ESPN: Chargers' Justin Herbert Projected to Be Top-3 QB in NFL by Execs, Coaches

NFL personnel are expecting Los Angeles Chargers star Justin Herbert to become one of the top quarterbacks in the league by the end of next season.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler provided a breakdown Sunday on Herbert's expectations in 2022 on SportsCenter:

"This guy's poised for a massive year-three jump. I've talked to a lot of people around the league who are very high-ranking and they say this guy will probably be a top-three quarterback by the end of the season. Every summer I do a project on the top 10 players at each position for ESPN+, I talk to 50-plus executives and coaches around the league. "

"Right now, Herbert's probably in that five-to-seven range in the quarterback rankings. Joe Burrow, Matthew Stafford are slightly ahead of him, but they just came off a Super Bowl. But this guy gets into the playoffs, makes any sort of run, validates that big-time talent, he will probably be in that top three-to-four guy in the NFL. "

"And the reason why the Chargers believe he's going to make a massive jump is not just that he has playmakers around him, they believe they have their best offensive line in a very long time. They've gone back-to-back first-round draft picks at O-line. He's going to be well protected."

Herbert already earned a Pro Bowl selection last year after totaling 5,014 passing yards and 38 touchdowns in 17 games, adding 302 rushing yards and three scores. His 65.6 adjusted QBR last season ranked third in the NFL behind only Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady.

This production came after winning Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2020, when he totaled 4,336 passing yards, 31 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions.

While the individual stats have been impressive over his first two years, the biggest knock on Herbert has been the lack of team success, which often falls on the quarterback. The Chargers went 6-9 in his starts as a rookie and then 9-8 in 2021, which ended just short of the playoffs after a Week 17 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.

Los Angeles had the No. 29 scoring defense in the NFL last year compared to the No. 5 offense, but fans still expect elite quarterbacks to carry their squads deep into the playoffs.

The good news is the Chargers made big upgrades defensively this offseason, adding Khalil Mack, J.C. Jackson and Sebastian Joseph.

As Fowler noted, the offensive line should be improved after drafting Zion Johnson with the No. 17 overall pick. This came after last year's offensive line upgrades that included Corey Linsley, Matt Feiler and first-round pick Rashawn Slater.

It could give Herbert all the tools needed to turn the Chargers into a Super Bowl contender.