UA-59049186-1 2021 NFL Draft Big Board: Quarterback - Good if it Goes

2021 NFL Draft Big Board: Quarterback

QB1. [Photo credit: AP]

Rank Player School Grade
1 Zach Wilson BYU Top 5
2 Trevor Lawrence Clemson Top 5
3 Trey Lance North Dakota State Early-Mid 1st
4 Justin Fields Ohio State Early-Mid 1st
5 Davis Mills Stanford Early 2nd
6 Kellen Mond Texas A&M Early-Mid 2nd
7 Mac Jones Alabama Early-Mid 2nd
8 Kyle Trask Florida Late 2nd-3rd
9 Jamie Newman Georgia 4th
10 Sam Ehlinger Texas 4th-5th
11 K.J. Costello Mississippi State 6th
12 Feleipe Franks Arkansas 6th-7th

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Trevor Lawrence is going to go first in the draft and it’s easy to understand why – he’s as close to a sure thing as there is when you’re talking about the draft. However, the top spot on my big board goes to Zach Wilson. The Cougar signal caller turned in an incredible 2020 season and elicits memories of another former Cougar: Steve Young. After the top two, I went back-and-forth on Lance vs. Fields for the 3 spot. So I have to ask – which guy is Fields? Is he the guy who nuked Clemson in the playoff or is he the guy who struggled against Northwestern? This space asserts he’s the former. Mostly. Fields has a bit of a tendency to linger on his first reads, but I don’t think that’s a dealbreaker. Lance, though, has a ceiling even higher than Fields’. Indeed, it’s higher than any QB in this year’s draft save for Wilson. He might need a little time to develop, as he’s coming from a run-first FCS offense where he averaged fewer than 20 pass attempts per game, but given that time, he can be one of the top QBs in the league. Think MVP Cam but an even better athlete. That ceiling wins Lance the QB3 slot on my board, though Fields is not far behind.

Beyond the top 4, Davis Mills would likely have a first-round grade had he gotten the chance to play more. He’s QB5. Kellen Mond improved every year as a starter and plays smart football, but needs to improve his deep ball. Mac Jones will get you as far as what’s around him. He sees the field and goes through his progressions well, but his tape shows him making some throws that were only successful because his receivers were so much better than their competition. In the NFL, those throws to the wrong spots turn into picks. Your author has him as QB7 in this year’s draft.

Twitter: @KSchroeder_312

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