Chicago Bears: 2020 NFL Draft profile, James Morgan
By Ryan Sikes
What are his strengths and weaknesses?
At 6-foot-4, 229 pounds, Morgan has great size for an NFL-caliber quarterback. He’s not the most athletic guy, running a 4.89 40-yard dash and a 29.0 vertical jump at the NFL Combine. Based on those numbers alone, he compares to names like Josh Rosen (4.92/31.0), Jacoby Brissett (4.94/31.0), Jimmy Garoppolo (4.97/30.5), and Tony Romo (5.01/30.0).
If there’s anything that will put Morgan on an NFL roster, it’s his arm. He has an absolute cannon and a quick release. He played in a similar RPO offense at FIU, but he’s not a threat whatsoever running the ball.
Morgan does a great job of reading through his progressions in the pocket, but he’s guilty of forcing balls where they shouldn’t be thrown. His footwork needs a lot of fine-tuning, which is why he’s projected to be a mid-to-late round pick, but it’s correctable with the proper coaching.
I spent a considerable amount of time watching all of his pass attempts in FIU’s upset over Miami last season. That day, he completed 16-of-30 pass attempts for just 160 yards but two went for touchdowns.
His accuracy has been spotty, at best, throughout his career, but much of that should improve as his footwork does.