2020 NFL Draft: Justin Herbert seeks a signature win vs. Washington

Trying to separate himself in a very talented 2020 NFL Draft quarterback class, Oregon’s Justin Herbert looks for a signature win Saturday against Washington.

When you evaluate Justin Herbert on the field, you see everything you could possibly want from a quarterback prospect. He has the size, athleticism, and very good arm strength with the capability to make any throw asked of him.

Herbert even excels in the classroom, having been named an Academic All American last season.

Like any other prospect, Herbert does have his weaknesses. There are times where he appears to process the game a little slowly, and he’ll have a deep ball get a way from him from time-to-time.

Despite his next-level traits, 2019 hasn’t been the most rewarding to Herbert so far. He’s played relatively well and his stat line has been solid, having already thrown for 17 touchdowns with just one interception.

For as good as he’s been at finding the end zone, Herbert has passed for over 300 yards just twice so far this season. Those performances came against the likes of Montana and Nevada.

His production hasn’t matched that as some of his peers in this class, and it almost seems as if he’s beginning to be forgotten about in some NFL Draft conversations.

Tua Tagovailoa continues to look like the runaway favorite to be selected first overall. Joe Burrow has taken the country by storm and is starting to look the part of a first-round pick, and Jalen Hurts leads the Heisman race.

NFL teams are still going to covet Herbert because of his tools, but he still hasn’t put it all together. The flashes have been there all year, especially in an impressive victory last week over Colorado, but he needs to rise to the occasion and delivery a quality road win Saturday.

Washington’s defense isn’t as talented as the units they’ve sported in recent years, but they’re still a talented group looking to hold their season together after suffering losses to Stanford and California.

Keith Taylor is the standout of the Huskies defensive unit, and he’s also the most NFL Draft relevant. He’s likely to make an impact Saturday, but he’ll need a little more support. Washington currently ranks 63rd in the nation in passing yards allowed this season, and this could be a prime opportunity for Herbert to fill up the box score.

They were able to hold Herbert in check when they met last season, limiting him to 202 yards and two touchdowns in a game that ended in an overtime victory by the Ducks.

Herbert will have to start life without one of his most reliable targets, but a win on the road against Washington would be just what Herbert needs to solidify his resume. With another talented quarterback prospect on the opposing sideline, Herbert needs to engineer and finish long drives if they wish to come out on top.

We haven’t really seen him take over a game this year, but a big performance would be just what he needs to serve as a reminder he’s one of the most-talented signal-callers in the 2020 NFL Draft.