Fantasy Impact of First Round QBs (Burrow, Tagovailoa, Herbert & Love)
Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals (Pick 1)
There was no mystery with the first overall pick as the Bengals took Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow. Burrow is poised in the pocket and can make all the necessary throws with precision timing and accuracy. He has a great pocket presence and enough mobility to make defenders respect the RPO.
Burrow could not ask for a better place to end up than Cincinnati. He hails from Ohio, so he should have a ton of crowd support, and the Bengals have a bevy of offensive weapons. So long as RB Joe Mixon does not hold out, Burrow will have a solid running game to help him, and the combination of WRs A.J. Green and Tyler Boyd is one of the best in the league. If the Bengals offensive line can give Burrow time to throw, he has a chance for 4,000+ passing yards and 23-25 TDs.
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins (Pick 5)
Admittedly, I was a little surprised that the Dolphins did not trade up to take Tagovailoa at third overall, but they rolled the dice, and it paid off as he was available at fifth overall. Tagovailoa is an excellent pocket passer who uses his great footwork to avoid defenders. He throws a terrific deep ball and is unafraid to take chances downfield. The biggest worry with him is whether his injured hip is 100-percent healthy. The Dolphins are taking a leap of faith with him, hoping that he can be back to the way he was before his injury.
The Dolphins still have Ryan Fitzpatrick at their starter, and the team has playoff aspirations for 2020, so it would surprise me to see Tagovailoa play so long as the team is in contention. At best, I see Tagovailoa playing around Week 8 (assuming Fitzpatrick is healthy), which makes him more valuable in dynasty and best-ball formats than he will be in seasonal leagues.
Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers (Pick 6)
--The Chargers felt all along that either Tagovailoa or Herbert would fall to them at sixth overall. This was exactly the case as Herbert was selected to be their quarterback of the future. Herbert is polarizing as a prospect. On the one hand, he is a big, strong, athletic kid who is incredibly hard working. He has a cannon for an arm, and he loves to take shots downfield. On the other hand, his short and intermediate passing game is highly inaccurate, which is something that many experts find is unteachable.
Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn has already said that the team is going to go with Tyrod Taylor as their starter. This should give Herbert time to learn the offense and become more familiar with reading opposing defenses. Herbert is more of a long-term solution for the Chargers and is way more valuable in dynasty formats. That said, he has an extremely high upside based on his willingness to work and the high quality of offensive players that are on the Chargers roster.
Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers (Pick 26)
If there was ever a pick that will be scrutinized in this year's draft, it will be this pick. Not only did the Packers surprise most people by selecting a quarterback, but they also traded up to get him! Aaron Rodgers is coming off one of his worst seasons as a professional, but he is still only 36 years old, and it seems likely that he has 3-4 more good years in front of him. First-round picks have five-year contracts, so the Packers have a couple of years to watch Love mature before they need to decide about replacing Rodgers.
Love has an immense upside as a runner and thrower. Many scouts saw him as a sure-fire first-round selection based on his current skill set. He should get much better being groomed under Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, who is well known for his success in helping develop young quarterbacks. Unless Rodgers is traded or injured, it would be shocking to see Love start any games this season.
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