Several quarterbacks have gone from having strong performances at the Senior Bowl to being drafted early in the first round and Justin Herbert might be the player following that path this season.
Herbert went into the week saying he hoped to show NFL teams leadership ability that he might not have shown during his time at Oregon. Teams will have to decide for themselves how well he did on that front, but his on-field work didn’t hurt his cause.
Herbert was given an award for his work in practice during the week and was named the game’s MVP on Saturday. He was 9-of-12 for 83 yards and a touchdown and also broke off a 19-yard run during the game.
“He’ll be a really good player in this league,” Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan said after coaching Herbert, via the team’s website. “He’s calm, he’s poised. He managed the offense and ran what we wanted him to do. It was a nice showing. He can run it. He can do that, he’s a really good athlete.”
Some thought Herbert would have been a high pick last year, but he opted to return to school. While it remains to be seen where he’ll land this time, Herbert’s off to a good start in the predraft evaluation process.
