Best NFL Fits: 2020 Quarterbacks

Posted on October 27, 2019 Updated on October 27, 2019

We’ve reached the halfway point in both the NFL and College Football seasons, and right about now is when fans of teams start looking forward to the NFL Draft. By now, you are well aware of whether or not your favorite team is in the hunt, or onto 2020. You might even know who your favorite team is going to look to target come April.

For the teams near the top of the projected draft board, most of them are in need of the same thing; a franchise quarterback. This draft class has a ton of quarterbacks with high upside. The question then becomes, which one should you take? Which player is going to give your team the best chance of success? 

Plenty can change from now until the NFL Draft (and you best believe that it will), but these are my thoughts on where the big name college quarterbacks would fit the best in the NFL.

Tua Tagovailoa: Miami Dolphins- It is hard to say that a quarterback’s best fit is a team without any long term pieces on it’s roster. Having said that, this is the exact reason why Tagovailoa’s best true fit is Miami. They can tailor an offense to him with all of their draft capital and cap space. In terms of the player’s fit to the NFL, Tagovailoa has a modern day skill set. He throws well on the move, he extends plays with his legs, and has the arm strength to put pressure on opposing defenses. Even though I am not sure he warrants the first overall selection, I think it is safe to say he will be that guy come April. 

Justin Herbert: Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Herbert has had a very strange 2019 campaign. He has not progressed at all, but he also has not regressed either. He has made some good throws, but in no game has he made a throw that makes you think he is “the guy.” Herbert has kind of just existed in limbo as a draft prospect. His lack of ability to make players better has led me to believe that he may be a system guy in the NFL. Therefore, I decided the ideal fit for Herbert is the team with the most weapons and best overall offense among QB needy teams; the Buccaneers. Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Head Coach Bruce Arians will really help him blossom early.

Joe Burrow: Tennessee Titans- Burrow has come from out of nowhere like he is Randy Orton delivering an RKO during the 2019 collegiate season. He has shown the ability to deliver the ball on time and on target in the short and intermediate windows. The one concern is how much of his great year is due to his talented WRs Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson, as well as the terrific offensive game plans Steve Ensminger and Ed Orgeron are dialing up each week? In short, if you ask me right now if Burrow is a franchise quarterback, or a modern day game manager (meaning he can throw for 300+ and win a game or two, but he’s not a 4,500 yards kind of player), I would lean towards a game manager. The kid is smart, and he is accurate. I’ll stick him in Tennessee with a good defense and running game. 

Editor’s Note: This opinion on Burrow could drastically change once they play Alabama.

Jacob Eason: Minnesota Vikings- This is a weird one, because the recent play of Kirk Cousins may lead you to believe he can be the guy once again. However, that is the trap. Cousins is not the guy, and he has proved that in every big moment he’s been in. 

Having said that, Jacob Eason could probably benefit from sitting a year and working on his footwork, along with his timing. So Cousins gets one more year, Eason sits and learns how to read NFL defenses, and then you insert the gunslinger into an offense that is actually loaded with weapons.

Jalen Hurts: Cincinnati Bengals- The Bengals have one of the worst rosters in football. They have no direction, and a super young Head Coach. There is a very real possibility that the Bengals are going for the two year tank and trying to get Trevor Lawrence in 2021. 

That is why Jalen Hurts is the perfect QB for them in 2020. Hurts will not be a first round selection despite the monster year he is having statistically. He still does not have the biggest arm, and even though his anticipation has improved, he still has a ways to go in terms of seeing NFL open. 

Now Hurts does make plays with his legs and he can improvise on the move, so if they hit on the pick, it could be a home run. I especially like the idea of pairing him with Head Coach Zac Taylor. I think they could create a very interesting, up-tempo offense that could be difficult to slow down.

Ultimately, this would be a low risk, high reward day two selection that is not only a good fit for Hurts, but a good fit for the Bengals.

Jake Fromm: STAY IN SCHOOL- If Jake Fromm opts to come out after this atrocious season, I would be stunned. He has regressed in every facet of the game. Fromm has neglected to put throws into NFL open windows and he has made some poor decisions with the ball because it is his first read. I already questioned his arm strength, and so far he has done nothing to answer those questions either. He will not be a first rounder if he comes out, which means he should just stay and try to improve his game next year.

Jordan Love: Los Angeles Chargers- You could insert a number of different teams that have an aging QB and need to find the heir to the throne. I chose the Chargers because Philip Rivers has shown some age this season, and they most likely will not be bad enough in either of the next two seasons to grab a “top tier,” guy in the draft. Love is a playmaker; he makes a ton of A+ throws outside the pocket. The area of his game that needs development is his ability to stay in the pocket and make throws from the pocket. A few years on the bench learning the finer points of Quarterback play could help Love become a starter in the NFL down the road.