2021 NFL Draft QB Class
By Jace Garcia
There have been a lot of quarterback troubles in the NFL this season. The good news for teams looking to go in a different direction at quarterback this 2021 draft class is pretty deep at quarterback and has a lot of first-round talent at that position. In this draft class, there are two future franchise quarterbacks going 1 and 2 overall, solid mid-first round pickups that could be great with time and proper development, and some late first-rounders to mid rounders that could make an impact on the field.
Let’s start off with the best of the best, no matter who has the number 1 overall pick there is no doubt they choose Trevor Lawrence out of Clemson. Lawrence only has one loss as a starter for the Tigers which was last year’s national championship against arguably the greatest college football team in history, the Joe Burrow led LSU Tigers. Lawrence would be the favorite to win the Heisman this season if he did not miss two games due to contracting COVID-19. There is no other quarterback on Lawrence’s level and he is the type of quarterback that can and will change a team picking first overall to a possible Super Bowl contender down the line if handled properly. The second-best quarterback in this draft class and the sure second overall pick in April will be Justin Fields from Ohio State. Fields is very good but as far as passing, decision making, and leadership he is just a step behind Lawrence, the one area where he bests Clemson’s quarterback is his mobility. Both of these quarterbacks are deserving of the first and second overall picks and teams picking that early will be happy with these two leading their team moving forward.
As this college football season has played out, one quarterback who has played his way to mid to high first-round pick is BYU’s, Zach Wilson. Wilson is very dynamic, he can extend plays with his legs and look to run and can make those crazy Patrick Mahomes passes from crazy arm angles. He is also a huge student of the game who spends his free time watching film of multiple different quarterbacks, trying to learn and emulate the greats. The only problem I have with Wilson and the reason I think he should stay at BYU another year before entering the draft is his composure under pressure. In BYU’s biggest game of the season against Coastal Carolina, Wilson really struggled with the pressure the Chanticleers put on him during that game. On the other hand, a solid quarterback whose draft stock fell during the season due to him only playing one game in the 2020 college football season is North Dakota State’s, Trey Lance. Lance is a mobile quarterback who has really good decision making, in the 2019 season Lance did not throw an interception in 16 games. Both of these quarterbacks have the potential to be solid but might have to tough out some growing pains before they become great and are sure to put on a show at the NFL Combine.
The next two quarterbacks I see more like Colt McCoy, Sam Bradford, AJ McCarron, and Tim Tebow, great college quarterbacks but I do not see having the same impact in the NFL. Let’s start off with the one that I think could be okay in the NFL and that is Kyle Trask from Florida. Trask is having a fantastic year this year but he has a lot of weapons but he does not have a defense that helps him, he single-handedly has to put the team on his back to win games. The other quarterback who I think NFL wise is just below Trask is the current favorite to win the Heisman trophy, Alabama’s Mac Jones. Jones like Trask is having a great year behind all the talent he has on the offense to distribute the ball too, but the reason I put him behind Trask is that Alabama while they do not have a typical Alabama defense this year they are still solid and give Jones help, unlike Florida and Trask. I can see both of these being solid game managers in the NFL who can’t win you a game but won’t lose you a game.
All six of these quarterbacks could find themselves getting picked in the first round on draft night due to the lack of quality quarterback play for so many reams in the NFL right now. Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields are best suited for an immediate impact, Zach Wilson and Trey Lance have a lot of potential but will need time and patience to develop properly, and Kyle Trask and Mac Jones will be serviceable but nothing special. So if your favorite team is one that will be looking for a new quarterback come April, make sure you have these names in the back of your head.
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