*Walt taking 2014 and 2018 |
Charlie Campbell, Senior Draft Analyst |
Multiple Teams Grade Jordan Love in Mid-Rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft
Updated Feb. 4, 2020By Charlie Campbell. Follow Charlie on Twitter @draftcampbell.
One of the interesting aspects of NFL drafts is the discrepancy of where players are graded and where they end up being selected. The old mantra is true that it only takes one team to fall in love, and that is what Utah State quarterback Jordan Love is hoping to happen in order to be a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. In speaking with sources from four different teams, they all had Love graded in the mid-rounds, so if he goes in the first round, it will be seen as a big reach by many teams in the NFL.
While four teams had Love graded as a mid-rounder, sources from three other teams said they could see Love going in the first or second round, even though they too did not have him graded that high. The teams that thought he could go in the early rounds said the need for quarterbacks will help push Love up and could cause a team to reach on him higher than where he should go. Thus, Love could go as high as the first round and shouldn’t fall out of the second or early third round if he slips to Friday night of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Team sources highlighted Love’s issues with accuracy, turnovers, and field vision, which will all need a lot of improvement. Nearly every team source felt Love is a developmental prospect who will need time on the bench to improve before being ready to play. However, Love could get forced onto the field quickly because of where he gets drafted.
Some team sources compared Love to Blake Bortles as a toolsy quarterback prospect in need of development who ended up being taken higher than where he belonged. Some teams had fourth-round grades on Christian Ponder, yet he was 12th-overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings, so Love definitely has a shot at being a first-rounder even though a lot of the league sees him as a mid-rounder.
