Lots of praise this week of Justin Herbert. Today he really improved his stock and earlier was named Practice Player of the Week. Today he was named the Senior Bowl MVP. Here are a few quotes from analysts and writers around the country.

COLLEGESPUN
Justin Herbert, in just the first quarter, completed 9-of-12 passes for 83 yards and a touchdown. Through one half of action, he’s been the best quarterback on the field.
There’s no doubt the former Duck is improving his NFL Draft stock. But will it be enough to surpass either Tagovailoa or Burrow? It’s unlikely.
But with the way things are playing out, Herbert is solidifying his projection as a top-10 pick. If he continues his impressive play, NFL experts may have to readjust their draft projections.

247SPORTS
"He’s very talented physically. He’s got prototypical size and athletic ability. He has a really, really strong arm. On top of that, he’s extremely intelligent and he’s very conscientious. He gathers information, he can process it and he can call it. He went under center for the first time, probably, in his career and he answered that bell with flying colors. Every day I continue to be impressed with the things we ask him to do and he answers really well." Bill Callahan, Cincinnati Bengals OC via 247Sports)

CBSSPORTS
It's been pretty much Groundhog Day for Herbert this week and that's a good thing. He's been impressive, starting with his measureables (6-foot-6, 238 pounds), athleticism and arm strength. He's thrown tight spirals every day, and he has been accurate too.

NFL.COM (after practice)
Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon. I came into this week thinking Herbert was the best quarterback here in Mobile, and he's only solidified that belief with his performance through his first couple Senior Bowl practices. He looks confident out there and he's not making many mistakes with his decisions. And this is a crucial week for him. Where he ends up going in the draft will be determined more by how he fares this week than his showing at the NFL Scouting Combine. Everyone knows he has the talent of a first-round, franchise QB, but the big question for him at this event is how does he lead his teammates? How does he step up and perform consistently? The Senior Bowl gives him a better stage to display his abilities in those areas than the combine, and he's been up to the challenge to this point. I've been very impressed with his intermediate tosses across the field. Those are throws not everyone can make, but he made it look kind of easy.

247SPORTS
One of the biggest things that scouts and NFL analysts have said about Herbert coming out of the week is that he can do everything asked of him. While going under center for the first time in his post-high school career, Herbert adapted quickly and continued to make the plays that people saw flashes of when he was at Oregon. (Kevin Wade)

BLEACHER REPORT
Some prospects just look different than everyone else on the field.
Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert is one of those prospects. He walked onto the field(s) in Mobile and simply looked better than nearly anyone else. More importantly, he built upon the previous day's performance.
"I thought Justin Herbert did a really good job," Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said on the ESPNU telecast after the final day of full practice. "He was really sharp."
Sharp might be a bit of an understatement.
Herbert's precision and velocity worked hand-in-hand. He threw multiple passes into tight windows with ease. A couple of receivers even dropped passes because they weren't ready for throws with that much smoke.
A number of quarterbacks previously went to the Senior Bowl and established themselves as elite prospects. Philip Rivers is the best example. Carson Wentz, Baker Mayfield and Daniel Jones are more recent ones. Jones, in particular, jumped from a potential mid-to-late first-round option to a top-10 selection. His Senior Bowl performance mattered that much.
"Watching them on tape is one thing, seeing them in the environment is definitely, I think, very important," New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman said of his decision to draft Jones, per Dan Salomone of the team's official site. "... I made up my mind that I was staying for the game and, frankly, [Jones] walked out there and I saw a professional quarterback after the three series that I watched. I saw a professional quarterback."
Herbert is a little different than those mentioned because he was already considered a potential top-five or -six pick.
But his willingness to show up, compete, improve every day, absorb the information and command the offense, especially in red-zone and two-minute drills, as well as his impressive natural physical tools, solidified his status with three quarterback-needy teams in the first six selections and more potential suitors within trading distance.
All in all, Herbert entered the week as the Senior Bowl's top-rated prospect at any position and did nothing to hurt his status.

We might be seeing the beginning of a beautiful NFL career. It couldn't happen to a better guy.

BTW, look for his letter in tomorrow's Register Guard, thanking the Oregon fans. It will be written by him, not by someone there to make him sound good.

Last edited by Mission Accomplished (1/25/2020 4:17 pm)