Read on Twitter
Bit of a thread upcoming on Jalen Hurts who’s obviously enjoying a tremendous season under Lincoln Riley. With all the Lamar Jackson success it’s easy to fall into the trap of trying to find the “next Lamar Jackson”. Stop right there. He’s a one-off. Just find YOUR GUY.
So is that guy Jalen Hurts? If Stephen Ross banged the table for Jackson, would he do the same for the Oklahoma QB? He might. But I doubt even his fairly amateur scouting eye would see the same player. Because they’re not. Here’s why.......
Let’s start with the good: I’ve now seen every play of his this year. Trust me, he’s an exciting player. Good arm. Tough. Great vision as a runner, electric acceleration, throws an extremely catchable ball, great runner, pocket manipulator. Good feet. There is a but coming.....
I want to love him. But you watch & he simply doesn’t make enough “NFL throws”. I rarely saw a tight window throw. I rarely saw a back shoulder ball. Is that a product of the system? Possibly. He doesn’t have great deep ball accuracy - which isn’t a huge issue for me. But even so
Perhaps my biggest issue is his biggest strength: He runs a LOT. But he takes way too many hits. Way too many. He won’t last a season in the NFL if he plays to his strengths. And if he’s not playing to his strengths then what is he? Every game he takes 15 unnecessary hits.
Another issue for me is something Tua told me he’d been forced to learn between 2018/2019, & that was, “don’t be Superman every play”. Jalen rarely concedes on a down. He wants to make something happen & so he forces throws. Or he keeps scrambling till he’s sacked & loses yards.
Here’s a perfect example. There’s nothing there. Put it in the stands. Throw it into the bleachers. Live for another down. Understand situational football. Just don’t throw across your body into traffic off your back foot whilst falling away. Don’t ever do th........oh Jalen.
This next throw doesn’t happen very often but it’s symptomatic of his Alabama days: this is the easiest completion you could possibly want. This is all down to bad feet and bad mechanics. Identifies the blitz, has TWO guys wide open & misses the easiest slant you’ll see.
Here’s an example of more of what you’d see on a Sunday. And on first look it’s a nice ball. But second replay is the tell-tale. Stares down his man, the ball is late & in the NFL this is getting picked. Imagine it’s Marcus Peters at CB & not a Kansas sophomore.
There’s a lot in the mechanics of that last throw to like: tall in the pocket, senses backside pressure & uses his feet to create space & give himself a crucial half second. The ball’s a rope. It just needs to be better. That’ll be the biggest question: how much better can he be?
Here’s two examples of him using his feet & athletic ability to move the pocket, create space & let his WR’s get open. How much of an opportunity will he get for this in the NFL? Here he sees zone, moves the pocket to allow Lamb to fill the dead area & a nice touch throw for six.
Here’s the second. Again, he loves falling away to his right & throwing. How many LDE’s are going to allow him this time? How many DC’s will see this & blitz the left CB? But if Tua makes this play then everyone’s tumescent. And as I said, he throws beautifully catchable passes.
So what about Sunday throws? Here’s a couple of the better examples. Good ball to the wide side of the field, between two men. Not his fault it was dropped. Seam buster in the face of a blitz (which was well picked up & identified by Trey Sermon) & only his man has a shot.
Here’s another. Again, he stands up in the face of pressure. This is not Tyler Huntley who flees the pocket as soon as his first read isn’t there. This is a terrific throw fitted in to his man who does him no favours. Comeback route with LB help closing in quickly. Downside?
Yes there’s a downside here: once again he’s not manipulating defenders with his eye work which means the cover backer might not even be in the vicinity if he’s cannier with his eyes. But it’s a strong throw zipped in.
This is a good throw. It’s not high in danger: The actual “throw” is a simple one. But the manipulation with the fake & the footwork are what makes this. He works his guy open because of what he does after the snap & before the pass. Lovely feet, power generated through thighs.
Remember, like any good club boxer let alone a World Champion, a good QB generates his throwing power - just as with a great punch - through thighs and hips. Perfect example on that last video.
Two more for you. Here’s a good deep ball with touch and accuracy, the only person who can make the catch is Charleston Rambo. Big boy NFL throw.
And leave the best till last. Nothing much needs to be said here. Just a terrific throw.
So to sum up: He’s exciting as a QB. He has elite quickness as a runner although not LJ’s speed. He’s tall & patient with a strong arm. And he ticks all the off field boxes. He has “it” in that regard. But as a R1 QB for Miami? I don’t see it. I don’t.
Why? It would need someone to do what Greg Roman has done & make the offense totally Jalen-proof. Is that what we do? I don’t think so. Would I take him in round three? And can he develop even more? I think yes to both. Which is what makes him a fascinating study.
He’s great fun to watch & a tremendous kid. But I have some issues with him as a franchise QB related to his lack of NFL throws and the amount of punishment he takes. He’s a special human being. And it’s a very tough call to make. Anyway, interested to hear what you think. Simon
