NEWSLETTER
It appears as if I’m not the only one who’s developed a prospect crush on Jalen Hurts during the NFL Scouting Combine.
Bleacher Report draft guru Matt Miller writes in his scouting notebook that Hurts’ stock is on the rise. Entering Combine Week, Miller had Hurts pegged with a third-round grade on his board. But things went so well for the Oklahoma product during that evaluation period, Miller now views Hurts as being in consideration to be a top-50 pick.
“Hurts handled himself well in interviews with media and with NFL teams, but most importantly he continued to show improved mechanics and fluidity in his passing motion,” Miller wrote. “Hurts isn’t being judged on who he was at Alabama or Oklahoma, but on what he can become with NFL coaching and time to develop. And that is a pretty fun idea.”
As we discussed last week, Hurts’ popularity is growing. Hurts was also mocked to go to the Bears in Miller’s post-Combine mock, as well as that of WGN Radio’s Adam Hoge. It has been interesting to follow his draft stock as the process continues. During Oklahoma’s college football playoff game, ESPN’s Todd McShay was on the sidelines reporting that he had been hearing that Hurts was a projected fourth-round pick. Miller, himself, initially had Hurts as a possible Round 3 section. Now, following a strong showing at the Combine, Hurts is getting legitimate second-round consideration.
Hello … Bears?
Chicago’s needs at quarterback cannot be understated. Because even if Mitch Trubisky goes into the 2020 season as the starter, he has just one year left on his current contract. And seeing that players around him are getting (and in some cases, are being considered to receive) significant raises suggests that the Bears might not be in the market to offer up a big-money deal to a quarterback. Hence, the reasons we have seen the likes of Marcus Mariota and Case Keenum as rumored options for one of the two backup spots. And even if Trubisky is the starter and they add a free agent to push Trubisky from behind, there is still room for a young quarterback on a rookie-scale deal. That’s where someone like Hurts would be in play.
The Bears have two second-round picks – Nos. 43 and 50 – in the upcoming NFL Draft. They have needs at other positions, to be sure. But if Chicago plays its cards right, it could offer a nice landing spot for Hurts. As Miller made mention of in his assessment, Hurts is being judged for what he could be if given the right system and time to develop in the NFL. Should the Bears successfully make tweaks to their offensive scheme, then there isn’t much of an argument for this team being a fit for that type of prospect.
With that in mind, let’s continue to keep up with what’s going on with possible second-round quarterback options. I have a feeling the draft board movement is just beginning.
