2020 NFL Mock Draft: Jalen Hurts To Chiefs Or Steelers?
2020 NFL Mock Draft: Jalen Hurts To Chiefs Or Steelers?
2020 NFL Mock Draft: Jalen Hurts To Chiefs Or Steelers?
The 2020 NFL Draft is set to take place in April. This is one of those years where quarterbacks are at a premium.
LSU Heisman trophy winner Joe Burrow is expected to be selected with the first overall pick by the Cincinnati Bengals.
From there, Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa and Oregon’s Justin Herbert will likely be taken in the top 10.
Utah State’s Jordan Love will also be taken at some point in the first two rounds, with various mock drafts listing him somewhere in the 20-40 range.
The most interesting prospect to keep an eye on is Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts.
Hurts, who made a name for himself with both the Crimson Tide and Sooners as a reliable, beloved veteran presence, lacks some of the raw skills necessary to be taken at the top of the draft.
That said, that may not preclude him from being drafted pretty early.
Recently, NFL Draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah offered his analysis on Hurts’ future.
“Jalen Hurts is a fun player to study,” he said.
“He’s a playmaker. His feet don’t always follow his eyes in the pocket & he needs to improve his anticipation. However, he does some incredibly athletic things in every game.”
Pro Football Focus agreed with Jeremiah’s general analysis. During a recent mock draft, they had Hurts going in the fourth round with the 128th pick to the Kansas City Chiefs.
In their estimation, Hurts could serve as backup behind Patrick Mahomes because head coach Andy Reid enjoys developing athletic quarterbacks like Donovan McNabb, Michael Vick and Mahomes himself.
Beyond that, Kansas City needs a backup for Mahomes that is not 35-year-old Matt Moore. While filling in for Mahomes while the young starter was hurt, Moore produced a 63.3 grade on 100 dropbacks. That is not great.
Aside from the Chiefs, the Pittsburgh Steelers have also been linked to Hurts in various capacities. A recent Sports Illustrated mock draft had Pittsburgh taking Hurts with the 104th overall pick.
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Jennifer Withers Hoey is a former Business Development Manager who transitioned to writing about sports. With valuable connections all over the West Coast, she has used those contacts to break some of the most interesting stories pertaining to the Portland Trail Blazers, Oregon Ducks, LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Seattle Supersonics (RIP), and more.
