Every quarterback drafted before Jalen Hurts in the 2020 NFL Draft

They say one needs a short memory in football. That's probably true. Cornerbacks who give up big plays had better wipe the slate clean quickly. If not, the next pass thrown in their direction might result in six points. Quarterbacks get even rawer deals. Just look at the one charged with leading the Philadelphia Eagles. Jalen Hurts enters year four as Philly's starter as a wealthier man, one who is under some obvious pressure.

Hurts is Philly's QB1. Darius Slay is Philly's best corner. Their levels of stress won't measure pressure equally. Jalen has a win-loss record attached to his name, so it doesn't take much discussion to understand why he is constantly examined.

We have seen ups and downs in Jalen's tenure at both the collegiate and professional level. Fortunately, he has learned to 'keep the main thing the main thing'. It's a trait that has served him well and will continue to do so moving forward

Four quarterbacks were taken before Philly made their eventual QB1 the 53rd-overall selection. Frankly, we can't be mad at the list. This is far from 'The Brady 6' (the six quarterbacks taken before the New England Patriots drafted Tom Brady 199th overall in 2000). Teams needing signal-callers in 2020 did a much better job of scouting than they did 4 years ago.

Four quarterbacks were drafted before the Eagles landed Jalen Hurts in Round 2 of the 2020 NFL Draft. How have they performed?

At the time of this story's release, since joining the NFL, the four offensive signal-callers taken before Jalen in 2020 have combined for an AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year trophy, three Pro Bowl nods, a spot on the Pro Football Writers of America's All-Rookie Team, an NFL Comeback Player of the Year honor, and a Super Bowl appearance.

We won't even get into what they did at the collegiate level. Let's just say they were first-round picks for a reason, but fortunately, the Birds found themselves a franchise signal-caller.

The initial negative reaction has cooled. Hurts has proven that he belongs at football's highest level despite the calls for Howie Roseman's job that we heard when it was announced Philly had made their selection.

Most have resigned themselves to a more accurate way of thinking, that Howie was right and we were wrong, Hurts still has his doubters. That's okay. That's to be expected in a football-crazy town like Philly, but as time passes and QB1 grows, confidence in the youngster flows more freely.

Sometimes, despite the short memory theory, looking back and analyzing is a good idea. The Eagles made the right decision by drafting him. Four other franchises found their guy too. They're all growing. Let's take a moment to check in and see what they have been up to

Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

Drafted 1st round, first overall selection

Joe Burrow ended his NCAA career with a bang. Just look at some of the accolades he earned after the 2019 college football season: Heisman Trophy winner, Maxwell Award winner, Walter Camp Award winner, AP College Football Player of the Year, Sporting News College Football Player of the Year, First-team All-SEC nod, SEC Offensive Player of the Year, Unanimous All-American.

Oh, and by the way, he won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, the Davey O'Brien Award, the Manning Award, and the Lombardi Award. He also fueled a College Football Playoff National Championship-winning LSU Tigers team and took the game's MVP trophy. The Cincinnati Bengals' decision to take him was pretty much a no-brainer.

Burrow's brilliance has translated to the NFL nicely. His first and most recent seasons have been cut short by injury, but that also set the stage for him to win the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year in 2021. Burrow earned Pro Bowl honors in 2022 while leading the Bengals to their third Super Bowl appearance.

He's one of pro football's best young quarterbacks. If he stays healthy, the sky is the limit.

Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins

Drafted 1st round, fifth overall selection

Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts' stories will be intertwined forever for obvious reasons. They've only met on the field once. That resulted in a 31-17 Eagles win. Jalen cashed in on a five-year extension worth $255 million with $180 million guaranteed on April 17, 2023. The Miami Dolphins have yet to extend Tua, but that deal could be announced at any time... maybe.

Tua has started 51 of his 53 in-game appearances. That has resulted in a 32-19 regular-season record. He has completed 66.9% of his passes while notching 12,639 yards including a league-leading 4,624 passing yards in 2023. He made the Pro Bowl roster as a result. He also led all NFL QBs in passer rating in 2022.

Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

Drafted 1st round, sixth overall selection

No one has benefited from slow-motion replays more than Justin Herbert. Watching his spiral is a thing of beauty, but despite the opinions of him being among the elite, the postseason success just hasn't come.

He's 0-1 as a starter in the playoffs. Two of his first four seasons have also resulted in losing records (2020 and 2023). He's also sub-.500 for his career at 30-32, but hope springs eternal in Los Angeles. The talent is there. We'll see how he does under Jim Harbaugh.

Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers

Drafted 1st round, 26th overall selection

Jordan Love has a much shorter professional resume than Jalen, Tua, Joe, and Justin. He boasts 18 starts at this story's release, but the Green Bay Packers believed in him enough to say farewell to Aaron Rodgers. That says a ton. Meanwhile, he seems to be headed in the right direction.

The Pack put the NFL world on notice with a road win in the Wild Card Round versus the Dallas Cowboys. They came within four points of upsetting the San Francisco 49ers and advancing to the NFC Championship Game, but the evidence is overwhelming. Love has the 'it factor', but is he elite yet? It's too early to tell. That remains to be seen.

Here's a message for the NFL though. Try not to hit the snooze button, and don't make the mistake of looking past Green Bay.

Again, we're talking about 18 starts. The trophy case only boasts a Second-Team All-Mountain West Conference nod in 2018 and that year's 2018 New Mexico Bowl MVP trophy. There are no Pro Bowl mentions to discuss yet, but something tells us they will come. Love is too good to ignore for too much longer.