Why Jalen Hurts to the Patriots Makes Sense
Ryan Cearfoss @fntsyfbconnect
For the first time in two decades, the Patriots don’t know who their starting quarterback is going to be. With the choices Jarrett Stidham or Brian Hoyer, the future is in question. Is Hoyer the long term answer, Hell No! Is Stidham, that’s still to be determined.
Drafting 23rd in the draft the top three QBs will likely be gone leaving QBs with a lot of question marks. If the Patriots wait though there is a chance that they can pick up Jalen Hurts in the third round and if you look closely it makes a ton of sense and I’m going to break down why.
What we know about Jalen Hurts
Jalen Hurts started his career at Alabama winning SEC Player of the year as a true freshman going 14-1 and finishing as the runner up in the NCAA. In his freshman year, Hurts played the role of a game manager in a run-heavy offense on his way to a great year.
The next season was a lot more of the same thing, the only difference is that Hurts was benched at halftime of the National Championship by likely top 10 pick Tua Tagovaola, who won the Championship and never gave the spot back.
After a season as a backup at Alabam Jalen Hurts transferred to Oklahoma where he truly shined. Hurts ended his season at Oklahoma as the Heisman runner up finishing the season ranking 8th in the nation in passing yards,1st in yards per attempt and 1st in the Big 12 in passing touchdowns, first in passing efficiency, 2nd in rushing yards and 2nd in rushing TDs.
At Oklahoma Hurts truly reinvented himself as a quarterback playing efficiently and carrying the team as the focal point of the offense.
What we know about Bill Belichick
Quite possibly the most decorated and successful coach of all time Belichick has succeeded in plugging cogs into his system around Tom Brady and dominating the NFL.
Most recently Daniel Jeremiah (ex-scout and current analysis for NFL.com) broke down on what Bill Belichick looks for in a quarterback. Wha those things are are, decision making, size, arm, physically tough, leadership, confidence and a competitor.
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As for things they do as a passer, putting the ball in the position for players to run after the catch, accuracy, field awareness, and ball security is the key. Now the question is does Jalen Hurts check these boxes?
Decision Making– Coming from Nick Saban and Lincoln Riley offenses, Hurst was expected to make good decisions and get the ball out quickly when he did. In his three years as a starter, he never hit double-digit interceptions, even only having one in his 2017 season. When plays weren’t there Hurts had no problem throwing away but was even more dangerous because of his threat as a runner. Check.
Size – At 6’2 Jalen Hurts is slightly shorter than the prototypical QB but is tall enough to not have it be a detriment. Weight-wise Hurts sturdy, can break tackles and tale hits without having to worry about health. Check.
Arm- Jalen Hurts has a strong enough arm to make all of the throws. Hurts can put the ball in tight windows, hit the deep ball and all other throws an NFL quarterback needs to make. Check
Physically Tough/Competitive- This is easy yes Jalen Hurts ran the ball 614 times in four seasons and never missed any time. Hurts had no fear taking hits to help his team succeed and it shows with the way they followed him. Hurts had no problem taking the offense and having the entire thing run through him. Being able to handle 340 pass attempts and 233 caries Hurts never flinched. Check.
Leadership- As mentioned above, the way Hurts put his body on the line to help his team win was a huge sign of leadership that helped his teammates gravitate to him and follow him. Hurts was a winner everywhere he played and it showed especially with the guys who followed him. What stands out even more from a leadership perspective was the way he handled losing his starting job in Alabama. Not only did Hurts handle it with class, he never waivered with being there for his team and backing the player who took his spot. This type of leadership can’t be taught. This is a big-time Check.
Setting receivers up for YAC yards– The Oklahoma offense was built to fire quick and let its athletes make plays. Hurts showed he was able to lead his receivers all over the field, having one of the best receivers with yards after the catch in college. Check
Accuracy- Out of everything named so far, this is the biggest question mark. Hurts is more of an area thrower than a ball placement guy. The good news is Hurts showed a crazy amount of improvement from his days at Alabama to Oklahoma. At Alabama Hurts never hit over 62%, after a season off working on his craft Hurts jumped to a 69% completion percentage. This massive improvement shows a trend in the right direction. With the right coaching (such as the best coach ever) this could become a Check.
Ball Security- This is a massive area of importance in New England, and Hurts did a very good job of it. The fact Hurts only had 14 turnovers (8 ints and 6 fumbles) in 577 plays that went through him. Check.
With Jalen Hurts checking almost all of the boxes of traits important for Belichick he could be very successful in his offense. While he seems unconventional we have only really seen Brady who came in at a time when the pocket passer was the only real option in the NFL. Belichick has shown comfortable with a more mobile quarterback having Jacoby Brisset as a backup to Brady who has a completely different skillset. If given the opportunity with the creative genius Belichick has been with his play-calling, the Patriots could be dangerous with the addition of Jalen Hurts. The NFL is changing and the great coaches aren’t afraid to change with it.
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