Jalen Hurts NFL Draft 2020: Scouting Report for Philadelphia Eagles' Pick

QB Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma

STRENGTHS

—High-character leader who guided Alabama and Oklahoma to College Football Playoff berths. 

—Dual-threat quarterback who rushed for nearly 1,300 yards and 20 touchdowns at Oklahoma while throwing for 3,851 yards and 32 touchdowns. 

—Carves up defenses on intermediate and short passes; excellent timing with enough arm strength to fit the ball into tight windows.

—Efficient passer who doesn’t turn the ball over.

—Powerful runner who has speed, vision and balance in the open field.

—Tough, durable, team-first player who handled benching at Alabama with class.

—Very good thrower on the move; can create on off-platform throws.

Jalen Hurts Highlights

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WEAKNESSES

—Doesn’t play with much urgency in the pocket while reading the defense and will have to speed up his process.

—Arm motion is stiff and delayed, but showed improvements at the Senior Bowl and combine.

—Must learn to play from within the pocket; has a Baker Mayfield-like habit of leaving clean pockets early.

—Fumbles a concern on the run and in the pocket.

—Goes through streaks of poor accuracy, largely due to mechanics. Has to learn to trust his arm and rip it more often instead of stopping his motion and analyzing. 

—Arm strength is good but not great, which causes some passes to die.

OVERALL

Hurts won’t be a fit for everyone, but as the NFL moves from 6’5” pocket passers to more athletic, creative quarterbacks, he is an intriguing option. Hurts isn’t a conventional Day 1 starter at the position, but he has the tools to be effective early on if he can handle learning on the job. His work at Alabama and Oklahoma plus conversations with coaches and scouts suggest he's capable of evolving on the go like a Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen. Hurts’ accuracy has to improve, but the right coaches will create a passing attack to highlight his strengths.

GRADE: 85

PRO COMPARISON: Dak Prescott/Taysom Hill