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2020 NFL Draft: The difficult and confusing evaluation of Justin Herbert

By Travis Steffen

TEMPE, ARIZONA - NOVEMBER 23: Quarterback Justin Herbert #10 of the Oregon Ducks warms up before the NCAAF game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium on November 23, 2019 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
TEMPE, ARIZONA - NOVEMBER 23: Quarterback Justin Herbert #10 of the Oregon Ducks warms up before the NCAAF game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium on November 23, 2019 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – NOVEMBER 17: Head coach Frank Reich of the Indianapolis Colts watches from the sidelines during the second quarter of the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lucas Oil Stadium on November 17, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – NOVEMBER 17: Head coach Frank Reich of the Indianapolis Colts watches from the sidelines during the second quarter of the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lucas Oil Stadium on November 17, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images) /

Possible Landing Spots for Herbert

Indianapolis Colts

The 2020 NFL Draft brings not only a plethora of intriguing quarterback prospects but a large market of teams in need of their next signal-caller. There are teams looking for their next quarterback in waiting with an aging veteran on the roster, and teams that are ready to move on right away. Justin Herbert would benefit from getting the opportunity to sit for a season developing behind a veteran.

One of the first teams that come to mind is the Indianapolis Colts. Following the retirement of Andrew Luck this preseason, backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett was once again called upon to lead the Colts offense. Indianapolis extended Brissett just before the start of the regular season, but the contract is only through 2020. Could Herbert find himself sitting behind Brissett in the upcoming season to then take over as the next big thing?

Indianapolis is a near-perfect landing spot for a quarterback like Herbert. Head coach Frank Reich knows how to get the best out of his quarterback with his extensive background. Reich was a quarterback in the NFL for 14 years before moving to the coaching side. His strong ties from the Andy Reid coaching tree go back further than his coaching career as he played for Reid in Philadelphia.

The Colts coach spent 2013-2015 under Reid as a coach in Kansas City and worked under Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson during the 2017 Super Bowl run. During his first season with the Colts, Reich brought Andrew Luck’s career back to life taking the Colts to the playoffs in 2018. He’s done a remarkable job in 2019 not only avoiding turmoil with Luck’s retirement but structuring an offense around Brissett for him to have as much success as possible.

While the blame for the Colts upsetting second half of the season in 2019 cannot be put solely on the shoulders of Brissett, the team could still look to upgrade. Herbert fits what Reich’s offense needs to operate with a big arm, athletic ability, and quick-firing plays. It would allow Herbert to play in a system that fits his strengths in a fast-paced offense looking to get the ball out quick with limited reads. While most of the offense is predicated around the horizontal game in a West Coast style, it allows Herbert to use his arm to hit downfield targets as well.

Behind one of the NFL’s top offensive lines, an established successful running attack, and a quick-hitting passing game is Herbert’s perfect offense. Taking away those long, developing routes every play allows him to react without the bad decisions when pressured. It has all of the elements to be a good pairing between coaching and offensive scheme. Whether or not the Colts will look to draft a quarterback in the first round of this 2020 NFL Draft class with needs elsewhere remains unknown, but a good team to keep an eye on.

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