Analyze QB Jordan Love 1(26) yourself

[salmar80]

Here's all the game tape of Jordan Love I could find. What do y'all see?

I'll offer my take in the first comment, but I'm no NFL scout. Would be real interesting to hear your thoughts and analysis.

If this format is successful, could do something like it for all 1-3rd round pics.

[salmar80]

My analysis based purely off the clips, I read zero scouting reports or anything:

+ Very quick release. Very very quick. A natural thrower

+ Plenty of arm strength, also on the move. Can legit sling it

+ Maintains a good base in the pocket, not heel-clicky nor needing to step into throws to get power into them. QB coach would appreciate that good footwork

+ Keeps eyes downfield when moving outta the pocket and under pressure. Not afraid to take a hit

+ Some very good checkdown decisions

+ Familiar with LaFleur's style of run-pass option

= Mostly a pocket passer, but not a statue. Pretty much young AR -level of running when plays break down. Athletic enough to escape some broken pockets

= Goes through progressions seemingly fast, but hard to tell. His WRs didn't look top-notch, didn't routinely get open. Game usually not too fast for him to process, but didn't seem to be fooling safeties with his eyes. Blatant issues vs zone coverage, however (see below)

= Not helped by talent around him. Center had sometimes shotgun accuracy on shotgun snaps. A whole lotta drops and covered receivers. WRs rounded off some routes, making the job of DBs easier. Some INTs on desperation passes in games that had gotten outta hand, their D must not have been good

- Got fooled twice by LBs dropping into coverage vs BYU. Some other INTs vs zone. Will need to be waaaaay more aware of and careful vs zone coverage. Some terrible decisions when locked onto the seemingly open-looking options. Needs to be coached outta him pronto. Watching some AR would do a world of good

- Had some plays with possible concentration issues. Weird misfires while usually accurate

Overall, I think there's some fine clay to mold here. Honestly, I was expecting him to look worse. Love definitely has an NFL arm, and a lot of his technique and game seemed refined. The issues vs zone coverage need to be ironed out fast. Put Love on a bad NFL team and force him to start immediately, that would've been a disaster. Let him learn for a couple of years... Well see, but I think this guy has a real high ceiling.

[TheGreenMan]

Weird... I just started something similar in the other Love thread.

[TheGreenMan]

I love the arm strength, but his decision process is really what worries me.

[NCF]

I found another one. This is the one Ben Fennell suggests people watch to see the ceiling.

[salmar80]

Weird... I just started something similar in the other Love thread.

I saw that about a minute too late... I kinda wanted to have a separate thread of posters' own analysis versus the main one based off outside stuff. We have some smart folks here, I'm genuinely intrigued by the analysis they could provide.

[TheGreenMan]

Weird... I just started something similar in the other Love thread.

I saw that about a minute too late... I kinda wanted to have a separate thread of posters' own analysis versus the main one based off outside stuff. We have some smart folks here, I'm genuinely intrigued by the analysis they could provide.

Think we posted at the same time.

@NCF I think that video certainly showcases what kind of talent Love is. I think he genuinely has the tools to make it big in the league. His throws don't look as accurate as I'd hope there. I definitely see the arm strength though. I hear people say he has an interesting throwing motion too, and I see that in some of the highlights. Not sure how much it has an impact on the ball though, maybe release time. Rodger's had a very odd motion too.

[NCF]

I see a real nice, high and quick release. I wouldn't expect batted balls will ever be an issue with him.

Can be a decisive, rhythm thrower.

Seems to have a good command of the offense.

Able to throw from different platforms and arm angles cleanly.

Missed a few throws long that looked to be intentional throw-aways, otherwise accuracy NOT an issue.

Tough. Stood in there and took some big hits. Lowered his head a few times to pick up extra yards on the ground.

The game kind of got away from Utah State and then you can see him pressing a bit, but keeps battling.

The throw at 9:45 is RIDICULOUS.

Game should have been over 15 times, but he kept a far inferior team in the game.

[TheGreenMan]

Tough. Stood in there and took some big hits. Lowered his head a few times to pick up extra yards on the ground.

I noticed this in a lot of highlights I watched this morning. He keeps in the pocket and fights out of situations when the pocket was really starting to collapse. Definitely athletic enough to avoid defenders, which I could see why people think Mahomes.

[YoHoChecko]

I'm not very good on mechanical things with QBs; I don't know about footwork or release angles or anything.

But goodness gracious that ball moves from him holding it to being at the receiver in a hurry. The arm talent is unreal.

Also noticed in the clip against Mich St the announcers commenting about how much freedom Love has in the up tempo offense to pick among plays, and he really had command doing that, so I definitely won't say there's any mental deficit. He makes some shaky decisions and throws into coverage, but it seemed to me much more about being willing to throw the 50/50 ball and his guys losing those battles than bad throws. Tough to critique a decision without knowing if other players were open.

Like I said, this is unfamiliar territory for me, as the Packers have rarely been in a position to make me evaluate draft prospects at QB since I became a fan in the early 92.

[Scott4Pack]

I can’t add to what you other guys said except that Love is really impressive just getting the ball out on time and with authority to places all over thE field.

[TheGreenMan]

Watching more stuff.

His speed is mind boggling once he gets in open space, guy moves really fast.

Definitely has some of those throws off his back foot that makes you say "wow".

I wish he had more opportunity to play against better talent. A lot of cupcake teams.

[Packfntk]

I will echo the sentiment, he has some major tools and can make some freaky throws. He gets the benefit of sitting down for a bit and working on his flaws, which is a good thing. My thoughts on the pick:

Last night sure was interesting. Queen was sitting there, tons of WR's, Blacklock, Cleveland, etc. When they traded up I was very excited. When I saw who they selected I stared at the TV for a bit. Confused, a little angry, thinking What the $%@#? My phone blew up for the next hour with mad friends and family. I sat up. I listened to Gutey's press conference, I listened to Love's conference with local media. I read all the confused posts on twitter. I didn't actually go to bed until about 230AM.

There is a lot to talk about with this one, but in 2005 I fully backed the Rodgers pick, so much that all of my friends got pissed because we had Favre. I am not a GM. I knew that we had to make a pick like this sooner than later if the right opportunity fell to us. Is this is? I have no idea. Is it the pick I would have made? No. But I am going to say that I always back the organization. They have been pretty successful sustaining a winning tradition for me to enjoy as a fan, and if Love does that in 3-4 years after Rodgers is gone for another 12-15 years, who can knock that?

Love is either the future, or he is trade bait, but I believe they look at him as the future. He sounds as if he is really eager to learn, hopefully when it is his time he will shine.

[NCF]

Copying in Waldo's thoughts from the other thread.

Sorry for quoting my own post, but I'd be real interested in getting y'all's takes on Love's tape.

I watched the LSU game. It looked a lot like 3rd stringers playing against starters in preseason.

He has a very fast release and I like his ball placement quite a bit. He was trying to throw receivers open, but the talent gap was just too massive for it to work sometimes, and they dropped a lot of balls. It appears like he goes through progressions very fast (out of necessity, his OL ole'd the D much of the time). I don't fault QB's for taking risks when things are out of hand or getting that way; its my biggest gripe with Rodgers, he's way too risk averse at times he shouldn't be. He can throw on the run (a key trait for me).

Give me arm power, ball placement, ability to throw on the run, and ability to process information fast. Everything else can be developed.

[YoHoChecko]

Watching more stuff.

His speed is mind boggling once he gets in open space, guy moves really fast.

Definitely has some of those throws off his back foot that makes you say "wow".

I wish he had more opportunity to play against better talent. A lot of cupcake teams.

Yeah, I only watched the BYU, Michigan St, and LSU games for that reason. Given the LSU score and the stats, I didn't expect the tape to be... actually fine. Like I said before, it's tough to fault a guy for decisions without getting a view on who else was open. When 23 and I criticize Rodgers for passing up on checkdowns or open guys to chase a big play 50/50 ball, we do so only when we SEE the open guy on the clip or in the replay. When we criticize him for taking a sack after holding the ball, it's only when we SEE the guy flash open early and Rodgers pat the ball or pump fake instead of release (or just stand there).

With Love, that MAY be happening, but I don't SEE a lot of open space anywhere on the field (especially with his 2019 guys). Losing his RB and TE for safe underneath throws between 2018 and 2019 (both drafted) really seems to have affected him. If you're down 25 points to LSU and you throw a 50/50 ball between [name] and Grant Delpit or [name] and Derek Stingley, there's a pretty good chance that the future Day 1 or 2 NFL draft picks win that war. I'm not particularly mad about it. It's like the year Favre threw 29 INTs but like 16 of them were in the 4th quarter while down by 2+ scores. Who cares? Love's ball placement was still fairly consistently good.

Love is a wonderful talent who needs time; he's landed in an ideal situation. Hating this pick should be about the circumstances and not the player. I genuinely believe that with this pick, the organization set itself up for a long, continued success at the QB position. The only question is whether we needed to do that.

[Waldo]

Watching more stuff.

His speed is mind boggling once he gets in open space, guy moves really fast.

Definitely has some of those throws off his back foot that makes you say "wow".

I wish he had more opportunity to play against better talent. A lot of cupcake teams.

And with better talent. Man his receivers sucked. So many throws where better receivers would have made a play. He'd have had a billion yards if those bums were instead Davante.

[salmar80]

Love is a wonderful talent who needs time; he's landed in an ideal situation. Hating this pick should be about the circumstances and not the player. I genuinely believe that with this pick, the organization set itself up for a long, continued success at the QB position. The only question is whether we needed to do that.

You know, when I first clicked on "play" on the first of these cutups, I was mortified at the possibility that we had picked a "meh" talent at a non-need position. I hated the idea of a QB pick in 2020, was ready to spew hellfire on Love. About all I had heard of him was "good arm" and "many interceptions".

But then I started watching... And while I still wish we had bolstered the 2020 team, I just can't hate Love as a prospect. I can't. His tape is too good. I got to indirectly watch plenty of other QBs when looking at WRs, and they had it much easier as for targets and protection, and still didn't impress me like Love did.

I hope some of the posters most disappointed with the pick like [mention]lupedafiasco[/mention] , [mention]Yoop[/mention] , [mention]BF004[/mention] , [mention]Drj820[/mention] , [mention]Pckfn23[/mention] , [mention]bud fox[/mention] and others would take the time to watch some film and offer their thoughts. I'd love to hear their analysis.

[Pckfn23]

Oh I will. It's not Love the player I am disappointed with, let's just say that right now.

[YoHoChecko]

You know, when I first clicked on "play" on the first of these cutups, I was mortified at the possibility that we had picked a "meh" talent at a non-need position. I hated the idea of a QB pick in 2020, was ready to spew hellfire on Love. About all I had heard of him was "good arm" and "many interceptions".

But then I started watching... And while I still wish we had bolstered the 2020 team, I just can't hate Love as a prospect. I can't. His tape is too good. I got to indirectly watch plenty of other QBs when looking at WRs, and they had it much easier as for targets and protection, and still didn't impress me like Love did.

Yeah, I think there's a key semantic difference between "arm talent" and "big arm" in this case. A LOT of QBs have cannons and don't pan out--Big Arms. What I keep hearing with Love, though, is "arm talent." And BOY does it pop on tape. He can make inane, other-worldly throws, and like the McGinn scouts'take write-up, he makes them look easy, effortless. Honestly, not hyperbole, Rodgers and Mahomes are the only QBs in the league right now who make those types of throws, that often, look that easy. There are other ways to win at QB, and not every QB who can make great effortless throws develops the consistency, the discipline, and the mental aspect well enough to be great. But this is RARE arm talent. I think he might be great some day.

But we're in for an interesting couple of years. For as well as the Favre-Rodgers transition worked out in the long run, it was an absolutely terrible, divisive, crapfest to live through.

[Crazylegs Starks]

I'm not good at projecting QBs, but it just occurred to me that Brian Brohm was the last QB we've drafted high (2nd round,pick #56). Love clearly has way more talent than he did.