2021 nfl draft quarterbacks – Syndication Server

Grading each first-round rookie quarterback in Week 1 of the preseason

All five first-round rookie quarterbacks saw the field in Week 1 of the preseason. How did Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, Mac Jones, Zach Wilson, and Trey Lance do?

If you want to know just how indicative preseason performances are when it comes to evaluating the futures of rookie quarterbacks… well, here’s a flashback for you.

Heh. pic.twitter.com/ouiEf6WGjY

— Doug Farrar (@NFL_DougFarrar) August 15, 2021

How did that work out? Better for Peyton Manning’s Colts than it did for Ryan Leaf’s Chargers, to be sure. So, we don’t always know what we will eventually know about NFL quarterbacks based on their preseasons, especially the first games of those preseasons. It’s a harried time for these guys — they’re trying to get the hang of new cities, new coaches, new concepts, new teammates… just everything. Most of the time, they’re going with half of the playbook at best, and they’re playing against everything from starters to third-stringers on defense.

Still, there are things we can start to discern from preseason performances. How well are the quarterback’s coaches taking what he did well in college and merging them with the NFL playbook? Can we see improvements regarding things that might get them in trouble at the next level? And in general, how do these guys handle their first shot at the highest level of football?

With that in mind, and with all five first-round quarterbacks in the 2021 draft seeing action in Week 1 of the full preseason, how did they each do, and what can we look forward to with each player?

2021 NFL Draft: Justin Fields Will Be Fine, and 3 Other Massive Draft Day Predictions

2021 NFL Draft: It’s going to be all about the quarterbacks in the first round. Here are four big draft day predictions.

2021 NFL Draft: It’s going to be all about the quarterbacks in the first round. Here are four big draft day predictions and how the passers will dominate Round 1

[mm-video type=playlist id=01f1343a1wt7q817p7 player_id=none image=https://collegefootballnews.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews | @PeteFiutak

It’s finally here.

It’s the 2021 NFL Draft, and we do love it so – and even more this year with all the big things happening at the most important position in all of sports. Here are your four big draft day predictions, and it’s all about the quarterbacks.

CFN 2021 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings
from the college perspective …
QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | OG & C
DE & Edge | DT | LB | CB | Safeties
Top 105 2021 NFL Draft Prospects
2 Round NFL Mock Draft
Greatest Draft Picks For Each College
ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC
32 Greatest Draft Picks of All-Time
2022 Top 32 Pro Prospects | By Position

2021 NFL Draft Wacky Call No. 4: The quarterback panic is real, and it’ll cause some teams to lose their minds

Last year at this time we knew Trevor Lawrence would be the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, and we knew Justin Fields would be close, and Trey Lance would be in the early mix somewhere.

We didn’t know Zach Wilson would be the No. 2 pick and that a team would sell out to move up to the three to take – most likely – Mac Jones.

But that’s every year. Whether it’s Daniel Jones, or Mitchell Trubisky, or even Joe Burrow, there are always going to be quarterbacks who rise up and become first round must-haves.

Next year, though, is looking very, very thin.

There isn’t a Trevor Lawrence in the 2022 draft. In fact, as we project out way too soon, North Carolina’s Sam Howell, Oklahoma’s Spencer Rattler and Texas Tech’s Tyler Shough are all fine, but … meh.

DJ Uiagalelei to be eligible for the 2023 NFL Draft. That’s the guy, but not yet.

So get ready for the panic.

Teams – especially ones with old quarterbacks – are going to look ahead and assume that there isn’t the sure-thing franchise guy out there. The 2021 draft will go QB-QB-QB with Lawrence, Wilson and Jones going as expected, someone will take Lance a wee bit early, and then all hell will break loose as teams look to move up and grab Fields. OR, Fields goes somewhere in the top seven and someone makes a run at Lance.

No matter what, the run on quarterbacks is going to be massive with teams wanting the cheap contract instead of looking ahead to the hamstrung free agent idea.

As you’re reading this, some team is trying to figure out just how much it’s willing to give up to get a guy to get the fan base excited.

Wacky 2021 NFL Draft prediction that just might be right: There will be a whole lot of jockeying for position for six, not five, quarterbacks in the first round. More on that in a moment.

And that begs the question …

NEXT: What’s the 2021 NFL Draft version of Jordan Love-to-Green Bay going to be?

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Touchdown Wire’s top prospects in the 2021 NFL draft class

Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield are running through their position lists for the top players in the 2021 NFL draft class.

With the 2021 NFL draft right around the corner (April 29!), it’s time for Touchdown Wire’s Mark Schofield and Doug Farrar to watch a bunch of tape, grab a bunch of advanced metrics, and decide which of the 2021 draft prospects are the most ready for the NFL. From that process, we have our position lists for multiple positions. After that, Mark and Doug put their heads together and will give you their Top 50 overall. Look for that soon, but in the meantime, here are their position lists — an ever-expanding group through the next couple weeks.

The top 11 quarterbacks in the 2021 NFL draft class

Mark puts up his Top 11 quarterbacks. Trevor Lawrence is at the top, but who else is ready for the pros at the game’s most challenging position?

The top 11 running backs in the 2021 NFL draft class

Doug has his top 11 running backs. There’s a lot of scheme-specific talent here, and in North Carolina’s Javonte Williams, one player who would excel just about anywhere.

The top 14 receivers in the 2021 NFL draft class

The 2021 receiver class is so loaded, Mark had to go post-Spinal Tap — past 11, all the way to 14!

The top 11 tight ends in the 2021 NFL draft class

The 2021 tight end class is well-known as Kyle Pitts and Everybody Else. Here’s Mark on how Everybody Else can also help NFL teams.

The top 11 offensive tackles in the 2021 NFL draft class

The top of the offensive tackle class in 2021 consists of Penei Sewell and Rashawn Slater — two scheme-transcendent talents. Beyond that, there’s a lot of potential, if you’re willing to coach ’em up and be patient.

2021 NFL draft: Justin Fields’ film breakdown vs Rutgers

Mark Schofield dives into the film to breakdown an impressive performance from Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields versus Rutgers.

One game does not an evaluation make.

But if it did, then Justin Fields’ performance against Rutgers this season is that kind of game. This is the kind of game you watch and end up falling in love with a prospect.

Now I know what you are thinking: “Mark, it’s Rutgers. They went 3-6 this season. What does this matter?”

Well, if Fields did this against my law school flag football team it would be just as impressive. In this outing, the Ohio State quarterback checks a lot of the boxes you are looking for in a modern NFL quarterback, from secondary movement skills, to accuracy, to progression reads, to arm talent, and a whole lot more.

Don’t believe me? Let’s turn on the film:

https://youtu.be/Vup2Grq8Byo

Again, this is just one game. But this one contest should open the door to a deeper discussion of just where Fields stacks up in this class.

The NFL’s Week 10 Overreaction Index: Quarterback Purgatory Edition

This week in the Overreaction Index we look at teams facing QB decision, and what moves would be mistakes.

We have not yet made it to Thanksgiving, but for many NFL franchises, draft season is upon us. Teams like the New York Jets, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Atlanta Falcons already have their eyes on the horizon, thinking of ways their franchises can be improved in the upcoming offseason.

And the eyes of their respective fan bases are staring at what could be around the corner as well.

For many NFL teams, the path to the playoffs begins with sorting out the quarterback position. The modern NFL in many ways remains a quarterback-driven league, and if you do not have the guy, you are floundering. This season has provided us with many examples of this basic tenet of the modern game.

Given this, many fan bases are clamoring for a new face at the position. With players such as Trevor Lawrence, Kyle Trask, Zach Wilson, Justin Fields, Trey Lance and Mac Jones looming as potential answers for franchises, fans are hopeful that one of these players could deliver to their team what young QBs such as Kyler Murray, Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Lamar Jackson and Justin Herbert have delivered to other teams.

Hope.

After all, the NFL Draft is packaged hope. It gives fans of all 32 teams the hope that next year will be the year, and that better days – or in the case of the defending Super Bowl Champion continued success – is just around the corner.

With that in mind, what teams are really going to be in the mix for a new face at the position? In this edition of Monday Overreactions, we look at the teams that could be pondering a switch, and decide whether they should.

David Pollack thinks Georgia QB Jamie Newman will be 1st round pick

Georgia Bulldogs legend David Pollack thinks current UGA quarterback Jamie Newman will be a first round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft

Georgia Bulldogs legend David Pollack thinks current UGA quarterback Jamie Newman will be a first round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Pollack, an ESPN College Football GameDay analyst, made the College Football Hall of Fame earlier this offseason.

The 2021 NFL Draft featured four quarterbacks selected in the first round (seven went before Jake Fromm). Kellen Mond, Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, Kyle Trask, Jamie Newman, and Mac Jones are among potential first round QBs in 2021. Of course forecasting first round QBs this far in advance is tough to predict. Nobody was projecting Joe Burrow to be a first round pick before the 2019 season.

Here’s what David Pollack had to say about Wake Forest transfer Jamie Newman:

#UGA fans hoping @davidpollack47 is right about this pic.twitter.com/LhRyUUUlrQ

— Jake Reuse (@ReuseRecruiting) April 25, 2020

Newman has the potential to be a first round QB. NFL teams value quarterbacks with mobility more than ever. Newman will have to clean up his mistakes, but he’ll be surrounded by more talent than ever in Athens. Newman threw 11 interceptions last season to go along with 32 total touchdowns.

Newman’s experience at Wake Forest will be a plus for him. He went up against plenty of talented defenses during his time in the ACC. He’ll have a chance to boost his draft slot playing behind the best offensive line he’s ever had.

If Newman ends up as a first round pick, then that’s good news for Bulldog fans, who just saw Jake Fromm go in the fifth round. Will Jamie Newman be Georgia’s first QB selected in the first round since Matthew Stafford in 2009?

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