hurts runs, instead of scampering out of the pocket and tiptoeing against the sideline like many dual-threat quarterbacks, Hurts barrels down the field, protecting the ball and attempting to stiff-arm the defensive backs in his way. At 6-foot-2, 219 pounds, Hurts isn’t overly imposing with his size, but he is strong and athletic enough to protect the ball while running.

Hurts is the prototypical dual-threat quarterback and because of his ability to extend plays and gain yards on the ground, Hurts puts up impressive offensive statistics. In 2019, Hurts put up an impressive 5,149 yards in total offense, second-best in Sooners history.

Where Hurts struggles on film is his consistency on deep passes. While Hurts has the strength to get passes deep downfield, he lacks accuracy on times. His passes tend to land in the general vicinity of receivers instead of placing the ball where only the receiver can get it.

I watched multiple throws this past season where Hurts got bailed out by high-end talent on the Sooners roster. Players like CeeDee Lamb and others on the offense could reliably bring in those less than ideal throws.

It can be difficult at times to differentiate a quarterbacks skills with that of his receivers. But after watching several games worth of Hurts throws, I worry about what his passing completions would look like on a team with less skilled receivers.

Hurts also has a tendency to leave the pocket far earlier than is advisable. Because of his tendency to run, safeties and linebackers will stay downfield, preparing for Hurts to take off downfield. So when Hurts exits the pocket before it is necessary, he invites defensive players to make plays on him.

His overall running style scares me, as he rarely slides or moves towards the sideline when a defensive hit in imminent, opting to lower his shoulder and push for the extra yards. The dual-threat quarterback is back in style in the NFL, with players like Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes making it look like free yards whenever they take off.

The difference between Hurts and these players is both Jackson and Mahomes lean towards using the sideline for safety and will step out once the defense has caught up with them. Or, if they choose to run in the interior of the field, they will slide when facing a hit. Hurts lowering his shoulders and challenging the defense at the point of contact is an injury waiting to happen.

After three seasons of playing in college, Hurts still relies far too often on running the ball himself and has not changed much of his style of throwing since he was a freshman. That concerns me, as it makes me wonder how much he could develop in the NFL and whether his style of play will change once he is facing far tougher and more physical defenses.

After watching multiple games worth of Hurts’ footage, I can say he may the most driven quarterback in the 2020 NFL Draft. He does not give up on a play and will choose to run it himself rather than toss the ball away.

But it is that same drive that will cause him problems in the NFL. His lack of deep ball accuracy will make him far more susceptible to turnovers against zone defenses and underneath defenders. His propensity to exit the pocket early makes delayed blitzes from slot cornerbacks and strong safeties a strong defensive deterrent. And his unwillingness to slide or use the sideline invites injuries down the road that could seriously shorten his young career.

When he transferred to Oklahoma, I had hoped to see some improvement in these areas, as Lincoln Riley has pumped out exceptional quarterbacks over the years from his program. But with only one year of eligibility left and a talented offense ready to leave for the NFL in 2020 as well, it appears that it was easier to rely on Hurts as he was, rather than ask him to change his style or develop him.

In five years, I might look back at this list and kick myself for not ranking him higher. He has an amazing arm, athletic abilities to spare and the strength to make the deep pass. He has the drive, energy and tenacity to succeed which leads me to believe he can overcome issues in the NFL if he is properly coached.

Calling him a “developmental” quarterback in the 2020 NFL Draft would be too simple and inaccurate. But Hurts does have bad quarterback habits that will need to be coached out of him if he hopes to succeed in the NFL.

There is something to be said about a man who can reach the highest level of college football as a freshman and sophomore, then hand the reins to another athlete younger than him. Then, do nothing but talk about how great this other quarterback is.

Hurts backed up Tua all throughout the 2018 season and never said a bad word once, always ending every interview talking about the team and helping Tua be the best quarterback he can be. Hurts is a class act.

There is even more to be said about a man who then transfers and starts all over in a new school, with new fans, with a new head coach with a complex system and brings that team back to the playoffs in his first season there.

Some people acted like Hurts had a down season in 2019, even though Oklahoma finished fourth-ranked in the AP Poll and lost to a historically great LSU team in the Peach Bowl. In the 2020 NFL Draft, no other quarterback has worked as hard as Hurts has, having to learn two, complicated systems in college football.

If he can get to an NFL team that embraces his style of play and works on his accuracy down the field, the sky’s the limit for Hurts.