NFL Draft: Jalen Hurts is getting more than Day 3 interest

Former Alabama football quarterback Jalen Hurts is getting more interest from NFL teams and may no longer be a Day 3 pick in the 2020 Draft.

Alabama football fans have a fondness for Jalen Hurts. So do Oklahoma Sooners’ fans. The young man accomplished much in his college career. Playing in different schemes for two top teams showcased Jalen’s considerable talents.

Perhaps never before has a player, having finished No. 2 in the Heisman Trophy voting, garnered so little attention from NFL teams. Much of the post-Super Bowl chatter about future NFL quarterbacks has been about Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert. When a fourth quarterback has been mentioned, most often it has been Jordan Love.

Jalen Hurts, the recipient of so much love from fans, has rarely been seen as a future, elite NFL QB. In the avalanche of NFL Mock Drafts over the last two months, Jalen Hurts has been assigned to either a late, third-round pick or Day 3. With just over a week left for pundit supposition, Jalen’s Draft chances appear to be rising.

This week’s chatter includes Jalen in draft plans for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Green Bay Packers and the Los Angeles Chargers. It has been reported the three teams are giving some thought to taking Jalen as high as the second round of the Draft.

A look back at Jalen’s college stats shows a highly productive dual-threat QB. Hurts has been an offensive machine, passing for 9,477 yards and rushing for 3,274 more. Quarterbacks who can throw and run are valued highly in certain NFL schemes. Jalen fits that profile. Nick Saban certainly thinks so.

"There are a lot of guys playing in the NFL now that are having a lot of success that are similar style players to Jalen … you know who they are. I think the success of those players has kind of broken the stereotype"

The only real slam on Jalen has been inconsistent passing accuracy. To the extent that is true, it did not keep Jalen from completing 69.7 percent of his 2019 passes for Oklahoma. His accuracy was even better at Alabama in 2018 at 72.9 percent.

There is no question Jalen Hurts will play in the NFL. What remains unknown is will he be a starter, a traditional, career backup or a role-player backup? That question will not be answered in next week’s NFL Draft. There will be a strong clue to Jalen’s future evidenced by how highly one team values him.

Sticking with the three teams reported as showing recent interest, let’s review their options. ESPN’s Mel Kiper has a new range for Jalen.

"I think he’s a late-second round or third rounder. I don’t think he gets to Day 3. I think in the third round, somebody jumps at this guy with his intangibles through the roof."

In that second or third round range, Pittsburgh has the No. 49 and the No. 102 picks. Green Bay has the No. 62 and the No. 94. The Chargers, assuming they don’t use No. 6 for a QB (unlikely) have No. 37 and No. 71 to use.

Adding to a long list of Jalen guesses offers little value. Doing it anyway, we’ll throw in the Packers with the No. 94 selection.