Love has all the athleticism and arm strength desired, but too many turnovers

MOBILE, Ala. — Jordan Love, the Utah State quarterback, says he’s meeting with the Dolphins this week at the Senior Bowl.

That’s no surprise. Love has the talent of a first-round quarterback and there is nothing Miami needs more than a franchise quarterback with that talent.

Love is 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, with pocket presence, a quick release, strong arm and the ability to extend plays like his favorite quarterback, Patrick Mahomes.

But what the Dolphins will ask, and it’s something every NFL team will probably ask, is why Love went from a whopping 32 touchdowns and 6 interceptions as a sophomore to 20 touchdowns and a whopping 17 interceptions as a junior.

“I've learned a lot,” Love said. “Every interception for me is a learning moment. Obviously, I had 17 learning moments last season.”

Jordan Love/#UtahSt has made some incredible throws in one-on-one drills at #SeniorBowl practice. I mean like "holy crap that was good" throws.

— Tony Pauline (@TonyPauline) January 21, 2020

Love had a new coaching staff and a slew of new teammates along the offensive line (who allowed too much pressure) and receivers (who had too many drops). But Love takes responsibility for the apparent step back.

“Poor decisions by me,” Love said. “Trying to force the ball down the field too much. Trying to do too much in some situations.”

Love showed off his dynamic arm at the first Senior Bowl practice of the week, for the North Squad on Tuesday. If Love is drafted in the first round, perhaps even boosting his stock into the Top 15, it will because of his ability to make ’wow’ plays.

Jordan Love connects with Michael Pittman Jr. #SeniorBowl pic.twitter.com/DtCmVdqALQ

— Tyler Browning (@DiabeticTyler) January 21, 2020

“Right now my favorite is Patrick Mahomes,” Love said. “That run? It's magic. He's out there making magic happen. Dude is just a ball player.”

Love cites the fact that both players have strong arms and he tries to make “ridiculous” throws, just like Mahomes. If Love had been able to turn pro after his sophomore season, there may have been fewer questions.

It’s QB hand size season



Herbert 10”

Love 10 5/8”

Hurts 9 1/2”

Montez 9 3/8”

Patterson 9 1/4”

Gordon 9 1/2”#SeniorBowl

— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) January 21, 2020

“My early impression is that Love stands to benefit from this week as much as anyone else on the field,” ESPN’s Todd McShay wrote after the first practice. “Some scouts still think he might have Round 1 potential, and he performed well in Day 1 workouts. He moves well, extending plays and effectively throwing on the run. And he certainly has a good arm and isn't afraid to use it. I'd like to see him work on consistency and protecting the football, though. He takes risks. But you can see the talent.”

If the Dolphins miss on Joe Burrow and either are jumped by a team drafting Tua Tagovailoa, or they discover something troublesome in Tua’s medicals, Love could be an option. He’d be even more appealing with the 39th pick, high in the second round, but would have to be considered with the 26th pick, late in the first round.

Love has the ability to avoid sacks, throw deep and accurate with effortlessness and dazzle with a whip-like throwing motion. What he must work on is smoothing out his mechanics and making good decisions under pressure.

Jordan Love and @usufootball take a deep shot to the end zone for a TOUCHDOWN!



Rams 14

Aggies 14 pic.twitter.com/ibwRry7nmR

— CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) September 29, 2019

“You've got to find the middle of it,” Love said. “Be able to push the ball downfield and make those big throws. But also be smart with it at the same time. So you don't have to force every throw and try to do too much sometimes.”

Love has carried himself with a humble confidence in interactions with reporters at the Senior Bowl. He’s not braggadocios but it’s clear he believes in his abilities.

“I lead by my work ethic,” Love said of his approach. “How I work every day and show up. Definitely something I've been working on is become more of a vocal leader for my team and my teammates.”

In his first mock draft of the year, NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah projected the Colts to select Love with the 13th pick. In that scenario, he would compete with Jacoby Brissett of Palm Beach.

“Love is simply too intriguing to pass up,” Jeremiah wrote. “He might need to sit for a year, but the payoff could be huge.”

To sign up for a free Dolphins newsletter, click here.

@schadjoe

jschad@pbpost.com