First up in our Rookie Review series we discuss Quarterbacks. All told, there were 13 QBs taken in the draft with 4 going in the first round.
Joe Burrow 1.1 Unsurprisingly, Burrow went to the Bengals. They tagged A.J. Green, and drafted Tee Higgins. He’ll have tons of talent surrounding him but I am concerned about the O-Line since one of his weaknesses is taking unnecessary sacks. They did invest heavily in DEF through free agency and the draft, which should help them get off the field more. It’s going to take time for this unit to gel, but if things go well by mid season we could see some consistent fantasy output. 2021 will be the year to get your piece of this team. Other noted weaknesses include issues picking out disguised blitzes, below average arm strength, and accuracy issues outside the numbers. He may need to be a scheme QB.
Tua Tagovailoa 1.5 Tagovailoa was drafted by the Dolphins, and frankly that is probably his best landing spot. The big question here is his hip. They drafted 3 O-Linemen and brought in Ereck Flowers to protect him as well. With the addition of a powerful and efficient backfield in Howard and Breida, this should give him all the protection he needs. However, I did notice a lack of offensive weapons in the draft so it seems like Parker and Geiski are in for some work. They’ve also invested heavily in the DEF which should help get them off the field. On the other hand, Tua has some injury concerns beyond his hip. He’s had two ankle surgeries, a broken nose, and a concussion along with the hip surgery. He does hurry his throws when under moderate pressure, but has issues under throwing WRs and not anticipating throws well. There may even be talks of him not starting this season.
Justin Herbert 1.6 Taken by the Chargers, this seems like a trap pick. They have all the Offensive weapons and made some O-Line moves in the off season. Currently he needs to beat out Tyrod Taylor to get the job. Considering he’s a first rounder, it won’t be long before the fans demand it, especially if Taylor is flat out of the gate, which he will be. However, Herbert has some issues that need to be ironed out, most of which center around the fact he’s actually a robot! Look at those cold dead eyes! If they can make him more lively and help him get the ball out quicker, he has all the physical and mental talents to make it. Be that as it may, I don’t think the Chargers are the best team for him.
Jordan Love 1.26 This is very intriguing. If I recall correctly, they even traded up to get Love. It certainly feels like they are trying to make a run in the next 2 seasons because they will probably use their out in 2022 on Rodgers. Although what is really shocking is the lack of Offensive talent being brought aboard to support this long term plan. I also don’t understand the RB addition in AJ Dillion of all backs. Love has some serious weaknesses including interceptions, telegraphing throws, Tim Tebow throws, accuracy, ball placement, and questionable decision making. This may very well blow up in GB’s face.
Jalen Hurts 2.21 Taken by the Eagles, this to me is an indictment on Wentz. Hurts just found ways to win wherever he went; Wentz seems to get hurt every year. They don’t have an out till 2022 but will probably try to trade him à la Foles. The Eagles added a top WR, and invested in DEF and O-Line in the draft and Free Agency. If things shake out well this could be a long term spot for Hurts. Some of the knocks for Hurts include patience, rhythm, missing check downs, and making WRs slow down. With his dual threat nature and PHI ability to develop QBs, he could turn into something amazing like a Vick.
Jacob Eason 4.16 Drafted by the Colts in the 4th round, this kid got one hell of a lotto ticket. It appears to me the Colts are setting themselves up for long term success in the coming years. If Eason can learn behind Rivers he’ll have the best O-Line in the game, a budding DEF, and a strong running game to support him. Add in a solid but growing WR corp and he could turn into a fantasy QB darling. His main weaknesses are things the Colts have schemed out. These include setups for throws that take too long, ineffective under duress, and below average escapability. Actually reminds me of Rivers.
James Morgan 4.19 I don’t know who this is and it’s even more interesting the Jets took him in the 4th. I feel like Gase was brought in to tank the team. They’ll waste Darnold’s potential and Morgan’s. They did add Mims who should replace Anderson nicely, but they seemed more interested in adding DEF and O-Line pieces. I imagine he was brought in as a better quality backup as the ones they had last year were atrocious.
Jake Fromm 5.22 It’s interesting he dropped so far as I was rather high on him. He also didn’t land in the best spot considering Allen is very entrenched as the starter. But, since he loves to run and lower his head, this could be a move to get themselves a better class of backup. Outside of that, the Bills have tons of weapons on offense and a good O-Line so this could be a good spot if things go Fromm’s way. Issues he has include arm talent is below average, and he lacks size and speed. He relies on timing routes too often and had accuracy issues the final year at UGA.