The Jaguars need to find a “Type A” quarterback in the upcoming draft

You may already be familiar with Type A and Type B personality hypothesis.

Developed by cardiologists Meyer Friedman and Ray Rosenman, the hypothesis suggests that personalities that are more competitive, highly organized, ambitious, impatient, and aggressive are labeled Type A, while more relaxed and laid back personalities are labeled Type B.

If you have been paying attention to the career of Blake Bortles here in Duval, you know which bucket he falls under — outside of a few spurts of fire (begging the coaching staff to keep the foot on the pedal against the Cincinnati Bengals in 2017, for example) Bortles has largely been the chill, lovable beach bro that many fans have fallen in love with, and for good reason, as Alfie had detailed in last week’s article.

His own teammates have gone on record saying that he is more of a “show you” leader than a guy who takes vocal command of the huddle or speak up in the locker room. Bortles isn’t necessarily the type of guy who’s going to get in his teammate’s face when they make a mistake. For as many Ben Roethlisberger comparisons that Blake got out of the gate, Bortles, could not be more different from Big Ben in disposition and demeanor. Just this week, Roethlisberger got into some friction from calling out All-Pro wide receiver Antonio Brown on his weekly radio show.

While Roethlisberger, a proven 15-year NFL veteran and Super Bowl winner, has the credentials and clout to do something like this, a player who has been underperforming and struggling like Blake has no grounds to dish out that kind of criticism. I get that completely. It would fall on deaf ears. But as the BOAT era gets ready to embark on its final sunset cruise, the Jaguars have the opportunity to prioritize a vocal leader and commander to the top of the wish list for their next franchise quarterback.

Looking around the league, Type A quarterbacks have not only demonstrated early success on the gridiron, but have been instrumental in totally flipping a programs’ culture on its head. Perhaps the most extreme Type A personality in the NFL right now, Baker Mayfield, has shown he is well beyond the curve of his fellow 2018 first round quarterback colleagues and has the Browns franchise looking like it’s finally going to get out from the murky dregs of the NFL basement. In fact, it was the lone determining factor for why general manager John Dorsey chose Mayfield with the first overall pick.

Baker Mayfield is the first rookie in NFL history to throw for at least 2,600 yards and 18 TD’s in his first 10 games. #BrownsMania

— Danny Neckel (@DNeckel19) December 3, 2018

But not all Type A personalities are the same. You don’t even have to leave the division to see an example of another young leader who has completely flipped the script and pulled his franchise out of mediocrity. Deshaun Watson may not be the sexy, brash interview with hot take sound bites that Baker Mayfield provides, but he is very much an Alpha personality and a vocal leader. The AFC South-leading Houston Texans are being described as the “hottest team in the NFL,” winning every game since starting in a 0-3 hole and Watson has totally re-energized the city of Houston since his arrival. Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney told NFL evaluators that passing on Watson would be like passing on Michael Jordan due to his ability to uplift a program, and early returns suggest he may have been right.

So who are some of the Type A quarterbacks in the upcoming class?

Justin Herbert

If the Jaguars are looking for that type of player, Oregon’s Justin Herbert (should he declare), may or may not be the top name on that list. Herbert has been described by many to be more of an introvert with a shy, reserved persona, but it’s possible that Herbert, an Academic All-American with a 4.0 GPA as a biology major, may just be misunderstood. Having watched most of Herbert’s games this year, he has shown a lot of fire on the field and his teammates seem to revere him, always congratulating him after a big play or coming to help him up if he makes a mistake. The interview process and visits are going to be a big factor for Herbert as teams try to decipher what he really is from a personality and charisma perspective. If you have four minutes, I would strongly urge you to watch the below ESPN feature that took a look beneath the helmet.

Dwayne Haskins

Draft darling “Duval Dwayne” Haskins certainly seems to fall under that Type A umbrella, but it’s more along the lines of Deshaun Watson than Baker Mayfield. Haskins is extremely soft-spoken in interviews but make no mistake about, he has a humble swagger about him. Whether it is striking the Heisman pose after throwing his fifth touchdown in the Big 10 Championship game against Northwestern, or flashing a wry smile into the camera after he told the committee he would “put on a show” if he got a chance to play in the College Football Playoff, Haskins knows he’s a supreme talent. Speaking of Deshaun, Haskins was an offseason workout partner with Watson, and this is what the Texans quarterback had to say about him before even starting a game as a Buckeye:

Dwayne Haskins is off-season workout partners with Stefon Diggs, Antonio Brown, and Deshaun Watson. Here’s what Watson said about him this past summer. pic.twitter.com/p8bNpm9Bzm

— 2.0 (@KevinFromDuval) November 30, 2018

Will Grier

Hopefully the Jaguars will have the opportunity to snag one of these two blue chip quarterback prospects. But if for some reason they miss out, the third quarterback who I would label as a Type A personality based on some of my research is West Virginia’s Will Grier. Gator fans are familiar with Grier, who transferred from the University of Florida after being suspended for taking Ligandrol, a banned substance, and he has been one of the most prolific passers in the Big 12. Grier is absolutely adored by his teammates and head coach Dana Holgorsen has said that there isn’t a player he’s ever trusted more with the game on the line than Will Grier. Grier has been known to mix it up with defenders after the play and very much has that “pied piper” Baker Mayfield feel to him with almost everyone in the West Virginia program, from the ballboys to the equipment managers.

Hue Jackson on Baker Mayfield: I feel like he's a Pied Piper of Oklahoma football. When he walked into the bldg, he made this sound - kind of went hee hee -- & all the players in the bldg started going hee hee and here we go. Most unbelievable thing I've ever seen. .

— Tony Grossi (@TonyGrossi) March 27, 2018

Everyone else

While most of the quarterbacks in this upcoming class have been described as good leaders by their coaches (what else are they supposed to say?), there seems to be a big gap between the three mentioned above and everyone else from a Type A perspective. Duke quarterback Daniel Jones looks and sounds like a young Eli Manning in interviews, and that makes sense with the Daniel Cutcliffe/Manning family connection. Buffalo QB Tyree Jackson has some spark to him, but is still scratching the surface of being the type of commander that Cam Newton is (Jackson has said he models his game after Newton). McKenzie Milton absolutely would have been a candidate had he not suffered his gruesome knee injury against USF. Gardner Minshew on the other hand, does seem to be the type of polarizing character that fits the bill, and I hope to get some more on him and the other Senior Bowl quarterbacks when I go to Mobile next month.

Four QBs have accepted their Senior Bowl invites: Finley, Minshew, Thorson and McSorley.

Assuming SB takes eight QBs, four spots left. Drew Lock and Will Grier have invites. Two redshirt JRs likely have invites if/when they declare: Jarrett Stidham and Daniel Jones.

— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) November 29, 2018

So what do you think? How high should the Type A personality trait rank on the Jaguars’ quarterback wish list?

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