The 2021 NFL Draft was defined by a historic and unprecedented wave of investment at the quarterback position.
After the top three picks were all passers for the second time ever (joining only the 1999 class), a record-breaking eight quarterbacks were taken in the top 70 picks.
More than a year and a half after those picks were made, most of those teams may wish they made a different choice. It appears only the Jacksonville Jaguars and Chicago Bears took quarterbacks who are trending in the right direction in their second NFL seasons.
It hasn’t been all sunshine and roses for Jacksonville since it took Trevor Lawrence with the top pick. He led the NFL in interceptions during his rookie season and finished October 2022 with just four touchdowns and five picks. But in his second season, Lawrence has stacked several efficient and impressive days that offer plenty of reason for hope that he’s headed in the right direction.
Lawrence, 23, has 13 touchdowns with six interceptions and a 89.7 passer rating — well ahead of the 71.9 rating from his rookie season.
Chicago may be even more optimistic about its chances with Justin Fields at the helm. After he struggled through a rough rookie year, Fields has emerged as one of the NFL’s most dangerous dual threats. In addition to 13 touchdown passes, Fields is fifth in the league in rushing yards with 834 and has seven touchdowns as a runner.
Every other team that picked a quarterback in April 2021 is severely lacking in reasons to be excited about their choice.
The New York Jets’ Zach Wilson has an NFL-worst 55.6 completion percentage — the same exact number from his rookie season — and spent Week 11 keeping his team from moving the ball an inch.
— Michael Nania (@Michael_Nania) November 21, 2022
Fellow first-round pick Mac Jones of the New England Patriots threw only four incompletions Sunday, but finished another game without scoring points. He was shelved earlier in the year for fourth-round rookie Bailey Zappe and Jones has only four touchdowns with seven interceptions this season.
Other second-year quarterbacks include Davis Mills, who has led the Houston Texans to the NFL’s worst record and leads the league in interceptions, as well as Sam Ehlinger, who was named the Indianapolis Colts’ starter before getting sent back to the bench by Jeff Saturday. Ehlinger threw zero touchdowns in his pair of starts.
The Jaguars will need Lawrence to continue his upward trajectory if the team hopes to reverse its fortunes and become a contender in future seasons. But unlike most teams that picked a quarterback last year, Jacksonville can feel good about its odds at seeing that come to fruition.