NFL personnel weigh in on Jalen Hurts' QB ranking (and receives flattering comp)

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts continues to be the topic of discussion for QB rankings around the league, but now, fans get to hear what people within the league feel about him.

ESPN NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler surveyed league scouts, coaches, and executives to rank their top 10 quarterbacks. Hurts barely cracked the top 10 at nine, but received an interesting comparison to another Super Bowl-winning quarterback.

"'He had a better year running the ball, and the way he played down the stretch when healthy was impressive," said an AFC executive who voted Hurts in the top five. "Better throwing the ball in general this year and cut out the turnovers.'

When asked to be a high-volume thrower in 2023 (538 attempts), Hurts struggled taking care of the ball, resulting in 15 interceptions. To his credit, he cut that number down to five in 2024, though on far fewer attempts (361).

The question isn't whether Hurts belongs in the top 10 -- he undoubtedly does. It's whether he has the ability from the pocket to vault into the top five eventually, as his Super Bowl pedigree would suggest he could.

More than a few voters see shades of a Russell Wilson career arc -- Hurts has many traits that contribute to winning at a high level but needs a steady running game around him and wouldn't necessarily thrive in a pass-heavy system."

How does Hurts compare to Wilson through the first five years of their careers?

When looking at Hurts and Wilson, there are a lot of similarities if fans looked at their first four seasons as full-time starters.

People make their comments about Wilson's career as well, but he's made 10 Pro Bowls and won a Super Bowl. If there is a comparison to be made, it's not a bad one for Hurts.

In some ways, though, Hurts is ahead of where Wilson was in his career. Besides the Super Bowl MVP and All-Pro selection, Hurts has been able to run the football better than Wilson could. A lot of people will credit the touchdowns to the Tush Push, but Hurts has been able to use his legs to make plays throughout his career.

Still, the low ranking shows that Hurts not only has something to prove to the media and the fans, but the league as well. The lack of pass attempts and the heavy reliance on running the football have hurt the image of Hurts on the field (pun not intended).

It's just another example that Hurts has something to prove to everyone in 2025, but doesn't have to with Philadelphia. The Eagles fan base knows how great he is.