One would think that a quarterback who spent time at two of college football’s most successful and prominent programs would be a lock for the top five selections, and if not that, the first round. Something strange happened with Hurts, though.
The product of Alabama and Oklahoma — custody is mutual — was selected to be something of a gadget passer for then-coach Doug Pederson’s offense akin to Taysom Hill’s usage in New Orleans. As it turned out, the former Alabama and Oklahoma quarterback took the Eagles’ No. 1 job from Carson Wentz and never relinquished it.
With Hurts on the ascent in 2022, maybe some teams are wondering if he could have been a better selection than what they ended up with.
Here’s how and why Hurts fell to the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft:
Why did the Eagles draft Jalen Hurts?
Among other reasons, Philadelphia had a special plan for Hurts: “Taysom Hill on steroids.”
On draft night, reports from the Eagles’ side indicated that Hurts wasn’t drafted to replace Wentz. Rather, they would use him as a Swiss army knife-type similar to Hill.
Pederson said as much following Hurts’ selection, saying he was planning to use Hurts in a Hill role, which led to ideas of a potential two-quarterback system. That plan was ambitious, to say the least.
Pederson’s idea drew criticism: some believed Hurts wasn’t worthy of such a high selection (No. 53 overall) when the Eagles had glaring needs elsewhere on the roster.
Pederson explained after the pick the dynamics of potentially having two starting QBs.
As it goes, the football gods laugh at teams’ best-laid plans. Incumbent starter Wentz had a bad year in 2020, leading to increased snaps for Hurts as the season neared its end. Wentz was leading the league in turnovers when he was benched in the second half of the Eagles’ Week 13 game vs. the Packers. Those would be the last snaps he would take for Philly.
MORE: How Wentz made his way from Philly to Indy to D.C.
Hurts was named the starter for Week 14 and played three games before being held out of the final game of the season in favor of Nate Sudfeld.
Before Week 14, Hurts played 56 snaps on offense in 10 games, lining up at quarterback, running back and wide receiver. He played most of those snaps as a QB, though. For comparison, Hill had 149 offensive snaps in nine weeks before filling in for Drew Brees in 2020.
In 2021, Hurts was the de facto starter for new coach Nick Sirianni. This past offseason, the team looked to upgrade the position; it was mentioned in trade rumors involving Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson.
But with the way Hurts is playing in 2022 (67.9 completion percentage, 8.5 yards per attempt, four passing TDs, two INTs, 97.4 rating, 266 yards and six TDs rushing in five games), there may be no need for the Eagles to upgrade anytime soon.
Jalen Hurts scouting report
Scouting reports pegged Hurts’ main strength as his running ability, with others heralding him as a more accurate Tim Tebow.
As a passer, Hurts was good, but still needed polish coming out of college: He was lethal on the run and making off-schedule plays, but he left plays on the field as a pocket passer. His inaccuracy and arm strength on deep throws were the main knocks against him, as was his decision-making.
That said, Hurts was heralded for his leadership and other intangibles, and his gaudy college numbers probably suggested he could have (or should have) gotten more consideration as a first-round pick.
MORE: How the NFC East went from worst to best division
What happened at the 2020 NFL Draft?
Despite his college production, Hurts was something of a forgotten man in the 2020 draft.
Scouts and evaluators pegged him as a Day 2 pick, which is when he went. The QBs who were taken in front of Hurts — all in the first round — were better overall prospects. That much is accepted.
Here’s who was taken ahead of him:
Joe Burrow, Round 1, Pick 1: Burrow was the consensus top quarterback prospect in the class, so going No. 1 overall wasn’t much of a shock.
Tua Tagovailoa, Round 1, Pick 5: Tagovailoa flirted with the top selection before Burrow’s mercurial ascent up draft boards for his 2019 season at LSU. Still, the man who replaced Hurts in Alabama was a highly regarded passer in his own right.
Justin Herbert, Round 1, Pick 6: The Chargers were likely jumping for joy when the strong-armed Herbert was available at 6. Herbert was likely the top quarterback in the 2019 NFL Draft, but he opted to return to Oregon for his senior season.
Jordan Love, Round 1, Pick 26: The Packers selected Aaron Rodgers’ heir apparent, but there’s a good chance that Love never plays a snap for Green Bay. Rodgers hit a new level after Love’s selection, winning two MVPs in the seasons after the selection. Love was considered a similar project as Hurts — and the project is, seemingly, ongoing.
