Report: Patriots are doing ‘serious homework’ on QB Jordan Love
By Ty Anderson, 985TheSportsHub.com
The Patriots are among a group of NFL teams doing ‘serious homework’ on Utah State quarterback Jordan Love ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Fowler’s scoop appears to come from Love’s former coach, Texas Tech’s Matt Wells, who told ESPN that he’s talked about Love with seven different NFL coaches over the last week.
The 6-foot-4 Love enters the draft coming off a 2019 that featured the 11st-most passing yards in the NCAA (3,402), but also saw noticeable dips in other noteworthy categories. After tossing 32 touchdowns in 2018, Love found the endzone just 20 times in 2019, and saw his interceptions jump from six in 2018 to a whopping 17 last season. Love’s completion percentage also dipped, dropping from a 64.0 in 2018 to a 61.9 percent this past season.
That body of work has left scouts torn on Love, as noted by Fowler, as he could potentially drop out of the first round and become a Day 2 selection for a club. That uncertainty could be an issue for the Patriots, too, as New England will pick at No. 23 overall, but will then find themselves sitting without a pick until the 87th overall pick.
In addition to the Patriots, the Los Angeles Chargers, Miami Dolphins, Green Bay Packers, Washington Redskins, and New Orelans Saints are among those Fowler lists as doing their work on Love.
The Patriots currently have two quarterbacks, second-year pro Jarrett Stidham and journeyman backup Brian Hoyer, signed to their roster. Stidham, for what it’s worth, reportedly has the ‘inside track’ on the starter gig in New England.