GLENDALE, Ariz. — Super Bowl LVII showcased a pair of the game’s best quarterbacks, with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs defeating Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles in a rather anticlimactic fashion following a game winning field goal from Harrison Butker.
The game was electric throughout, with both Mahomes and Hurts proving exactly why they are two of the best in the game right now.
Hurts’ meteoric rise from third string quarterback in 2020 to Super Bowl starter and NFL MVP candidate in 2022 has NFL scouts and general managers trying to find the same recipe for their own organizations – especially with a strong class of dual-threat caliber quarterbacks awaiting them in the 2023 NFL draft.
Two of the most notable draft-eligible quarterbacks are Florida’s Anthony Richardson and Kentucky’s Will Levis, and both should benefit from the recent success of Hurts – according to the new hosts of the Locked on NFL Draft podcast, Damian Parson and Keith Sanchez.
“If you ask me if Jalen Hurts paved the way for these dual-threat quarterbacks, I have to say yes,” Sanchez said. “I think this is the first performance we’ve seen where Jalen Hurts dominated this game, and it was showcasing his legs.”
Hurts was masterful in all aspects on Sunday, throwing for 304 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 70 yards and three touchdowns – not only a Super Bowl record for a quarterback but tying the overall record for rushing touchdowns in a Super Bowl along with former Broncos back Terrell Davis.
While other dual-threat quarterbacks have had success at the game’s highest level, Hurts proved how the ability to utilize both his arm and his legs can be so devastating for opposing defenses to handle.
Richardson and Levis are two of the top quarterbacks expected to come off the board this year, and one team expected to show interest is the Indianapolis Colts – who are expected to hire Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen as their new head coach.
The Colts have the fourth pick in the draft, and finding a quarterback with a similar skill set to Hurts should line up well with Steichen’s coaching philosophy, leading many to believe they will consider either Richardson or Levis in this spot.
“When you’re talking about a developmental, toolsy quarterback, I think it gives the Colts a little more comfortability that Steichen has done this already,” Sanchez said. “We can take one of the developmental guys at four and we believe that our coach can get it done.”
For more NFL draft content leading up the first pick on April 27, make sure to check out the Locked on NFL draft podcast.