Draft projections for Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert have been all over the map, but it’s likely that several teams will be planning virtual visits with him.
Two teams that have already arranged video calls with Herbert are the Chargers and Raiders, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
With NFL team facilities on lockdown because of the coronavirus pandemic, teams can contact draft prospects up to three times a week, and up to an hour at a time. So a prospect like Herbert is likely busy on FaceTime, talking to NFL coaches and personnel people frequently.
The Chargers said goodbye to quarterback Philip Rivers this offseason and are currently slated to go with Tyrod Taylor as their starter. They’re likely to draft a quarterback, possibly in the first round. The Raiders say they’re sticking with Derek Carr as their starter and have signed Marcus Mariota to back him up, but given how Jon Gruden likes collecting quarterbacks, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them draft one as well.
Herbert was viewed as a likely first-round pick last year, when he decided to return to Oregon rather than turn pro. In 2019 he had a strong season, with career-bests in completion percentage (66.8), yards (3,471) and touchdowns (32). But most draft projections have Herbert no better than the third-best quarterback, behind Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa.