In one of the most stunning moves in recent NFL memory, 29-year-old Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck officially announced his retirement from the league.
Luck, who was the number one pick overall and one of the highest-paid NFL players, says he is, “mentally worn down” from numerous injuries that kept him out of the game for multiple seasons.
The question now is, can back-up QB Jacoby Brissett push the Colts to playoff contention? If not and the Colts secure a top 10 pick, who will the Colts draft in 2020?
Here are Sports Radio America’s picks:
Tua Tagovailoa
The moment Tagovailoa entered the National Championship game two years ago, he gained steam as one of the best college football QBs ever. Tagovailoa is a legitimate, top-pick candidate. He showed his toughness playing against injury last year while still devastating defenses. He has velocity and one of the prettiest deep balls in professional or college football.
Additionally, Tagovailoa completed 69 percent of his passes for 3,966 yards and 43 touchdowns, with only six interceptions. He showed flashes of a dual-threat QB by adding five rushing touchdowns. Tagovailoa has the arm strength, timing, accuracy and presence outside and inside the pocket NFL teams drool over.
Josh Herbert
Herbert’s body and playing style are similar to Colin Kaepernick. Had Herbert come out last year, he would’ve been one of the first QBs off the board. He’s athletic and has arm strength matched by only Tagovailoa.
The best part of Herbert’s game is he’s only getting better and he’s not a finished product by any stretch of the imagination.
Even so, Herbert must continue to show consistent improvement and the game must slow down for him. He likes to take risks because he’s so good. Herbert has a shot to be a top 10 QB if he can improve his pocket presence.
Jake Fromm
Fromm has the swag of an NFL QB. He leads with confidence and has a calm demeanor under pressure. Fromm is a good athlete with excellent field vision through his progression.
He doesn’t have the greatest arm, but compensates by having a high football IQ. While lacking arm strength, Fromm has the accuracy to overcome this weakness while leading long, clock-killing drives.
But if asked, Fromm can air it out. He completed 68 percent of his passes with 30 touchdowns and seven interceptions. These numbers are even more impressive since Georgia’s typically is a run-first offense.
Fromm has the ‘it’ factor. Being able to play up to the competition in the Southeastern Conference will help him in the NFL.