Catching up with the 2020 First-Round Quarterbacks
CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bengals were among the four teams that selected a quarterback in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft, along with the Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Chargers and Green Bay Packers.
The Bengals selected Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow with the No. 1 pick. The Dolphins took Tua Tagovailoa fifth, the Chargers took Justin Herbert sixth and Green Bay took Jordan Love with the 26th overall selection.
A little less than two weeks before the start of the regular season, let's take a look at how the four quarterbacks were received by the fan base at draft time, how they performed in training camp, and what to expect in the regular season.
First, let's discuss Burrow and then we'll get insight on the other three quarterbacks that were taken in the first round.
JOE BURROW — BENGALS
Fan reaction
Bengals fans are ecstatic that Joe Burrow is in town. He brings the City of Cincinnati hope, which is something they haven’t had in a long time. He was a star in Cincinnati long before the team selected him with the No. 1 pick. The fan base has never been more excited for a rookie to join the team. They expect a lot from Burrow, but the fans already love what they’ve seen and heard about the 23-year-old.
Training camp performance
Burrow played about as well as anyone could expect during training camp. He made mistakes, which happens with every rookie quarterback, but he always rebounded quickly.
He struggled in the red zone during the Bengals’ first padded practice. It was the first time he had played 7-on-7 in that situation. Burrow went 6-of-12 with one interception and two touchdowns. He also fumbled a snap in the rain. It was arguably his worst day during camp. The very next practice he went 7-of-8 in the red zone with three touchdowns. His poise and ability to respond after a bad throw, ugly series or poor practice was nice to see. He never got rattled, even when things weren’t going well.
Regular season expectations
Burrow enters the league with high expectations that could be a little unfair, considering he didn’t have a normal offseason or a preseason to get ready for life in the NFL. That hasn’t stopped Bengals head coach Zac Taylor and the rest of the team from leaning on the 2019 Heisman Trophy winner. He’s emerged as a leader in that locker room. The players look to him on and off the field. He’s mature, disciplined and has a great work ethic. Burrow is going to make mistakes, but there’s no reason why he can’t throw for 3,700 yards and 20 touchdowns this season. A lot of his potential success depends on a lot of factors, including the offensive line. If the Bengals can be competent in the trenches and the skill players are able to stay relatively healthy, then Burrow should have a big year.
TUA TAGOVAILOA — DOLPHINS
Fan reaction
There are few words to describe just what the selection of Tagovailoa meant to the Dolphins. This was a guy many of them had targeted for the better part of a year, starting with the whole “Tank for Tua” slogan that became a thing. With Tagovailoa, most Dolphins fans felt the team finally got a worthy successor to Dan Marino.
Training camp performance
The most encouraging thing about Tagovailoa’s training camp, based on the practices open to the media, was the way he moved. The way he rolled out and scrambled at times, it actually was difficult to tell this was a quarterback coming off a major hip injury some nine months ago. From an effectiveness standpoint, Tagovailoa looked like a lot of rookie quarterbacks with inconsistency from throw to throw and some hesitation in the pocket. But what was pretty consistent was Tagovailoa’s accuracy on short to intermediate throws, which was a trademark of his during his brilliant career at the University of Alabama.
Regular season expectations
Head coach Brian Flores suggested Tuesday morning that the Dolphins’ quarterback competition remained open not only for the starting spot but the No. 2 position as well, though there aren’t many observers outside the Dolphins training facility who bought that idea. Based on experience and based on what we saw during training camp practices, it appears obvious Ryan Fitzpatrick will be the starting quarterback. As for Tua, Flores said giving him as much time removed from his hip injury would be a consideration when it comes to deciding his role. The best guess remains that Tua will get into the starting lineup later in the season — and only if Fitzpatrick struggles. Otherwise, it’s not impossible this will become like a redshirt year for him.
JUSTIN HERBERT — CHARGERS
Fan reaction
The fan reaction for Herbert has been mixed. Half of the fans didn’t like the pick because they feel like he could be the “bust quarterback” of this draft. The other half liked it because of the physical tools he possesses. He has a cannon for an arm and can move in the pocket.
Training camp performance
The performance of Herbert during camp has been encouraging. When the quarterbacks warm up, he makes some nice throws. When the team gets into 11-on-11, he makes good plays like last week he threw to tight end Stephen Anderson for a 65-yard touchdown. There are times when you see the physical tools like when he moves in the pocket and makes a brilliant throw while on the run. He does have moments where he gets rattled. For example, Anthony Lynn made Herbert’s second-team offense face the first-team defense. Herbert tries dumping the ball off, and Melvin Ingram intercepted him and ran it back for a touchdown. Lynn said that he feels like he has progressed well during camp and feels like Herbert, being a smart kid, will learn from the hard times. His teammates have been excited about the progress they have seen from him as well.
Regular season expectations
Number 10 may be on the sideline the whole season. During camp, the media didn’t see Herbert take one snap with the first-team offense. That means that Lynn and the Chargers are all in on Tyrod Taylor starting at quarterback. Now the big question is, can Taylor last all 16 games? In Cleveland, he got hurt in Week 3, and it was the Baker Mayfield show from then on. The only way Herbert sees the field is if Taylor goes down or if they are out of the playoff hunt, and the team’s brass wants to see what the young quarterback has. If called upon, with the weapons the offense possesses, the moment may not be too much for him.
— Fernando Ramirez, ChargerReport
JORDAN LOVE — PACKERS
Fan reaction
The fans, shall we say, were not pleased. Aaron Rodgers might not be peak Aaron Rodgers anymore, but the Packers were a win away from the Super Bowl. So, with needs at linebacker, receiver and defensive line, they took a quarterback? And not just a quarterback, but a quarterback coming off a poor season at a smaller school?
Training camp performance
Love showed some flashes of his talent. He’s mobile and seems to have a good feel for pressure. As camp progressed, Love began driving the ball downfield a bit more frequently after spending the first six or eight practices throwing a check-down here and lobbing the ball over there. During the scrimmage Saturday, Love was a woeful 3-of-9 for 31 yards in his first two periods but went 5-for-5 for 68 yards and a touchdown in his final period. Not surprisingly, a battle for the No. 2 job never materialized. Third-year pro Tim Boyle, with a year in the system, outplayed Love at every practice. Boyle, despite going undrafted out of Eastern Kentucky (via Connecticut) in 2018, is a legit talent with well above-average arm strength. With no pressure to play, Love is learning the full offense and not just a bite-sized portion. Between the playbook and fundamentals, he’s had a lot to contemplate. Thinking and playing quarterback don’t go hand in hand.
Regular season expectations
The expectations are zero as far as what happens on Sundays. The expectations are enormous for what happens during the work week. While Love likely won’t play a single meaningful snap as a rookie, this will be a critical season for his development. As was the case for every rookie, the cancelation of offseason practices was a major setback. After an abbreviated training camp and no preseason, he’ll get four-plus months to fine-tune the fundamentals taught by coach Matt LaFleur and dig into the finer points of the offense. The progress will be evident to the coaches, who figure to hand control of the scout team to Love and let him attack the No. 1 defense. While he won’t be running Green Bay’s offense, those practice reps against one of the league’s better defense should hasten his development. While there’s no substitute for game reps, Love’s potential as a future starter should crystallize at least a little by the end of the season.
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