NFL Draft 2020 - Football Film Fight Volume 2 Part 4 - Quarterbacks

The Most Important Position in Sports

The quarterback is the unquestioned leader of the offense and in many cases, the team.  Despite football being the ultimate team sport, the signal caller takes the credit for wins and losses. This year's crop of quarterbacks has some solid prospects but whio among them is number one?  Let's look at them with this Quarterback Football Film Fight!

As always we take the first Mel Kiper post season Top 10 QB list for this draft and pit them against each other head to head.  I view 3 games for each (for this QB fight, looking only at 2019 games) starting with #9 and #10. Winner moves on to face the next challenger.

Round 1:  #10 "Flash" Gordon vs. #9 "Captain" Morgan

Gordon Notes:

• Washington State Career 
• JUCO- CA state championship winner and game MVP. 
• Started 13 games his senior year (appeared in 15 games)
• Set school and conference records for passing TDs, passing yards total offense and completions. 
• All-Pac12 (2nd Team)
• High School 
• All State (CA) as a senior.
• Senior year set regional record with 4,899 passing yards and 49 TDs
• Lettered 3 times in baseball.

Viewed -  Oregon 2019, Washington 2019 and Oregon State 2019 - The good...not even halfway into Oregon and he is really, really interesting.  He delivers the ball in stride.  Actually goes through progressions.  vs Oregon State - he was dead on for most of the game but then had a lapse. Came back to win the game but he was up and down.  The ugly...I don't recognize the guy vs. Washington.  All over the place.  Behind receivers all day.

vs.

Morgan Notes:

• Florida International Graduate Career 
• Started all games both years at FIU. 
• Set single season TD pass record (26) during school's best season ever (9 wins). 
• Earned all conference honors Junior year.
• Bowling Green - started 13 games (playing in 19 total).
• High School 
• 2X All State (WI); ranked 1st or 2nd by most outlets.
• ESPN 4 star athlete 
• 2X team captain also lettered in basketball. 

Viewed - Miami 2019, Marshall 2019 and Arkansas State 2019 - Decent arm strength.  Had some nice throws. Throws to the receiver more than the spot. Intermediate ball can sail on him-mechanics? Can put the ball behind the receiver which reduced YAC.

Winner:  Gordon

I'll take the risk on the upside.  When he was good he was extraordinary.  Gordon has a head for the game and knows where to put the ball for big plays.   Morgan did not have the receivers or coaching of Gordon but his ball placement was a liability. 

Round 2:  Gordon vs. #8 Montez

Montez Notes:

• Colorado Career 
• Played 10 games as a redshirt freshman and went on to start a total of 38 of the Buffaloes contests over 4 years. 
• Owner of 43 school records including career TD passes (61).
• High School 
•  All-state (TX) senior year. 
• Senior stats of 233/2967/46
• Over 111 TDs his HS career.
• 3X Basketball letterman
• Father Alfred played QB a Texas Tech and was an Oakland Raider 

Viewed - Utah 2019, Oregon 2019 and Colorado State  2019 - Definitely will need to come into a system where he can sit for at least a year. Throws to the man more than to the spot.

Winner:  Gordon

If we are talking about upside, Gordon shows you more right now.

Round 3: Gordon vs. #7 Hurts

Hurts Notes:

• Oklahoma Graduate Career 
• Started every game in his sole year as QB for the Sooners taking them to the BCS playoffs.
• All-American selection by several outfits
• Went 240/2780/23 with 9 INTs and 954 rushing yards with 13 TDs on the ground.  
• High School 
• Ranked #1 dual threat QB in the nation by 247Sports. 
• Unanimous 4 star athlete
• Threw for 2,384 yards and 26 TD passes, adding 25 more on the ground with 1,391 rushing yards. 

Viewed - LSU 2019, Texas 2019 and Baylor 2019 - He knows when to tuck it and run.  Would like to see more consistent ball placement to allow receivers a chance to pick up yards after the catch.   Needs to be more consistent in getting the ball to the outside on out routes - not throw behind his man. Goes through progressions, not a one read guy. 

Winner:  Gordon 

From the games viewed, Hurts was  acceptable but Gordon's best play was far better.  Watching the constantly average play of Hurts makes one understand Saban a bit more.  

Round 4: Gordon vs. #6 Fromm

Fromm Notes:  

• Georgia Career:
• Started 42 games in 3 years coming in as a true freshman.
• Earned Freshman All-American honors.
  
• Ended up with 234/2860/25 with 5 INTs.  
• High School 
• U.S. Army All-America Bowl participant and USA Today All-USA 2nd Team
• Georgia Player of the Year in 2016.
• Passed for 12,745 yards and 116 TDs in 46 games.

Viewed - Florida 2019, Baylor 2019 and LSU 2019 - Did not see many completions downfield...mostly short throws.  Hard to gauge arm strength when he is not taking a lot of shots.  Even though shorter passes, ball placement concerns remain.  Can scramble when he needs to.  Stares down a lot.  OK, in the Q4 of the Florida game the announcer said the Bulldogs had just completed their first pass over 15 yards vs. a SEC team THAT SEASON! That was in the 5th SEC game that year vs. the likes of Vandy, SCAR, Kentucky and Tennessee (combined 12-20 in 2019 SEC play). Habit of flipping the ball  in his palm during his hitches...the ball is constantly moving. That can't be good for ball security.

Winner:  Gordon 

Fromm really did not shine in the videos reviewed where he made his receivers work to corral some of his passes.  Left a lot of yards out there due to ball placement. Really surprised by the turn of events here.

Round 5:  Gordon vs. #5 Eason

Eason Notes:  

• Washington Transfer Career 
• Total of 13 games started sitting out one year per NCAA transfer rules.
• Went 260/3132/23 and 8 INTs. 
• At Georgia - two years as starter (only played 6 games in 2017 due to injury). 
• High School 
• 2015 Gatorade National Player of the Year and for his state (WA)
• Several All-American teams
• Went 235/3585/43 as a senior with just 3 INTs

Viewed -  Oregon 2019,  Stanford 2019 and Boise State 2019 - . Consistent ball placement to help his receivers gain YAC. Can put zip on the ball.  Put the ball on the money but there were frequent drops/misses. Would like to see him tuck the ball and run more when nothing is there rather than try to force the ball into coverage. Resilience? Q4 down vs Stanford was lackluster - want to see him rally his team.  Adjusted OL protection on obviously blitz which is good.  

Winner - Eason 

It was a nice run for Gordon, but Eason is just at that top tier level. 

Round 6:  Eason  vs. #4 Love

Love Notes:

• Utah State Career 
• Starter since r-Freshman year with conference honors each of the last two years.  
• Senior year he went 293/3402/20 with 17 INTs. 
• Holds several school records included most total offensive yards.
• High School
• Over 4,000 passing yards and 42 TD passes his two years starting.
• League MVP and player of the year as a senior. 
• Also played basketball. 

Viewed - LSU 2019, Nevada 2019 and Kent State 2019 - Deep ball is beautiful.  Underneath, he can work on consistency with placement.  Man, his guys dropped a lot of passes.  His dudes also don't run their complete routes - they stop where they believe he should have thrown the ball.  Coaches will focus on pocket presence/elusiveness at the next level.

Winner - Eason
Love has that nice deep ball but will need to work on placement. Still young at the position, he has a lot of room grow but Eason is farther along the curve.

Round 7:  Eason vs. #3 Herbert

Herbert Notes:

• Oregon Career 
• A total of 42 career starts in 44 games.
• First true freshman to start at QB since 1983. 
• Finished his senior year with 286/3471/32 with 6 INTs.
• Multiple Academic All American
• High School
• All-State honors (OR) in football and baseball as a senior; also a standout basketball player.
• Despite pedestian college rushing yards, totaled 543 yards  on the ground and 10 TDs as a senior.
•  Only had 4 other offers and none from any FBS school.

Viewed - Auburn 2019, Utah 2019 and Wisconsin 2019  - He puts the ball on the receiver, that's for sure.  OU didn't use him in the run game as much as they should have during the season (vs. Wisc they turned him loose). Vs. Auburn, he looks off a safety like a pro.  Not perfect by any means but he followed up bad throws with good decisions.  Second only to Eason to dropped passes.

Winner - Herbert
Was skeptical, now I'm a believer.  This kid will be a star.

Round 8:  Herbert vs. #2 Tagovialoa

Tagovailoa Notes:

• Alabama Career 
• Started 24 games with 32 appearances going 180/2840/33 with just 3 INTs last year.
• Consensus 2018 All-American, All Conference honors in 2019 (injury shortened season) among many other accolades
• Was MVP of the national championship game as a true freshman.
• High School 
• Five star prospect by most scouting outlets.
• State leader in career passing yards (HI) with 8,158.
• Gatorade Player of the Year for state of Hawai'i (2016)
• Played in the U.S. Army All-America Bowl; was MVP of Nike's 2016 "The Opening".

Viewed - LSU 2019, South Carolina 2019 and Duke 2019 - So many talented players around him guys were wide open all day; makes for a challenging evaluation. Gets the ball in the catch radius but ball placement better outside the hashmarks than between.

Winner - Herbert

 I cheated and looked at more than 3 videos to see if I could find a game where I could definitively give TT an edge over Herbert.  If it exists, I couldn't find it. Hard to really know what your QB provides when your receivers are always open.

Round 9:  Herbert vs. #1 Burrow

Burrow Notes:

• LSU Graduate Transfer Career 
  • 2019 Heisman trophy winner (as well as numerous awards including AP Player of the year); unanimous All-American selection.
  • Started all 26 games since arriving from Ohio State going 219/2894/16 with 5 INTs.
  • Elected a permanent Team Captain in 2018.
• High School 
  • Four star prospect by most scouting outlets.
  • Mr. Football for state of Ohio as a senior; Gatorade Player of the Year (OH) as a junior.
  • All-State selection junior and senior years; also all-state point guard in basketball.
  • Passed for 4,500 yards with 63 TDs with only 2 INTs.

Viewed - Auburn 2019, Florida 2019 and Clemson 2020 -  Coaches will work on ball placement/accuracy issues - many yards left out there due to receiver gymnastics to even pull in the ball.  He can make all the throws from a strength perspective.  Better success on quick throws than when asked to go through a progression. Nice deep ball.  Chase made a lot of plays other guys likely would not have which helped the numbers considerably.

2020 Quarterback Football Film Fight Champion...

Justin Herbert

Don't call it a comeback!  Pre-season QB1 by some outlets, Herbert is the real deal. 

Anytime I can be on the other side of McShay, I'm in.

#2 - Jacob Eason

You have to pick up the Stafford reverse cap bruh when he's there, don't you?

#3 - Tua Togavialoa

Dude's pops used to get the belt whenever he threw an INT so, no, I'm not worried about past injuries. He will play.

#4 Joe Burrow

JB is about to go #1 overall.  He couldn't possibly care less about what I think.

#5 Anthony Gordon

Not for nothing, but after being in Washington, Flash looks like he's going to have to go to a "legal" state.  Just saying.

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