3. QB Jordan Love, Utah State
Jordan Love has been flying up draft boards for the last few months. Draft analysts and general managers seem to both agree that he may end up going far before people expect him to. The Dolphins have secured a formal meeting with him and the Los Angeles Chargers met with him at the combine.
There’s a lot to like about Love, primarily his athleticism to keep plays alive as well as his daunting arm strength and release. Some have likened him to being a Patrick Mahomes type prospect, but looking at some of his tape, a comparison that fits more for me would be Colin Kaepernick.
The big issue when looking at Love tends to be his processor. The physical tools are there, but too often you’ll see him throw an ill-advised deep shot that looks bad on tape. Many have already commented on how interception prone he was in 2019. 17 interceptions are definitely problematic, especially considering the Chargers are coming off of a season where Philip Rivers threw 20.
It’s also hard to ignore the turnover at Utah State though. Love’s coach and several of his teammates did leave at the end of his sophomore campaign. There’s no part of me that doesn’t think the coaching Love would hypothetically receive under Anthony Lynn and Shane Steichen wouldn’t be light years better than what Love had at Utah State.
Ultimately, what might make or break the Chargers’ decision on Love is how long they’re willing to wait. If Lynn is willing to roll out with Tyrod Taylor or Tom Brady for one or two years as a bridge, Love is certainly a candidate to develop under those circumstances.
However, if he wants a quarterback who’s a bonafide day one NFL starter, the team may have to trade up for that. Love is a project. While the likelihood is high at six since the Chargers need a quarterback, I am a little hesitant with some of his negative tendencies.