LA Chargers starting quarterback option: 5. Jalen Hurts
Again, Hurts would only start for the LA Chargers in 2020 if Taylor got hurt or played badly. He would not be drafted with the expectation of starting in 2020. And yes, I prefer Jalen Hurts over Jordan Love.
There are multiple reasons. First, while Love has a higher ceiling, I think there is a fairly good chance that Hurts is more successful in the NFL than Love. He does not have the same arm talent as Love and has the same drawbacks (decision-making, defensive reads, etc.).
However, Hurts is much more dangerous with his legs than Love, which fits into the Chargers’ transition to a mobile quarterback. If you look at the recent quarterbacks coming out of the draft that had accuracy concerns, the ones who have thrived were the ones who could use their legs (Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen).
The ones that had impressive arms but did not thrive did not use their legs as much (Blake Bortles, Josh Rosen). Love is more athletic than those two, but certainly not as big of a dual-threat weapon like Hurts.
With the two being similar, I would personally prefer for the Chargers to use a third-round pick on Hurts and then take the best available in rounds one and two. That could lead to an elite defensive player, such as Jeffrey Okudah or Isaiah Simmons, and a second-round wide receiver that would be a first-round pick in any other draft class.
Plus, I do value college success. While it is not completely up to Hurts nor Love, college success and competition level do mean something. Hurts was playing Big-12 defenses, while not great, are still better than Mountain West defenses.