Mark Schofield illustrates with 2019 NFL Draft prospect quarterback Justin Herbert why the non-negotiables for quarterbacking are the most exciting part of studying passers. 

I am often asked on radio shows or podcasts what my “non-negotiables” are when it comes to evaluating quarterbacks. The traits I believe every passer must have, and have at a high level, to be successful. Now, these can differ from evaluator to evaluator, and they likely do. But for me, things like accuracy, competitive toughness, processing speed, and decision-making are the “non-negotiables.” You need to have those at a very high level otherwise life is going to be tough.

It would take a while for me to get to things like arm talent, velocity or precision placement in the vertical game. Those are traits where you might want to see a QB meet a threshold, such as with velocity, or you’re more concerned with general accuracy, such as in the vertical passing game. Being deficient in these areas might be more of a scheme-limitation, provided any thresholds are met.

But when a quarterback adds those extras to a package that already contains the non-negotiables? Well, now you’re cooking with gas.

Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert might be one of a few quarterbacks starting to inch himself away from the pack. He has gotten off to a very impressive start here in 2018, albeit against lower competition. His first scoring pass of the 2018 campaign, however, brings us to “the Extras:”

These are the kinds of throws that turn heads. When you add throws like this to a seemingly well-rounded passer, you understand the buzz. In a very interesting quarterback class, Herbert might be in a position to stand out.

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