Top 10 Quarterbacks in the 2020 NFL Draft: No. 3 Justin Herbert, Oregon

History

In this year’s Senior Bowl practices, reports indicated early on that Herbert had absolutely outperformed expectations for the NFL scouts and coaches present. In the Senior Bowl itself, Herbert reminded everyone watching why so many draft analysts had him neck and neck with Murray in the 2019 NFL Draft quarterback rankings.

Herbert started his 2020 NFL Draft journey in Eugene, Oregon where he was born and raised. Living in the same city as the Oregon Ducks, Herbert grew up a fan of the school’s football team.

For Herbert, Oregon must have represented a level of college football excellence that very few schools can compete with. Since Herbert was born in 1998, the program has only had two seasons with a losing record, according to Sports-Reference.com. The team is regularly playing Bowl games at the end of the season and is often in the National Championship conversation.

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Coming out of high school Herbert was not a highly coveted recruiting prospect, as 247Sports labeled Herbert a three-star recruit. Ranked the twenty-fifth best quarterback in the 2016 recruiting class, Oregon was the only major football program in the country to offer him a spot on the team.

A polymath athlete in high school, Herbert played a variety of sports including basketball and baseball. According to Maxpreps.com, Herbert finished his senior season in high school with a 66 percent completion rate, along with 2,915 yards passing and 36 touchdowns to just three interceptions.

The first two seasons for Herbert in Oregon were both abridged seasons, as he did not start as a freshman until halfway through the 2016 season. In 2017, Herbert played only eight games, having to miss a large chunk of the season with an injury.

Despite only playing eight games in 2016 and 2017, Herbert was still able to show solid development, as both seasons saw him pass for nearly 2,000 yards with a 66 percent completion rate. He may have had to sit out a large chunk of 2017, but people started to take a see the potential rising in the young quarterback.

In 2018 Herbert played his first full season, racking up 29 passing touchdowns, 2 rushing touchdowns and 3,151 yards passing. It was the first season of Herbert playing under head coach Mario Cristobal, his third head coach in his third season. Despite the turnover in coaching, Herbert was able to lead the Ducks to a 9-4 record and win in the Redbox Bowl.

During the 2018 season, Herbert was able to show solid improvement in Cristobal’s system, improving both his passing numbers and time to throw statistics.

Statistically speaking, 2019 was Herbert’s best season from a production standpoint. Herbert scored 32 touchdowns to just 6 interceptions and threw for 3,417 yards, with a 66 percent completion rate, all career bests for Herbert. Oregon finished first in the PAC-12 North and won both the PAC-12 Championship against the Utah Utes and the Rose Bowl against Wisconsin.

The expectation going into the 2019 season was that Herbert would prove he was an elite quarterback, worthy of a top spot in the 2020 NFL Draft. That, with a second season under Cristobal, he could lead Oregon on a championship run, possibly to the National Championship game and finish his college career on a high note.

While falling short of his ultimate mission, Herbert was still able to win a Pac-12 Championship for the Ducks. Herbert was named Offensive MVP during the Rose Bowl and was able to put together a solid season on film for his 2020 NFL Draft review.