Justin Herbert, Quarterback, Oregon
Year: Senior | Height: 6-6 ¼ | Weight: 236 | pSPARQ (Combine Percentile): 88.41
Strengths:
Herbert has the requisite traits that scouts will seek in an NFL quarterback – a tall and lanky frame with plenty of room left to add more muscle to his 237 lbs, an incredibly talented arm that enables him to throw to all parts of the field with ease.
Tight and compact motion that always releases the ball with plenty of juice on it. Flashes incredible ball placement into tight windows to all levels of the field. Herbert is best in the short game with quick screens and perimeter throws, also is excellent when throwing up the seams and can attack the intermediate and deep areas of the field fairly consistently. When his feet are set, Herbert can place balls into regions that are nearly impossible for defenders to enter.
Footwork is sound in his drop back and his solid base contributes to his velocity and accuracy. Demonstrated good competitiveness to convert critical 3rd-downs by any means necessary. Herbert has some good scramble/improvised plays; can be very dangerous as a runner.
Weaknesses:
Has a tendency to lock onto his primary read, will very rarely get through a full progression, if his primary is covered, he may get to his secondary but will usually just tuck it and run.
Herbert has games where he looks mentally checked out, with poor decision making. Misses short throws too often and is not accurate when on the run consistently.
Has shaky lower body mechanics that can affect accuracy. Ball security has been an issue for Herbert with 12 fumbles in his career. Will need to improve at the nuances of playing under center and manipulating safeties with his eyes. Can get flustered under even small amounts of pressure causing his mechanics to go out the window at times.
Most interceptions on tape are clearly linked to pressure which scouts will note. Doesn’t acknowledge the blitz pre-snap enough and has poor pocket presence – will step up into pressure or just simply fail to sense it.
Player Summary:
Justin Herbert has every physical gift you could want in an NFL quarterback leading to some incredibly exciting play in his college career. However, he is still a bit raw as a prospect with much room for improvement in several critical areas. He presents as a player with consistency issues on timing throws and troublesome lapses under pressure. Despite his flaws, if coached and protected well, Herbert could blossom into a top-tier franchise quarterback in the NFL. But if drafted into the wrong situation, Herbert’s professional career could go the other direction.
Best Trait: Arm Strength | Worst Trait: Progressions
Red Flags: Severe Lack of Consistency
Best Role/Scheme Fit: Balanced – Can improvise if need be in the pocket and make a few plays on his feet, but won’t have many designed QB runs.
Player Comparison: Ryan Tannehill
Final Grade: 85.5 | Round Grade: Round 1
QB Rank: QB-3 | Overall Rank: 26
