SALT LAKE CITY — Jordan Love may just be the enigma of the 2020 NFL Draft.
The former Utah State star who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 224 pounds has been compared to Kansas City’s young superstar Patrick Mahomes by various national experts throughout the predraft process.
It’s his arm strength and ability to make plays when things break down that have earned Love those comparisons, making the NFL world wonder if someone will move to trade up and draft the former Aggie, like the Chiefs did in 2017 when they took Mahomes, the 2018 NFL MVP, with the No. 10 overall pick.
“If we just talk sheer athletic ability, he can make all the throws and he can adjust the throws,” Utah State coach Gary Andersen told CBS Sports Radio of Love. “A lot of kids can throw the ball really hard. A lot of the kids can throw the ball in good spots, but he can adjust his speed. He can adjust from the all three levels, from the short routes to the intermediate routes to the deep routes. And he can change the speed.”
Love’s progress he showed as a sophomore in 2018 — when he threw for 3,567 yards, 32 touchdowns and six interceptions — got him on the pro radar. His 2019 numbers, though, have cast doubt on Love’s decision-making — he threw a Division-I most 17 interceptions against 20 touchdowns and 3,402 yards last year.
In a quarterback class that includes LSU’s Joe Burrow, Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa and Oregon’s Justin Herbert at the top end, Love is seen by many experts as a first-round caliber.
Will Love’s promise as an NFL prospect ultimately pay off? A running back whose played with both Love and Mahomes thinks so.
“I believe that if Jordan Love gets in the NFL and learns fast, gets with the right system, he’ll take off. He’ll be a rose that grew from the concrete,” former Aggie Darwin Thompson said.