Jalen Hurts has been one of the best quarterbacks to come out of the 2020 NFL Draft, which makes it all the more surprising there were a handful of QBs selected before him.
The Philadelphia Eagles have to thank the football gods every day that Hurts fell to them with the No. 53 overall pick — especially now that he has taken them to the Super Bowl for the second time in three years. The Eagles will face the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2025 Super Bowl in New Orleans on Sunday.
So just which quarterbacks exactly were selected ahead of Hurts? Let’s run through the list.
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Joe Burrow, No. 1 overall pick, Cincinnati Bengals
This wasn’t much of a decision at the time and it’s not even one that deserves much scrutiny in hindsight. The Bengals got a bonafide franchise QB, who just won both the College Football Playoff National Championship and Heisman Trophy — and he happens to be from Ohio. This was a no-brainer.
Tua Tagovailoa, No. 4 overall, Miami Dolphins
An elite college QB at Alabama — who helped force Hurts’ transfer to Oklahoma ahead of the 2019 season — Tua’s durability and penchant for running into contact has limited his availability throughout his NFL career. Yet as much as Hurts and Tagovailoa were connected in college, it was actually Justin Herbert who proved the biggest competition on draft night.
Justin Herbert, No. 5 overall pick, Los Angeles Chargers
Herbert was selected immediately after Tua, and while he hasn’t had the best career, the jury is still out as he continues to acclimate to life under Jim Harbaugh — his fourth head coach since joining the league.
Jordan Love, No. 26 overall pick, Green Bay Packers
The heir to Aaron Rodgers’ throne in Green Bay didn’t takeover as franchise QB until last season, but the Packers were confident enough in the abilities of the Utah State product to take him over Hurts. It’s still too soon to say in Green Bay regrets that decision, but watching Hurts in his second Super Bowl has to sting quite a bit.
