Who might be a sleeper at QB in the 2020 NFL draft?
EDITOR’S NOTE: What the Raiders plan to do at quarterback remains an open question. With that in mind, this is the first in an occasional series on the top quarterback prospects in the NFL draft, from the least to the most high profile.
As is the case most years, the 2020 NFL draft is headlined by the top-tier talent at quarterback. Presumptive No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow of LSU, Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa, Oregon’s Justin Herbert and Utah State’s Jordan Love all have a strong chance to be selected in the first round.
But in most draft classes, there’s an example of a quarterback or two selected in the lower rounds who still makes a clear impact on his team — whether in his first year or a little further down the road.
Last season, that player was Gardner Minshew. After going from community college to East Carolina to Washington State, Minshew became a Jaguars sixth-round draft pick in 2019. He went on to start 12 games, leading the team to a 6-6 record while throwing 21 touchdown passes and just six interceptions.
Jake Fromm, Jacob Eason, Jalen Hurts, James Morgan and Steven Montez are five quarterbacks who could fit that mold in this draft. They all have been starters and had at least some success at the collegiate level. But at this point, they do not appear to be Day 1 starters as they enter the league.
JAKE FROMM, GEORGIA
HEIGHT-WEIGHT: 6-foot-2, 219 pounds.
STRENGTHS: Fromm is one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the draft class, having started for three years. A former five-star recruit, Fromm has a strong knowledge of the game and can diagnose plays at the line of scrimmage. He’s at his best when working short to intermediate routes.
WEAKNESSES: Fromm doesn’t have elite arm strength and occasionally struggles when pushing the ball down the field. He isn’t the most athletic of the quarterbacks in the class and sometimes has difficulty when the pocket breaks down and he is asked to create plays. His hand size, at 8⅞ inches, could also be a cause for concern, raising potential ball security issues in the NFL.
AVAILABILITY: Second- or third-round pick
FIT AS A RAIDER: Fromm would fit more as a developmental pick for the Raiders if they elected to sign an older quarterback, like Tom Brady, in free agency. While Fromm has plenty of experience playing big-time college football, he still would likely have an adjustment period to excel in head coach Jon Gruden’s offensive system.
JACOB EASON, WASHINGTON
HEIGHT-WEIGHT: 6-foot-6, 231 pounds.
STRENGTHS: Eason has prototypical size for a quarterback and the arm strength to go along with it. His deep-passing accuracy is one of his best traits, especially when throwing off play-action. He is willing to stand in the pocket and deliver a throw even when things might not be perfect around him. His high ceiling will likely be enticing for talent evaluators.
WEAKNESSES: Eason appears to have only one speed for his throws and that’s a fastball. He will need to work on his touch for intermediate routes at the highest level. Part of that is because he has limited starting experience, which makes him raw.
AVAILABILITY: Second-round pick
FIT AS A RAIDER: Eason would be another solid young quarterback to pair behind an older free-agent type. If the Raiders would like to push the ball downfield more, he would be a good choice based on his deep-passing ability. But he’ll likely need time to adjust to the NFL, especially considering his lack of starting experience.
JALEN HURTS, OKLAHOMA
HEIGHT-WEIGHT: 6-foot-1, 222 pounds.
STRENGTHS: Hurts is a mobile quarterback who can make plays with his arm and his legs. At best, he projects as a younger Russel Wilson-type — someone who can get outside the pocket, elude tacklers and make something out of nothing by extending the play.
WEAKNESSES: His accuracy throwing the ball is inconsistent, particularly on deep throws. Sometimes his receivers would have to wait for the ball to get to them. Also, ball security is an issue. Hurts fumbled 25 times and lost 14 — including six lost fumbles in 2019.
AVAILABILITY: Third- or fourth-round pick
FIT AS A RAIDER: The Raiders would need to change much of their offense if they selected Hurts and inserted him as a starter. But Hurts has plenty of experience and may be able to process the Gruden offense sooner than some of the other options available. Plus, Gruden reportedly had eyes for another former Oklahoma QB, Kyler Murray, in last year’s draft. It’s possible, but not entirely probable that the Raiders go after Hurts.
JAMES MORGAN, FIU
HEIGHT-WEIGHT: 6-foot-4, 229 pounds.
STRENGTHS: Morgan has a strong arm and can place the ball in tight windows. With his size, he can take a hit in the pocket and still deliver a pass with zip. He only threw 12 interceptions in his last two seasons, showing he can avoid turnovers.
WEAKNESSES: With his arm strength, he sometimes lacks touch on short to intermediate throws. His footwork and fundamentals in his lower body throwing the ball also need to become more consistent for success at the highest level.
AVAILABILITY: Fourth- to sixth-round pick.
FIT AS A RAIDER: Morgan would be another project for Gruden to develop. He’s probably best suited as a backup for at least the first couple years of his career in order to learn the offense and also develop more touch for shorter and intermediate throws.
STEVEN MONTEZ, COLORADO
HEIGHT-WEIGHT: 6-foot-4, 231 pounds
STRENGTHS: Montez has the prototypical size evaluators like in a quarterback. He has experience as well, having been a three-year starter at Colorado, passing for 63 touchdowns in all. He displayed decent accuracy as well, completing 62.4 percent of his throws.
WEAKNESSES: He leveled off and didn’t necessarily show improvement in the latter stages of his college career. Montez had five passes that were intercepted and returned for touchdowns at Colorado. He also can sometimes lead receivers into tough collisions with defenders.
AVAILABILITY: Fifth- to seventh-round pick
FIT AS A RAIDER: If “Once a Raider, always a Raider” applies, Montez is already in the family in some ways. His father Alfred, a quarterback, was on the team’s roster for a season in 1996 but never appeared in a game. As for the on-field fit, Montez would be a developmental project who doesn’t necessarily appear to have that high of a ceiling. He would make the most sense as a pick if the Raiders decide to keep Derek Carr as their starter and develop a backup behind him.
Contact Myles Simmons at msimmons@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0350. Follow @MylesASimmons on Twitter.
