LA Rams Top 5 positional rankings: Offense edition

LA Rams NFL Draft Board quarterback class of 2020

1.- Joe Burrow (LSU): The top prospect for many; a great leader and player, good traits that can make him day 1 starter. Burrow is everything you want from a quarterback. His intelligence, poise, and awareness are well above average. Has the arm strength to throw deep dimes and to zip the football in tight spots. Best prospect since Andrew Luck; Zac Taylor will be very happy to have him

2.- Tua Tagovailoa (Alabama): If not because of his injury history and the raise of Burrow, he would’ve been the top prospect. Let’s be honest, QB is the most coveted position in all of the NFL, and Tua is really good at it. Many teams will fight for the right to draft for him. His best pass came in the National Championship against Georgia in overtime, where he threw a complete dime to walk it off. He is relentless but brittle. Brittle because he has sustained many injuries (some severe) and that would be my only concern. His durability is a high concern for NFL teams as well. He could and should have success with an above-average offensive line and a good running game, but when pressured, he might just have to take the sack or get rid of it in order to protect himself, and that could come costly. Should avoid extending plays too much as he is used to.

3.- Jake Fromm (Georgia): He might not be as flashy as most of the top quarterbacks of this list, but he stands the second readiest and at the top of safest pick. Arm strength is average, but intelligence is above. His pre-snap work will get you going and might draw defensive players with his eyes. Excellent decision maker that could do well if plugged into a scheme that has a great coach but is just lacking a QB (ahem, Bill Belichik’s Patriots).

4.- Jordan Love (Utah State): The next Patrick Mahomes? Nah, don’t put that type of pressure on a kid. I see more flaws in his game than I did when Mahomes came out, to be honest, but he has that modern-day QB mobility and precision on the move that can wow you in a second. He had a down year, but let’s attribute some of that to the absence of 9 starters, and the change of Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator that he suffered in 2019. Still, he needs to cut back on those crunch time mistakes if he wants to be a starter in this league for a long time.

5.- James Morgan (FIU)/Justin Herbert (Oregon): A surprise by all means. Florida Atlantic University had a gem in the rough; James Morgan got a better look at the East-West Shrine Game where he absolutely dominated. He may need a couple of years to still develop, but the traits are all there, good footwork, feel and progression reading will have him barely cracking day 2, and with no immediate pressure, this could be the right bet.

Herbert had a great year, but he still needs to get a feel of an NFL type of playbook. With the right coach (i.e. Panthers Matt Rhule) that transition could be smooth. He still needs to develop some traits and would benefit for a year or two out, not as needy like James Morgan for development, but sure would be wise to do so.