Justin Herbert looks down at every quarterback prospect he’s matched up against in the 2020 NFL draft—literally. At 6-foot-6 and 236 pounds, Herbert towers over his peers, and will immediately become one of the league’s tallest players under center. He’s also the most productive passer in this year’s class: In four years at Oregon, he threw nearly 100 touchdowns and only a handful of interceptions. He can toss the ball a country mile, and he looks damn good doing it. Herbert isn’t just the prototypical Golden Boy with a howitzer arm; his appearance matches his production. He’s widely expected to be the third quarterback taken on April 23, behind LSU’s Joe Burrow, the presumptive no. 1 pick, and Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa. But despite being projected as a top-10 pick, Herbert remains an afterthought in any conversation about the most exciting prospects.

Burrow compiled one of the best statistical college seasons on record, winning a national championship and a Heisman Trophy this season. Tagovailoa is, when healthy, arguably the best quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck. Utah State’s Jordan Love has risen in mock drafts after a strong showing at the combine. Herbert is the other guy—much more difficult to categorize and get excited about. A four-year starter at a high-profile program in a power conference, his strengths—and flaws—have been on display for a while. His physical gifts are obvious, but he seems to offer little of the excitement or upside of the other quarterbacks in this year’s class. And yet, he still possesses enough potential to carve out a future as some team’s franchise quarterback.

“I hope, for Herbert’s sake, he gets with the right coach, and the right staff, and the right situation. Because I really believe it’s in there,” ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay said. “He’s got all the tools.”

[Read Shaker Samman's profile of NFL prospect Justin Herbert.]