Justin Herbert Rumors: Latest NFL Draft Buzz Amid Dolphins' Interest in QB

The only thing that seems certain heading into the 2020 NFL draft is that the Cincinnati Bengals will take LSU quarterback Joe Burrow first overall.

The rest is a total crapshoot.

Will the Washington Redskins go the presumed route and draft Ohio State edge-rusher Chase Young, or will they throw a curveball and pick a signal-caller? Will the Miami Dolphins or Los Angeles Chargers trade up for a quarterback, or are they content with sitting back and seeing who is available when they are on the clock?

And where is fast-rising draft prospect Isaiah Simmons going to end up?

Those questions will be answered when the draft gets underway April 23, but one of the key pieces to the puzzle is Oregon signal-caller Justin Herbert.

The 6'6" and 236 pound Herbert just led the Ducks to a Pac-12 title and Rose Bowl win. He has drawn a pro comparison to Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz from NFL Media's Lance Zierlein. Herbert completed 66.8 percent of his passes and accounted for 36 touchdowns (32 passing, four rushing) to just six interceptions.

The Dolphins and Chargers stand out as teams in need of long-term quarterback solutions. They are in position to do so: Miami is sitting at No. 5, and L.A. is right behind at No. 6.

Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network provided some news Wednesday on how the Fins feel about the Oregon QB: "Speaking with several people, the belief is that Miami still likes Tua Tagovailoa above the rest, but they would be just as happy with Justin Herbert. The Dolphins interest in Herbert is genuine and has been for several years now."

Pauline also said that Herbert's draft floor is in the top 10.

The Jacksonville Jaguars could be a candidate at No. 9, although they seem ready to give Gardner Minshew II a shot at being the team's full-time starter following some solid work last year in relief of Nick Foles, who was traded this offseason.

The Las Vegas Raiders could try to climb from the No. 12 spot if they want to move on from Derek Carr, but they have two quarterbacks on their roster following the signing of free agent Marcus Mariota.

Therefore, Miami and L.A. look the most likely to acquire Herbert's services, and Matt Miller of Bleacher Report wrote recently that the Fins might be eyeing him over Alabama signal-caller Tua Tagovailoa.

"I'm told by multiple league sources that the Dolphins aren't convinced Tua is the best option and could instead target Oregon's Justin Herbert," Miller wrote. "The situation is fluid, but the buzz around the league is that Herbert has the most fans in the Dolphins' draft room."

Miller does have Tagovailoa still headed to Miami in his latest mock, but Herbert is the next choice at No. 6 to L.A.

The wild card is if a team becomes enamored with Utah State's Jordan Love, who has risen up draft boards lately. Miller provided more info in regards to the Bolts' reported feelings on the prospect:

"For months we've heard the Chargers will draft whichever quarterback the Dolphins don't, which was believed to be between Tua and Herbert. That could still be the case, but in a conversation earlier this week, one very well-connected scout mentioned that Jordan Love is a name to watch here. That's something I reported during Senior Bowl week—that the Chargers had a crush on the Utah State quarterback—and it could be coming full circle."

Miami and L.A. choosing Tagovailoa and Love in some order seems like the only way Herbert falls out of the top 10, but there's even small buzz connecting the Bengals to the former UO star.

Peter King of NBC Sports wrote the following Monday: "I've heard there are some inside the Bengals who are true believers in Herbert."

The Bengals could still believe in Herbert but believe that Burrow is the better prospect. The only way that a Herbert-Bengals union would work is if the Dolphins traded a fortune to move up to No. 1 for Burrow, with King positing that it could take four first-round picks to do so. The Bengals could then sit at No. 5 and wait for Herbert to fall.

The possibility that such a blockbuster could be pulled off at least exists.

Cameron Wolfe of ESPN wrote the following on Tuesday:

"Some league executives told ESPN that a Dolphins trade for Burrow is unlikely, given all that goes into it, but it's not impossible.

"The Dolphins like Burrow a lot, according to sources. Plus, Burrow would be happy to play in Miami if it works out that way, another source said."

But Wolfe also provided remarks from ESPN Bengals reporter Ben Baby, who said such a trade is very unlikely: "The odds of the Bengals trading down from the top overall pick are incredibly slim. How slim? I'm not sure how many zeroes I need to the right of the decimal point to properly quantify the likelihood of that happening."

We'll soon find out where Herbert will be calling home.