2020 NFL Draft: Senior Bowl quarterback report cards
By Randy Gurzi
Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma
Heading into this game, no player was getting the kind of love from the fans that Jalen Hurts did. A former champion at Alabama, he was a celebrity in Mobile, but still didn’t land the start. Instead, he had to wait until the second quarter after Justin Herbert was done and he had a little slower start than Herbert.
On Hurts’ first play, he rolled out to his right looking for a deep ball. Nothing was there. He went to his outlet too late and the pass went out of bounds. His second drop back to throw ended in a nine-yard loss as he was unable to sense the pressure coming from Alton Robinson, who got the sack.
He momentarily redeemed himself with a great pass on third-and-14, when he hit Texas receiver Devin Duvernay for a 19-yard gain. However, he was sacked two more times on that drive, losing a total of 21 yards before having to yield to the punting crew.
His second drive ended in just one play as Bradlee Anae hit him in the chest as he was trying to get his pass off. The ball floated in the air and was taken by the South — linebacker Malik Harrison came down with the jump ball in traffic.
Hurts looked best when the coaching staff switched up the offensive line but he was most effective as a zone-read quarterback. There’s more of that in the NFL, but it could hurt his stock if teams continue to think he needs a ‘collegiate’ scheme to be effective.
Looking at this objectively, Hurts did the best he could in a bad situation. The offensive line was completely manhandled and he was never able to sit in the pocket and read the defense. When he did have time, he was impressive, including his touchdown pass to Jauan Jennings in the final quarter.
Grade: C+
Shea Patterson, Michigan
The North trotted out Shea Patterson in the second quarter and he quickly erased a 7-0 deficit when he hit TCU running back Darius Anderson on the sideline for a 75-yard touchdown. It was a good read by Patterson as he found the wide-open player and let him do the work from there — although he had an assist from the refs as they missed Anderson’s foot touching out at the one. Still, it was an ideal start for a guy expected to be a late-round selection.
His second drive wasn’t as good as Patterson was picked off by Kindle Vildor on his second drive on a wobbling pass. On that drive, Patterson showed why he’s not considered a top pick as the coaches had to get him on the move to be able to make his reads and when the pocket got crowded, he threw the pass that could have been intercepted by two different safeties.
He did make a few plays but Patterson continues to be better outside of the pocket. His throws also just don’t impress as the ball never pops out of his hands the way it does with some of the other prospects. He also is a mess in the footwork department.
Had it not been for his first pass, this would be an ‘F’ for his grade, and maybe it still should be. But, it does at least keep him from failing completely.
Grade: D-