Justin Herbert pro comparisons: Next Carson Wentz, Ryan Tannehill or Blaine Gabbert?

Justin Herbert pro comparisons range from Carson Wentz to Blaine Gabbert, so which end of the quarterback spectrum will the former Oregon star land?

Oregon football benefitted from having Justin Herbert for one more season. Now, Herbert is waiting to see how it’ll benefit him in the 2020 NFL Draft where the Rose Bowl winner is being compared to Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz.

But he’s also being compared to Blaine Gabbert, the former No. 10 pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars who was 5-22 in three years before getting cut.

That is the best and worst-case scenario for Herbert who could have been a top-five pick last year if he declared after his junior season. The New York Giants used the No. 4 pick to take former Duke quarterback Daniel Jones, but perhaps Herbert could have been that pick if he didn’t return for his senior season.

Herbert had a good, albeit not an outstanding senior season where he helped lead Oregon to the Rose Bowl. He had three rushing touchdowns in the win and was the best player at the Senior Bowl and was one of the big winners at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Along the way, he’s checked off boxes of concern in some areas while leaving some of the same questions unanswered entering the draft.

Herbert is, on average, the No. 3 quarterback prospect behind Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa, although some may view Herbert as a better prospect than Tagovailoa who is coming off an injury.

That said, Herbert is 6-foot-6 and 236 pounds with a good arm and mobility skills but didn’t make the impact plays in the passing game, ball placement can be suspect, passes lack touch and can look too robotic. That sums up the career of Gabbert.

But when he’s on, he’s capable of making wow plays with his arm and his feet and can be a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback worthy of being taken in the top-five or six picks.

Justin Herbert pro comparisons

• NFL.com’s Lance Zeirlein likens Herbert to Wentz
• The Draft Network sees Herbert as Ryan Tannehill
• The Miami Herald’s Armando Salguero likens Herbert to Tannehill — only better
• Walter Football is also in on the Herbert-Wentz comparisons
• FanSided’s Ian Wharton was on the Wentz-Herbert pro comparisons last fall
• Fantasy Footballers ponders if Herbert is a product of the system like Gabbert at Missouri

If the Miami Dolphins or Los Angeles Chargers take Herbert with the No. 5 or No. 6 pick, respectively, they’ll be banking on Herbert being more like Wentz or the Tannehill that broke out with the Tennessee Titans after the Dolphins pulled the plug after a 42-46 record in six seasons.

There is a lot to like where Herbert is already as a passer and having his senior year at Oregon will help his transition to the NFL. He is ready to start right away as a rookie. He has a lot of room to grow as a passer because what he was asked to do at Oregon didn’t mesh with what will be asked of him in the NFL. The player who shined at the Senior Bowl is foreshadowing the type of potential and development still to make.

He’s this good now, just think how good he’ll be in two years, five years, 10 years?

That’s the best-case scenario anyway.

I think Herbert is more talented than Gabbert but recognize the similarities exist. So much about quarterback success depends on the system fit and coaching in place. Part of Gabbert’s failures in Jacksonville can be tied to playing for a losing organization without much room or opportunity to succeed. He was set up to fail, but he also didn’t rise above the challenges the organization handcuffed him with. The greatest quarterbacks have to do that.

I don’t think Herbert will be on a new team after three years like Gabbert. I think he can be better than what Tannehill was with the Dolphins, provided he stays healthy, which Tannehill will attest led to his exit from Miami.

Herbert being drafted by the Dolphins would be kinda funny considering they just went through the Tannehill experience only to see him lead the Titans to one win away from the Super Bowl.

The Chargers provide a nice cast of weapons should they draft Herbert with running back Austin Ekeler and wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams and tight end Hunter Henry. The Chargers have a great defense and could be a player or two away from returning to the playoffs should Herbert look like Wentz.

I tend to think Herbert falls somewhere between the Dolphins version of Tannehill and the Titans version of Tannehill.

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