NFL QB breakdown: Burrow, Tua highlight top-heavy class | TribLIVE.com
TribLive Logo
| Back | Text Size:
https://triblive.com/sports/nfl-qb-breakdown-burrow-tua-highlight-top-heavy-class/

NFL QB breakdown: Burrow, Tua highlight top-heavy class

Joe Rutter
| Saturday, April 11, 2020 4:38 p.m.
AP
Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is the biggest wild card in the 2020 NFL Draft, coming off a devastating hip injury that cut short his final season with the Crimson Tide.

The 2020 NFL Draft is April 23-25. Each day leading up to the first round, the Tribune-Review is compiling a positional preview of the top draft prospects.

1. Joe Burrow

LSU, 6-3, 221

Barring a complete change of heart, the Bengals will select Burrow with the No. 1 overall pick. This was a foregone conclusion before Burrow completed LSU’s run to the national championship. Burrow won all of the major awards, including the Heisman Trophy, while becoming the nation’s premier passer. He led the country with 5,671 passing yards, 6,039 yards of total offense and a 76.3% completion percentage. He also set an NCAA record with 60 TD passes.

2. Tua Tagovailoa

Alabama, 6-0, 217

The biggest wild card in the draft, Tagovailoa arguably has more tools than any quarterback in the draft, but nobody knows when he will be able to take the field in 2020. A devastating hip injury cut short his final season at Alabama, and the team that drafts him should expect to sit Tagovailoa so he can continue his recovery. Tagovailoa was the SEC Player of the Year in 2018 when he passed for 3,966 yards and 43 touchdowns in his last full season. Last year, he threw 33 touchdown passes in nine starts prior to his injury.

3. Justin Herbert

Oregon, 6-6, 236

Herbert’s comparison on his NFL Draft profile page is Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz, which speaks volumes about his potential. As a senior, Herbert led the Ducks to the Rose Bowl and a victory against Wisconsin. He passed for 3,471 yards and 32 touchdowns against six interceptions. He also had five rushing touchdowns.

4. Jordan Love

Utah State, 6-4, 224

Love left the Mountain West school with a year of eligibility remaining and not without some controversy. He was cited for marijuana possession in December — the case was dismissed a month later — and he led all FBS quarterbacks with 17 interceptions last season. Love did throw for 3,402 yards and 20 touchdowns, a step down from his production as a sophomore. In 2018, Love was eighth in the nation with 32 touchdown passes while passing for 3,567 yards.

5. Jacob Eason

Washington, 6-6, 231

The national Gatorade Player of the Year in high school while growing up in Seattle, Eason committed to Georgia and started as a true freshman. An injury the next year opened the door for Jake Fromm to take over as starter, and Eason transferred back home after playing in five games in 2018. In his lone year at Washington, Eason passed for 3,132 yards and 23 touchdowns.

6. Jalen Hurts

Oklahoma, 6-1, 222

Hurts excelled at two of the premier schools in the country, starring at Alabama early in his college career before transferring to Oklahoma after Tua Tagovailoa snatched the job away from him in the second half of the 2017 national championship game. Hurts made the most of his one season at Oklahoma, where he was tasked with following in the footsteps of Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray. Hurts led the Sooners to the Big 12 title and completed nearly 70% of his passes for 3,851 yards and 32 touchdowns. He also rushed for 1,298 yards and 20 touchdowns.

7. Jake Fromm

Georgia, 6-2, 219

An injury to Jacob Eason opened the door for Fromm to start for the Bulldogs as a freshman in 2017, and he led Georgia to the national championship game. He started every game as a sophomore when he ranked fifth in the nation in passing efficiency. Fromm declared for the draft after his junior season when passed for 2,860 yards and 24 touchdowns in 14 games.

8. James Morgan

Florida International, 6-4, 229

Morgan grew up in Green Bay and emulated quarterbacks Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers. His college career was spent at two non-Power 5 schools: Bowling Green and Florida International. Morgan lost his starting job as a sophomore at Bowling Green, which prompted his transfer. He threw a school-record 26 touchdown passes as a junior, but his production dropped to 14 touchdowns passes in his senior year.

9. Nate Stanley

Iowa, 6-4, 235

For better or worse, Stanley’s NFL comparison is Steelers backup Mason Rudolph. At Iowa, Stanley developed into a three-year starter, although he never had a 60% completion percentage in any of those seasons. Stanley threw 26 touchdown passes in back-to-back seasons before being limited to 16 as a senior. He also was a three-time captain for the Hawkeyes.

10. Anthony Gordon

Washington State, 6-2, 205

It took four years for Gordon to get on the field at Washington State and run coach Mike Leach’s “Air Raid” offense. After losing the starting job to Gardner Minshew in 2018, Gordon didn’t waste any time in his lone season as a starter. He led the nation with 689 pass attempts and 493 completions while finishing fourth with a 71.6% completion percentage. He also finished second to Joe Burrow with 5,579 yards and 48 touchdown passes.

Best fit for Steelers

Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma

Hurts gets the nod only because he’s the quarterback that national draft analysts keep attaching to the Steelers. It makes for a nice story but likely would only happen if Hurts somehow tumbled into the fourth round.


Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)