There are a lot of question marks surrounding former Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert as he prepares for the 2020 NFL Draft.
A player with a huge arm and exceptional athleticism, Herbert has the talent to succeed. However, at least one NFL scout isn’t sure the former Ducks star has the demeanor to take his game to the ultimate level.
Bob McGinn, who’s famous for his pre-draft notebooks, shared a quote from an unnamed NFL scout who compared Herbert to Carson Palmer and Jared Goff.
“His demeanor reminded me of Carson Palmer (at USC),” a second scout said. “Carson Palmer would come off the field when something went wrong and (offensive coordinator) Norm Chow would scream at him and he would shrug his shoulders and just go over to the bench and sit down. I see talent. I don’t see fire. (Jared) Goff had the same type of personality. Excellent family. Quiet, not outgoing. He’s smart (with a Wonderlic score of 25) but he doesn’t have that aggressive personality.”
It’s important to note that there have been plenty of quarterbacks who don’t outwardly project “fire” but who have found success at the NFL level. NFL Hall of Famer Joe Montana stands out as a shining example. He was never a rah-rah guy, but rather he became famous for his “Joe Cool” demeanor that served him so well.
We recently mocked Herbert to a team outside the top-10, and given the activity from quarterback-needy teams in free agency that prediction might hold true. It’s going to be fascinating to see how it all unfolds in late April.