The Top Five Quarterbacks in the 2020 NFL Draft

We are now sixteen days away from the 2020 NFL draft which features a very talented group of quarterbacks. Last year Thomas Smith and I created our own top-five rankings for the top quarterbacks in the 2019 class and I’m going to do the same for this year’s quarterback class. Without further ado, here are the top-five quarterbacks in the 2020 NFL draft.

5. Jake Fromm, Georgia

I don’t love any of the quarterbacks outside my top four, but I think Fromm has the highest floor out of any of them. Jake Fromm doesn’t have a big arm and he isn’t going to win games by making tough throws that only a handful of quarterbacks can make, but he is smart and he doesn’t make many mistakes. Fromm could’ve been in the top four of this class, but he got worse every season after his freshman year and was underwhelming this season. I could see Fromm becoming an average starter someday, but it’s more likely he’ll be a solid career backup. To be quite honest there is a massive gap from my top four quarterbacks and everyone else.

4. Justin Herbert, Oregon

I’m not as high as on Herbert as some people, but his talent is undeniable. He has one of the strongest arms in the class and boy does it show up on film. The way he drives the ball down the field is unbelievable. What frustrates me about Herbert is his inconsistency. One play he overthrows a simple out route and the next he makes a throw that only a handful of quarterbacks on this planet can make. It drives me crazy. He did play in a boring offense at Oregon, but does that excuse his mechanical issues and inability to throw with anticipation? I don’t think so. At his best Herbert is one of the two best quarterbacks in this draft, but at his worst, he looks like a bust. Perhaps he can reach his full potential with some coaching and a good system around him but after three years of little improvement in college, you can see why I’m hesitant to put him in the top three.

3. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama

Tua is a really good quarterback. He’s accurate, has good arm strength, and has a high football I.Q. What else could you want in a quarterback? What’s not to love about him? There are two reasons why Tua isn’t in my top two.

1. He’s injury-prone and 2. He didn’t make many tough throws at Alabama.

In the last two years, Tua suffered two high ankle sprains, which had negative impacts on his play in some pretty meaningful games, and a gruesome hip dislocation. I believe Tua is 100% healthy right now, but I fear he will continue to get injured because of his aggressive back yard football play style. He likes to escape the pocket and extend plays which isn’t a huge issue, but he’s a little small and keeps getting hurt by taking unnecessary hits. Another thing that worries me about Tua is the lack of NFL level throws on his film. I saw plenty of tough throws into tight windows by Justin Herbert, Joe Burrow, and Jordan Love, but not many from Tua Tagovailoa. I’m skeptical whether or not he’ll be able to pull the trigger if a throwing window is extremely tight. Tua has the talent to be in my top two, but his injuries scare me.

2. Jordan Love, Utah State

Please don’t make the mistake of looking at Jordan Love’s 2019 stats and calling him trash for his underwhelming 20 touchdowns and 17 interceptions this season. He had a brand new coaching staff and lost a lot of weapons from the season before where he threw for 3,567 yards, 32 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. When you look at statistics you have to provide context for them and when you do that for Love you realize why he went from having a really good year in 2018 to an abysmal one in 2019. Here’s the main issue Jordan Love has; he’s a pretty bad decision-maker. There were some interceptions he threw this year where I thought “what are you doing?” Watch the Wake Forest game and you’ll see what I mean. I think Love was possibly trying to compensate for his inexperienced teammates by attempting some insane throws because he wants to win. No one wants to lose and him making some dangerous throws to improve Utah State’s chance of winning games would explain why his interceptions were so high. That’s my theory.

Although Jordan Love’s decision making can be shaky at times, he is still a special quarterback. His mechanics are fantastic, he has great arm strength, he’s accurate, he can throw with touch and power, and he can make throws into very tight windows. I wish we could’ve seen him in a more creative offense with better teammates because I think the perception of him would be very different. There are some throws he made off-platform and on the run that were reminiscent of Patrick Mahomes. He isn’t as talented as Mahomes, obviously, but he has shown the ability to make plays off-script when everything falls apart. I love that part of his game and it’s why I think so highly of him. If you keep Jordan Love on the bench for a year or two and let him learn the quarterback position from a veteran, he can be a superstar. My advice is to be patient with Love and allow him to grow and reach his full potential.

1. Joe Burrow, LSU

Joe Burrow is easily the best quarterback in the 2020 NFL draft. He is extremely accurate, makes plays with his legs, throws his receivers open, and is amazing when plays break down. Out of all the quarterbacks in this year’s class, Burrow is the only one whose passer rating got better under pressure. That’s absolutely mindblowing. Joe Burrow is arguably the best in the class when plays break down. He can move out of the pocket and make difficult throws on the run with incredible accuracy. Watch the playoff semifinal vs. Oklahoma and you’ll see what I mean. Burrow’s accuracy, decision making, and ability to execute even when plays break down are what make him the best quarterback in this class in my eyes. He can step in and be a quality starter day one. I think he has the potential to consistently be a top ten quarterback in the NFL and I will be shocked if he ends up being a bust.