I May Have Been Slightly Harsh Towards Jalen Hurts
I want to talk about Jalen Hurts because the Oklahoma Pro Day was today. A few weeks ago I wrote a piece titled: ‘Jalen Hurts Should Not Be Taken Seriously As A Potential Franchise Quarterback‘. I stand by every word of it. All of it. However, I want to say I may have been slightly harsh. I want to break down why.
It shouldn’t take you long to scout talent. I can watch someone throw for 30 seconds to figure out what’s going on which is what we have here. Jalen Hurts looks night and day better than he did throwing the ball at Alabama. You had to close your eyes when you watched him throw at Bama. That’s not really the case anymore. Whoever is coaching him up right now is doing a fantastic job.
Hey, Jordan Love, whoever is coaching Hurts right now, get with that guy. Good base, knee bend, and everything comes off the back foot. You can tell Hurts is still a bit robotic but that’s because he doesn’t have the muscle memory built up yet. You can spot it from a mile away. However, there’s no denying Hurts mechanically has taken massive steps forward. The timing and rhythm of his throws are significantly better. Everything comes off the back foot and Hurts is driving the ball to the spot much better. That’s what you want to see.
Arm strength has never been a question. He’s got plenty of juice. Is the other quarterback stuff. He’s night and day better in his movement skills. That tells me Hurts put in the work and really wants it. Another good sign. I don’t take back what I said in my original post. I may have been really harsh. I can’t deny how good he looked today. That’s why we have a predraft process. Get all the information you can before you make a decision.
Is Jalen Hurts an elite level franchise quarterback? God, no. Worthy of a first round pick? I’ll die of laughter. Second round pick? Absolutely not. Third round pick? I wouldn’t but we’re starting to get more reasonable. Can Hurts stick in the league as a developmental guy and a functioning backup? Now we’re talking and I mean that as a chance. Far from a guarantee.
