2020 NFL Draft: Prospect Studs and Duds After Week One
By Chris Ross
Dud: Jordan Love, QB, Utah State
Over the past few weeks, Utah State quarterback Jordan Love has seen his draft stock skyrocket, but with a disappointing Week One effort, his meteoric rise may be on hold. After a 2018-19 season that ended with Love throwing for 3567 yards and 32 touchdowns to go with just six interceptions, the Utah State star seemed overwhelmed at times in the opening game.
With that said, it wasn’t all bad news for Love this week. He managed to throw three touchdowns against a feisty Wake Forest team while displaying the arm talent that has so many people excited about his potential. With the First Pick site expert, Bryan Perez points out what went wrong for Love in Week One, saying,
"“Love’s bad throws — and there were plenty of those, too — were a result of his footwork. He threw off his back foot way too many times which led to interceptions and poor ball placement.”"
These problems, of course, have long been the issue with Love’s game. In terms of arm strength and putting the ball into tight windows with his exceptional velocity, Love has always been top-tier, but it’s the little things that end up hurting his overall game.
Despite his Week One performance, it is still far too early to give up on Love’s NFL potential. Even in this game he still made a handful of excellent throws and was able to keep his team in the contest right up until the final whistle. It simply comes down to mechanics here, with his footwork being the biggest problem, but also one that is correctable with improved coaching.
When it’s all said and done, Love will probably be fine, but in the opening matchup, his performance was a dud.