Scouting Jalen Hurts: a polarizing 2020 NFL Draft prospect

MOBILE, AL – JANUARY 25: Quarterback Jalen Hurts #1 from Oklahoma of the South Team on a pass play during the 2020 Resse’s Senior Bowl at Ladd-Peebles Stadium on January 25, 2020 in Mobile, Alabama. The North Team defeated the South Team 34 to 17. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)

Position Specifics

These are the traits that are specific to the quarterback position.

Accuracy- This is probably the area Hurts improved the most in his senior season under Lincoln Riley. He shows very good accuracy and ball placement on screen passes and short throws within five yards of the line of scrimmage to allow his receiver to maximize yards after the catch. He shows solid accuracy on intermediate and deep throws when given a clean pocket. While Hurts has shown he is capable of making such throws accurately, his ball placement does suffer at times when throwing on the run or when under pressure.

Poise- Hurts is known as an even-keeled leader. Thus, it is not a surprise that he doesn’t panic or get flustered even when his team is facing a big deficit on the scoreboard. He also shows good poise to keep his cool despite a bad snap or fumble in the backfield. That being said, he does tend to panic a little bit when facing pressure quickly after the snap. Hurts will also make some poor decisions and just throw the ball up while trying to avoid a sack.

Decision Making- Hurts is overall a good decision maker with the ball. He rarely puts the ball in precarious situations or tries to force a pass to a receiver. He will only put the ball where his guy can make a play on the ball and doesn’t give the defender much of a chance to truly make a play on the ball. If there is a time Hurts’ decision making can be questioned, it is often when he trusts his receiver too much with iffy passes in jump ball situations.

Arm Strength- Jalen Hurts doesn’t have the strongest arms of the 2020 quarterback class, but he definitely has more than enough to make all the throws needed at the next level. He shows solid ability to fit the ball into some tight windows in between defenders. He also shows solid ability to push the ball 30+ yards deep down the field. That being said, he struggles to make such throws “on a rope” and tends to put too much air under some of his intermediate and deep throws.

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Extend Plays- Obviously, Hurts’ athletic ability, play strength, and play speed gives him the chance to extend any play at any time. He can break multiple tackles in the pocket and get outside of the pocket to get a throw away. That being said, Hurts does struggle to feel the pressure, especially from his backside. He also tends to struggle to properly navigate the pocket if unable to find a rushing lane or get outside the pocket.

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Mechanics- Hurts does have a quick, over-the-top throwing motion. That being said, he doesn’t create as much torque or power on his throws with his core leading to some of his arm strength not being fully utilized. He will need to continue to work and improve his footwork in the NFL. While he shows the ability to have great footwork on some throws, he can be inconsistent in this area with it being the most common culprit on some of his misses or high throws on his intermediate passes.

Touch- Hurts does possess good touch. He especially shows it on his deep passes with the ability to “drop the ball in the bucket.” He also shows solid ability to drop passes over the second level and in front of the defensive backs on intermediate throws. There are times, however, he can use too much touch and put too much air under some of his throws.