Justin Herbert ‘checks all the boxes’ to potentially be Chargers’ next franchise QB

Justin Herbert hasn’t looked back since his majestic 30-yard touchdown run with multiple red and white jerseys chasing him under the Pasadena night sky.

The Oregon quarterback was named MVP of the Rose Bowl after scoring three rushing touchdowns in the win against Wisconsin. Herbert went on to collect another MVP trophy at the Senior Bowl and flourished during the NFL Scouting Combine workouts.

Because of Herbert’s recent standout performances and his many physical traits, he’ll likely be a top-10 selection in Thursday’s NFL draft with the Chargers being a potential landing spot at No. 6.

Herbert has done everything right while the draft season spotlight has been on him, but it’s also nitpicking season. Prospects’ flaws regardless of how tiny it may seem have been dissected for mock drafts, draft rankings and debates.

Herbert’s leadership has been questioned because he’s viewed as soft spoken.

Marcus Arroyo coached Herbert the past three seasons as Oregon’s offensive coordinator and has spoken to him weekly in the lead up to the draft. Arroyo, who’s now the head coach at UNLV, strongly disagreed with the criticism of Herbert.

Arroyo paused when asked about Herbert’s leadership being questioned. Perhaps the silence was frustration that this is somehow a topic or he wanted to gather his thoughts to deliver the perfect endorsement that would end the silly notion.

“I don’t think they know what leadership is,” Arroyo told the Southern California News Group in a phone interview. “I don’t get it. That’s too surface level. He’s a great leader. He’s mature, he can change the mood in the huddle, he can change it in the locker room, he commands respect of his peers, he can change things in a positive manner. During tough times, you can count on him. He’s got great aurora and charisma about him. He’s mentally tough. I think he interacts well with the players and coaches. What else? That’s just one of those clicker deals.”

Arroyo also rattled off a lengthy list about Herbert’s football strengths, such as his 6-foot-6 size, arm strength, athleticism, productivity and work ethic.

“You go through all of the checklist items, he checks all the boxes,” Arroyo said.

The Chargers are likely one of the teams assessing Herbert, but they’ll need to decide if his checklist is better than other top quarterback draft prospects such as Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa and Utah State’s Jordan Love.

Herbert is viewed as the consensus No. 3 quarterback behind Joe Burrow and Tagovailoa when it comes to player evaluations, but Herbert has moved to No. 2  in many mock drafts mainly because of the medical concerns on Tagovailoa.

Gil Brandt, the Hall of Fame football executive and SiriusXM NFL Radio analyst, has Herbert ahead of Tagovailoa based on talent.

“I’m a big Herbert fan and I’ll tell you why,” Brandt said on a conference call this week. “I think if you put him with the receivers they had at LSU or at Alabama, you would see a player that would really excel. … I think he has all the tools to be a really good player.”

Herbert’s athleticism would fit well under Chargers coach Anthony Lynn’s run-heavy offense. Many were surprised by Herbert’s speed in the Rose Bowl, but Arroyo wasn’t. He planned to unleash Herbert’s legs in the final two games of the 2019 season.

The Oregon coaching staff didn’t allow Herbert to run much the past two seasons because they wanted to protect him after he sustained a collarbone injury on a run in 2017.

Arroyo, who was a quarterbacks coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2014, planned ahead for Herbert’s NFL future and had him work on many passing situations, including under center drops, instead of looking to make plays with his legs.

“Early on when we got there, we had a lot of shaping to do (with Herbert) and things to teach and work through,” Arroyo said. “There were wow moments throughout. I think that they escalated whether it be a throw or  … change progressions and change protections. The physical pieces. If you’re talking about what people see on film, I mean, some of the throws he’s made in the last three years together are just unbelievable. Throws down the seam versus down the middle seams to Jaylon Redd a bunch of times or throws down the field deep to Dillon Mitchell years ago.

“I decided to use the last two games to really show off his speed. It really showed how well he can run. That big run in the Rose Bowl was an awesome way to cap it off.”

OTHER TOP QB PROSPECTS

Joe Burrow, LSU

From a Chargers’ outlook, it’s easy to forget Burrow is a prospect in this draft because he’s a near lock to be selected No. 1 overall by the Cincinnati Bengals. He’s not a realistic option for the Chargers at No. 6 unless they pull off a stunning trade to secure the top spot, but don’t hold your breath.

Burrow is an interesting prospect. He had one of the best seasons ever for a college quarterback in 2019 by winning the Heisman Trophy, a national championship for LSU and coming up clutch on the biggest stages. But Burrow did that as a redshirt senior. Burrow appears to be the safest pick to have success, but his ceiling might not be as high as the other top prospects. Only time will tell.

Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama

Tagovailoa is accurate, can read defenses, doesn’t make many mistakes, and is a proven winner with leadership qualities. From all the quarterbacks, Tagovailoa has the best traits to have early success in the NFL. He would fit well with the Chargers’ 2020 roster. But what about the other years? You want your franchise quarterback to play for the next decade and Tagovailoa doesn’t provide that certainty because of his long list of injuries at Alabama, most notably the dislocated hip he sustained in November.

Mark Dominik, an analyst for SiriusXM NFL Radio and former general manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, said Tagovailoa has much better talent than Herbert, but added that some teams might favor Herbert because he doesn’t have the medical concerns.

“I don’t think there’s a GM out there that’s worried about Tua playing in 2020,” Dominik said in a conference call this week. “He’s showing on these videos and everything he’s healthy. Will he be there 2022 or 2028? That’s what you’re really struggling with Tua and because there’s people out there that feel like he’s going to need a hip replacement. You just can’t predict he won’t and he has had injuries previously.

“I think the Chargers hold the most interesting part of the draft. If Tua slips past No. 6 then I think you realize there’s a lot more medical concerns for everybody in the league than what we’re being told or what we’re being led to.”

Perhaps Tagovailoa is gone by the time the Chargers pick at No. 6, but if he’s available, the team will need to decide if the talent outweighs the medical risks.

Jordan Love, Utah State

Many are assuming Tagovailoa and Herbert are at the top of the Chargers’ QB wish list, but what if both are gone before they pick at No. 6? Obviously, they can trade up to ensure that doesn’t happen, but if they don’t, they would have to at least consider the option of taking Love. It might be a reach for him at No. 6, but there’s a strong chance he’s gone by the 20th pick. Love has high upside with size, arm strength and mobility, but he’s coming off a down junior season with 17 interceptions. But Love’s sophomore season is hard to ignore. He threw 32 touchdowns and six interceptions for Utah State in 2018.

Here’s how The Athletic’s draft expert Dane Brugler summarized Love: “Overall, Love is still very raw as a passer and his inconsistent decision-making is a concern, but he has immense, high-ceiling talent that is ready to be cultivated, projecting as a high-risk, high-reward NFL prospect.”

The Chargers can have Love sit and develop for a season with quarterback Tyrod Taylor on the roster in 2020, but the Chargers also have a need at left tackle and might opt to get an offensive tackle at No. 6 if Love isn’t high on their draft board.

Jacob Eason, Washington

If the above scenario plays out and the Chargers select an offensive tackle or perhaps Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons, then Eason could be an option for the Chargers in the second round at No. 37 overall. Most draft experts are enamored with his arm strength, but he has many question marks.

Here’s how NFL Network draft expert and Chargers radio analyst Daniel Jeremiah described Eason on a conference call this week: “He’s a polarizing player when you talk to people around the league. I love the arm strength that he has. I love the flashes. You talk about sometimes just grading the flashes of a player, if you look at him at his best, there’s a lot to be excited about with the way he throws the football.

“But he’s got some bad habits that he’s gotta clean up in terms of trying to spin out of pressure. He takes a lot of bad sacks, he forces throws, he locks on, the touch is an area that needs to be improved … I expect him to go somewhere in the second round.”

Jake Fromm, Georgia

Fromm is a proven winner with high leadership qualities. He’s the type of player coaches love to have in the locker room, but not many draft experts are sold on him potentially being a starting quarterback in the NFL. Fromm displayed accuracy at Georgia, but he doesn’t have the physical traits such as arm strength, size and athleticism. If the Chargers are still searching for a quarterback in the middle rounds, Fromm could be an option.

Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma

Many Chargers fans on social media have pushed for Hurts. That’s understandable. Hurts is a notable name, a proven winner at two top college programs (Alabama), and this scenario would allow the Chargers to draft an offensive tackle or defensive player in the first round. But the draft experts aren’t high on Hurts with NFL Network, ESPN and The Athletic all ranking him as the seventh best QB draft prospect. But Hurts’ impressive college resume and mobility will likely lead to a team taking a chance on him in the second or third round. He’s being compared to Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, who was drafted in the fourth round in 2016.