NFL Draft 2020 - Early Round Quarterback Previews
With the NFL draft only a few weeks away (if it isn't pushed back), that means that it's time to start diving into the possibilities in the upcoming draft. The 2020 quarterback class is absolutely stacked, but unfortunately, there's only five teams that need a quarterback (Patriots, Dolphins, Bengals, Chargers and Colts) and only four of those will most likely be actively hunting for their future starter in the draft as the Chargers have made things fairly clear that the starting position will be Tyrod Taylor's to lose.
The Bengals hold the coveted first pick in the draft, and LSU quarterback and Heisman winner Joe Burrow will almost certainly be their pick. Burrow should be a good fit for their system, and with veteran Andy Dalton still on the roster despite being actively mentioned in trade talks, he could learn from the veteran gunslinger and grow even more. The biggest issue I have with this draft pick is that it will be all for nothing if Cincinnati doesn't also plug their offensive line. They gave up 48 sacks last season, or three a game, and this won't translate into success with a rookie quarterback.
The next quarterback expected to be taken off the board is Alabama Crimson Tide southpaw Tua Tagovailoa. There's a lot of speculation where Tua's future home in the NFL will be, and the Patriots and Dolphins have both been mentioned as potential candidates to trade up to select him. Tagovailoa participated in a voluntary medical "re-check" which was "overwhelmingly positive". The interesting thing in the case of Tua is that it isn't out of the question for Washington (2nd pick), Detroit (3rd pick) or the Dolphins (5th pick) to all possibly select the former Crimson Tide player.
Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert has also been mentioned as possibly being selected before Tagovailoa. There have been reports that multiple teams are more eager to pick Herbert due to the relative unknowns that come with Tua as he is coming off an injury. I personally believe that Herbert is the most solid draft pick available at the quarterback position as his pocket presence has always appeared NFL ready. The Chargers have been thrown around as potential draft candidates which would create competition with Taylor. Some experts are also mentioning Miami and Jacksonville as potential future homes for the former Duck as well.
Jordan Love from Utah State is the fourth and last quhttp://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001108057/article/saints-packers-virtually-visiting-with-qb-jordan-lovearterback expected to be taken in the first round. He has been one of the more quiet options available, especially the ones expected to be first round picks. Love had a nice season at Utah State last year. He threw for 3,402 yards which was eighth in the NCAA, and he carried a 20 touchdown to 17 interceptions ratio. If he can cut back on the interceptions, Love could translate into a superstar in the league. He's been drawing interest from a lot of teams including the Saints, Packers, Chargers, Raiders, Dolphins and Colts per Ian Rapoport.
