CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE ZONE COVERAGE DRAFT GUIDE:
TOP 100 PLAYER PROFILES
RANKING THE VIKINGS NEEDS
EXPLORING VIKINGS DRAFT TRENDS
A HISTORY OF RICK SPIELMAN’S DRAFT TRADES
VIKINGS TARGETS
LUKE INMAN’S MOCK DRAFTS
SENIOR BOWL CENTRAL
FEATURES FROM OUR STAFF
JUSTIN HERBERT
HEIGHT/WEIGHT/AGE
6-foot-6
235 pounds
22 years old
BIG PICTURE
Justin Herbert is likely the third quarterback off the board in this draft behind Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa. The three-star recruit grew up in Oregon and started for part or all of four seasons for his home-state Ducks, wowing as a freshman before plateauing a bit until a big senior campaign. Herbert might’ve once been pegged as a surefire first-round pick after his junior season, but he opted to return to school and bolster his stock, which he did. Herbert posted a career high 32 touchdown passes as a senior against just six interceptions, earning a Senior Bowl invite. He’s not a running quarterback, per se, but his combine demonstrated an impressive athletic profile that will allow him to make plays out of the pocket. Went 29-14 in his Ducks career.
COMBINE NOTABLES
4.68 40-yard dash (T-3rd)
35.5-inch vertical (T-2nd)
123-inch broad jump (3rd)
7.06 3-cone drill (1st)
4.46 20-yard shuttle (4th)
VIKINGS COMPATIBILITY RANKING
1 out of 5. It’s unlikely that Herbert will fall to Pick 22, and its unlikely that Minnesota is in the market for a first-round quarterback after extending Kirk Cousins.
HIGHLIGHTS
WHAT DRAFT EXPERTS SAY
Lance Zierlein, NFL.com: “Big, talented full-field scanner able to find the right read and sling it around the yard from the pocket or on the move. Herbert rushed throws in 2018, but he showed marked improvement in that area, excluding the Auburn opener. He trusts his protection while working through coverages and route development and has big-boy arm talent and drive velocity to stress and impress defenses. He’s confident attacking downfield, but touch throws evade him and may have created tentativeness with certain short and intermediate throws. Ball placement requires additional emphasis, but upgrading to NFL skill talent could help him bloom. Herbert has a high ceiling and is the most physically gifted quarterback in the draft, but he doesn’t have as many “wow” plays as expected for someone with his traits, experience and potential.”
Joe Marino, Draft Network: “Every physical gift desirable in a quarterback prospect is baked into Justin Herbert. His peaks are incredibly exciting and his starting point for his NFL career is at a good place given his improvements from 2018 to 2019. While Herbert is a bit rough around the edges and needs to get better in several critical areas, he represents a high upside chance at dynamic NFL starting quarterback. The infrastructure around Herbert will be critical to his success and development, but he’s a chance worth taking given his physical skill set and progress to this point. It will be important for his NFL offense to include timing and spacing concepts in addition to RPOs to keep him on schedule while sprinkling in more progression concepts.”
WHAT PFF SAYS
75.4% adjusted completion percentage (T-16th)
114.3 passer rating on deep balls
8.8-yard depth of target (T-73rd)
CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE ZONE COVERAGE DRAFT GUIDE:
TOP 100 PLAYER PROFILES
RANKING THE VIKINGS NEEDS
EXPLORING VIKINGS DRAFT TRENDS
A HISTORY OF RICK SPIELMAN’S DRAFT TRADES
VIKINGS TARGETS
LUKE INMAN’S MOCK DRAFTS
SENIOR BOWL CENTRAL
FEATURES FROM OUR STAFF
