Hurts' year-end PFF QB ranking should thrill Eagles fans

[time2rock]

Hurts' year-end PFF QB ranking should thrill Eagles fans

 

Jalen Hurts entered the 2021 season on what was basically an unofficial prove-it deal: convince the Eagles' front office you can be a starting QB long-term, or prepare to be unseated next year.

It's safe to say, as Hurts prepares for his first career playoff start, that he proved it.

But just how good can Hurts be? Is he simply an average starter? Does his ceiling leave room for legitimate excellence?

To hear the folks over at Pro Football Focus tell it, Hurts is already way ahead of where most thought he'd be.

The PFF crew released their year-end quarterback rankings this week, a ranking centered on their own film-based grades and players' individual EPA (expected points added) per play stats. The numbers were kind to the Eagles QB: Hurts finished the 2021 season as PFF's 11th-best quarterback.

Eleventh! 

That's a tremendous result for a second-round pick, and for a guy who just finished his first year as a clear-cut starting QB.

Hurts finished directly behind Patrick Mahomes, one of the best QBs in the NFL and someone many believe will finish among the best QBs of all time.

He also finished ahead of...

• Mac Jones (14), a rookie who impressed a lot of smart football people
   
• Lamar Jackson (16), a former MVP and one of the most electric QBs in football
   
• Derek Carr (17), a routinely solid starting QB
   
• Russell Wilson (19), the guy many - myself included! - throughout the year hoped would be a trade target this offseason
   
• Carson Wentz (20), the guy Hurts replaced
   
• Baker Mayfield (24), a former No. 1 overall pick with far superior talent around him

When the season began, I thought Hurts would prove to us that he was a Top 20 quarterback in the league: a totally middle-of-the-pack starter who could hold his own but would ultimately leave us wanting much more.

And I'm still critical of parts of Hurts' game - he needs to see the field better; his arm strength is a bit of a concern - but the 23-year-old showed a ton of growth over the course of the season, and his dual-threat ability paired with his relative efficiency and smart decision-making in the air has made him a legitimately dangerous QB. 

Some might say it sure helps to have one of the best run games in the NFL... but Hurts' talents are a huge part of the run game's runaway success. Opposing defenses are routinely afraid of him breaking off chunk plays, leaving linebackers paralyzed by choice at the second level long enough for Jordan Howard and Boston Scott (not exactly world-beaters) to build up momentum and hammer the holes for 7-yard pops.

I absolutely need to see more from Hurts next year in terms of growth before I fully sign on for him being the Eagles' full-stop franchise QB. 

But after the year he just put up - with a playoff game still to come - any Birds fan should be thrilled.

https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/eagles/eagles-jalen-hurts-lands-among-top-12-qbs-final-pff-rankings

[UK_EaglesFan89]

I'm not sure I'd say he's proven he can be the guy. But I think he's done enough to show that he can improve and that he should be the guy next year. Then he needs to prove next year that he can continue to grow and develop.

[time2rock]

8 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

I'm not sure I'd say he's proven he can be the guy. But I think he's done enough to show that he can improve and that he should be the guy next year. Then he needs to prove next year that he can continue to grow and develop.

That is exactly where I am too.  I think Hermann is spot on ... Hurts showed quite a bit of growth over the course of the season BUT still need to see more.  He should absolutely be given next year to see if he can continue to grow and then make the focus of this offseason building the rest of the team around the QB position.  If Hurts' growth curve flattens out next season then you look to add a QB in 2023 where he will (hopefully ... **knock on wood**) be coming into a much better situation.  We have a great haul of draft picks and will have money to spend in FA to make this team significantly better ... Howie just needs to be smart, listen to the scouts, and make good decisions with the picks and FA acquisitions.  

[UK_EaglesFan89]

38 minutes ago, time2rock said:

That is exactly where I am too.  I think Hermann is spot on ... Hurts showed quite a bit of growth over the course of the season but still need to see more.  He should absolutely be given next year to see if he can continue to grow and make the focus of this offseason building the rest of the team around the QB position.  If Hurts' growth curve flattens out next season they you look to add a QB in 2023 where he will hopefully ... **knock on wood**) be coming into a much better situation.  We have a great haul of draft picks and will have money to spend in FA to make this team significantly better ... Howie just needs to be smart, listen to the scouts, and make good decisions with the picks and FA acquisitions.  

I think people forget that he's younger than Pickett. I mean that's crazy to me. He's younger than a guy who's about to be drafted. And Hurts has what 19 starts in the NFL? We know that Hurts can be a pretty good NFL QB. We know he can help his team to win games. We don't know that with Pickett. 

[Outlaw]

5 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

I'm not sure I'd say he's proven he can be the guy. But I think he's done enough to show that he can improve and that he should be the guy next year. Then he needs to prove next year that he can continue to grow and develop.

Exactly where I am at too.

[PoconoDon]

Time will tell.