Tag: Zach Wilson

2021 NFL mock draft: 3 quarterbacks in the top 5?

See where the top quarterback prospects land in the latest 2021 NFL mock draft from CBS Sports

We’ve known for quite a while that Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence and Ohio State’s Justin Fields were destined to be top-five picks in the 2021 NFL draft, but a newcomer is crashing the party.

BYU’s Zach Wilson has been lighting it up this season for the Cougars, sending his draft stock through the roof.

In the latest 2021 NFL mock draft from CBS Sports, Wilson lands at No. 4 overall to the Washington Football Team, following Lawrence (No. 1 overall, New York Jets) and Fields (No. 2 overall, Jacksonville Jaguars).

CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards believes Washington is ready to move on from Dwayne Haskins, especially with a prospect like Wilson on the board:

Although not the second quarterback selected, Zach Wilson did not have to wait long to hear his name called. Wilson offers size, arm strength and mobility. Washington obviously does not like what it has seen from Dwayne Haskins so they move on.

The only other quarterback to crack this first-round projection is North Dakota State’s Trey Lance, who lands with the San Francisco 49ers at No. 12 overall, while Florida’s Kyle Trask and Alabama’s Mac Jones don’t make the cut.

Teams with multiple first-round picks load up on top talent in this forecast, with the Miami Dolphins giving quarterback Tua Tagovailoa plenty of help (LSU WR Ja’Marr Chase, Oklahoma OL Creed Humphrey), the Jacksonville Jaguars continuing their rebuild on both sides of the ball (Fields, Alabama DL Christian Barmore), and the New York Jets hoping to start a new chapter (Lawrence, South Carolina CB Jaycee Horn).

To check out the full mock draft at CBS Sports, click here.

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BYU’s bluff called, dash own College Football Playoff dreams

BYU will have nobody to blame but themselves when they don’t play in the College Football Playoff next month.

It wasn’t likely that BYU would do enough to make the College Football Playoff in 2020 but you can certainly cross it off even as a remote possibility after what transpired Sunday evening.

BYU, who sits at 9-0 overall and is ranked in the top 10 nationally, had their bluff called on Sunday and will now have nobody to blame but themselves when they ultimately don’t make the College Football Playoff this winter.

For context, we actually have to go back a few days to set the stage, as the Pac-12 announced Wednesday that they would allow each conference member to schedule one out of conference game, adding some wiggle-room to only a six-game regular-season schedule for those who don’t make the conference championship game.

When that was announced there was hope an interest that a few intriguing games would be added to the 2020 college football slate, but one that was proposed since the announcement won’t be played and not doing so is making BYU look foolish.

According to reports from several in the college football community, The University of Washington reached out to BYU on Saturday about scheduling a game later this year.

The Huskies are 2-0 on the year with only two games being played to date and only two games currently scheduled for the rest of the year.  Although not viewed as a College Football Playoff contender themselves, they’d certainly offer a chance for BYU to have another name win on their resume that they hope is good enough to earn them a trip to the CFP.

According to Bruce Feldman, BYU essentially said “thanks but no thanks” to Washington’s offer because they’d like to first know where they sit in the first College Football Playoff Rankings that are due out Tuesday evening.

Here’s a hint for everyone in and around Provo, Utah:

You’ll probably be eighth just like you are in both the AP and Amway Coaches Polls and you’ll be behind another Group of Five team in Cincinnati, just like you are in the AP and Coaches.

Even with Heisman contender, Zach Wilson, BYU needs a good amount of help building their resume if they think they have any shot at crashing the CFP party, and not taking Washington up on their offer does them no favors in that regard.

Even if they were to schedule Washington and win they’d still have an uphill battle but passing on an opponent of even that caliber will kill whatever chances BYU had of making the dance.

Ralph Russo of the AP reports that BYU has concerns over potentially being dropped by Washington if another Pac-12 game was to be made available to them on the same date.

Let me just ask, though:  what if there wasn’t a Pac-12 team that suddenly became available to play for Washington?

It makes BYU look laughable as they tweeted a picture of Wilson on November 20 wearing a bandana that read: “any team, any time, any place”

Except for if they’re a Power Five team who has a history of winning.

Then they’re not for that.

Remember this if and when BYU finishes the season undefeated yet you hear moans that they didn’t get a fair shake about playing in the College Football Playoff.

They’ve got nobody to blame but themselves for looking this foolish.

Mac Jones no longer favorite to win 2020 Heisman on BetMGM

Alabama quarterback Mac Jones is no longer the favorite to win the 2020 Heisman Trophy acording to BetMGM, he now drops to No. 4.

Alabama has not played a game in over two weeks. Following the win over Mississippi State, the Crimson Tide had their off week, then the next scheduled contest against LSU was canceled due to a COVID outbreak within the LSU program.

Those two weeks without play has seemingly hurt Mac Jones and his chances of being named the 2020 Heisman Trophy recipient, according to oddsmakers at BetMGM.

Jones, who is exceeding expectations and is now projected to be a first-round pick in the upcoming 2021 NFL draft, was at one point on top of the leader board with the highest odds.

Place your legal sports bets online in CO, IN, NJ, TN, and WV at BetMGM. Bet now!

Here’es how the top five currently looks:

  1. Trevor Lawrence +200
  2. Justin Fields +260
  3. Kyle Trask +260
  4. Mac Jones +350
  5. Zach Wilson +2500

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

Interview with BYU quarterback Zach Wilson, a player the Vikings should keep an eye on

See Vikings Wire’s interview with BYU quarterback Zach Wilson, a player who Minnesota should keep an eye on.

The Minnesota Vikings sit at 3-5 ahead of its Monday night football showdown with the Chicago Bears. The Vikings are coming off their first back-to-back winning stretch all season and have slowly entered back into the playoff conversation.

No matter what happens throughout the remainder of the 2020 season, the Vikings should be focused on drafting a quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft. Kirk Cousins has shown flashes of being a great quarterback, but his turnovers have held the team back in a couple of losses.

Though the Vikings extended Cousins this offseason, his play hasn’t warranted him a guarantee of riding out the rest of his contract. On top of Cousins shaky start to 2020, the Vikings backup situation is mediocre at best.

BYU’s Zach Wilson should be a player that the team focuses on for the remainder of the 2020 collegiate season. Even if that means sitting behind Cousins for a year or two, the time is still now to take a chance on a young quarterback.

Through his first eight games of the season Wilson is completing over 75% of his passes for 2,512 yards, 22 touchdowns and just two interceptions. He’s the kind of player who could hypothetically come in and help the Vikings almost right away.

Here is the interview, as conducted by Vikings Wire’s Jack Day.

BYU QB Zach Wilson shares how he’d approach getting drafted by the Patriots

Zach Wilson wonders: What if?

The New England Patriots may be in the market for a quarterback in 2021, whether they look in the NFL draft or in free agency. They have Cam Newton, who they’re clearly evaluating as a potential long-term solution. Even so, his absence from the starting lineup earlier this season showed how important it is for a team to have quarterback depth.

So the Patriots could keep Newton while also drafting a quarterback high. And that could work for one young quarterback, BYU’s Zach Wilson, who is one of the hottest prospects.

“That’s cool,” Wilson told CBS Sports Radio’s Zach Gelb. “If that’s the team that wants me, shoot, I’ll give it everything I have. Even if Cam [Newton] was still there when I went into that situation, what a great quarterback to learn from. What a great guy to sit behind and experience the way that he has experienced the game and learned from all his mistakes and the things that he’s had success with as well. And [Bill] Belichick’s a great coach and they’re gonna be on top again one day.”

The Patriots are currently looking at the 13th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, but there’s plenty of season left. And it seems like the Patriots are interested in winning, contrary to what many of the other teams at the bottom of the league are doing. But if they stay in the top half of the first round, they could be in play for Wilson, who will likely go behind Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence and Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields.

While some quarterbacks might not be thrilled at the idea of sitting behind a veteran in their rookie season, Wilson seems to have great respect for Newton.

“Cam Newton, he’s got a chip on his shoulder. He’s got a ton to prove,” Wilson told CBS. “And I loved what I saw of him the first couple of games. I haven’t watched their past recent games, I know they haven’t been winning like he wants to, but I know he’s a competitor as well and he has a lot to prove about himself and about the Patriots as a team. So I know Cam Newton is probably going to come back and he’s going to find his way as a quarterback again, like he used to be.”

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‘Crazy’ for Cowboys to consider drafting QB in first round? Jerry Jones: ‘Yes’

The outspoken owner quashed the notion of using what may be a very high draft pick in 2021 to replace Dak Prescott in Dallas.

On the one hand, Dak Prescott is unquestionably the long-term starting quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys, and anybody who believes otherwise is simply living in denial. But on the other hand…

The club failed to come to terms with the fifth-year superstar in the offseason, using the dreaded franchise tag to secure his services for the 2020 season and casting some degree of doubt on just how the organization feels about the worth of their two-time Pro Bowler. The fact that Prescott will have played just four and a half games of what is essentially a 16-game prove-it deal- and will not have played any actual football at all for months- when it finally comes time for the two sides to negotiate once again certainly doesn’t help Prescott amass many bargaining chips.

Add to that an abysmal 2-7 record thus far that seems to be steering the Cowboys toward a high 2021 draft pick, and the rumor mill is buzzing about the possibility of the Jones family moving on from Prescott in favor of a highly-touted (and significantly cheaper) rookie quarterback.

Team owner Jerry Jones attempted to quash those rumblings during a phone interview Tuesday with Dallas station 105.3 The Fan.

Morning hosts Shan and RJ asked Jones if, given the circumstances, it would be “crazy” to entertain the notion of the team using their first-round pick on a top-tier collegiate passer.

“Yes,” Jones replied. “You ask me if it’s crazy to bring the idea up? And I’ve answered it, yes. It’s not the thing to be talking about at all. Dak is our quarterback.”

It’s a classic case of the grass always being greener at a place like Clemson or Ohio State or BYU, where- respectively- Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, and Zach Wilson are currently lighting up the college game. The Cowboys would ostensibly be able to select one of those quarterbacks with what would- if the season ended today- be the third overall pick in April’s draft.

But Prescott has not only been a model player on and off the field for America’s Team, he’s reportedly ahead of schedule on making a recovery from the devastating ankle injury that saw him carted off during the Cowboys’ October 11 win over the Giants.

And despite a contingent of the fanbase being ready to blow it all up and start over with a first-year signal-caller in 2021, the club maintains that the former fourth-rounder is their man moving forward.

“Dak’s our quarterback. We’re so fired up about him and leading us into the future,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said on Monday. “We’re fired up about our future with Dak.”

The Cowboys have yet to win a game this season that Prescott didn’t start. Andy Dalton, Ben DiNucci, and Garrett Gilbert have all stepped in for Dallas, resulting in an 0-4 mark in those games.

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BYU QB Zach Wilson is crashing the 1st-round conversation

BYU quarterback Zach Wilson continues to prove himself as a first-round prospect in the 2021 NFL draft class

If you were looking for the fastest-rising quarterback prospect in the 2021 NFL draft class, your search can stop with BYU’s Zach Wilson.

Wilson’s draft stock has slowly crept in the right direction throughout the 2020 college football season, and after a huge performance in a dominant win over Boise State, he’s now entrenched himself in the first-round conversation.

Wilson completed 21 of his 27 passes Friday night, accounting for 367 yards of total offense and three touchdowns.

An athletic passer with an impressive combination of pocket presence, accuracy and arm talent, Wilson is emerging as the potential QB3 in this year’s draft class, behind Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence and Ohio State’s Justin Fields. Considering all the questions surrounding North Dakota State’s Trey Lance, the biggest wild-card in this year’s quarterback class, it wouldn’t be a shock if Wilson’s body of work this season allows him to take over that No. 3 spot on the draft board.

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Realistic 2021 draft quarterback prospects for the Vikings

It’s time to talk about a replacement for Minnesota Vikings News quarterback Kirk Cousins.

Minnesota is 1-5, so there are a lot of options for what the team can do in the 2021 NFL Draft.

As it stands, the Vikings would draft sixth overall in the NFL Draft. That leaves the vast majority of prospects as realistic targets.

There are some players who might be out of reach, though. Basically, unless the Jets, Texans and Giants get better, I don’t see the Vikings securing the first two or three picks. Even if a team that just drafted a quarterback lands in the top three for draft position, the Vikings would still probably have to trade up.

Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence seems like a long shot in that case and Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields isn’t likely to happen — at the moment. Draft stock fluctuates as the season goes along, so we will assess where the Vikings stand with those two in the future.

But for now, let’s compile this list as if those two are off the table. Who are the other quarterbacks the Vikings should look at?

Tanking a no-go? Why BYU QB Zach Wilson might fit the Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings might not be bad enough to land quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence or Justin Fields in the draft. If that’s the case, BYU QB Zach Wilson works.

Regardless of opinions on Kirk Cousins, it’s becoming a common theme within the Vikings fan base to want the team to take Trevor Lawrence or Justin Fields in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Though both players have franchise-changing abilities, they will likely be selected in the top five. 

The Vikings have struggled out of the gate and sit in last place in the NFC North. Minnesota’s 1-5 record currently has it slated to get the sixth overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. If they landed a top three pick and had the option to select one of the two quarterbacks above, it would likely be a no-brainer. 

However, Vikings fans know that there are players and coaches that may be fighting for their jobs. Tanking isn’t really an option in the NFL and there’s still a legitimate chance the Vikings string together a few wins. 

If that’s the case, Zach Wilson out of BYU could be an option for the Vikings in the upcoming draft. 

Wilson has started to rise up big boards due to his performance this season and it’s likely going to continue given BYU’s easy schedule. Through his first six games of 2020 Wilson is completing 78.3 percent of his passes for 1,928 yards and 16 touchdowns. His BYU team is 6-0 and ranked 11th in the country. 

There will be people that criticize his strength of schedule, but that should also affect Trey Lance who only played one game this year against Central Arkansas and plays in the FCS. If BYU wins out, they will likely land a bowl game against another ranked opponent. 

Statistically speaking, Wilson has been an elite quarterback through his first six games this year. He is making throws that have drawn some comparisons to what Patrick Mahomes is doing in Kansas City. 

Wilson is the type of player that the Vikings need given Kirk Cousins’ contract. It’s unlikely that Cousins isn’t in Minnesota next year so why not do exactly what the Chiefs did with Mahomes and let Wilson learn the system behind a veteran quarterback?

The Vikings have lacked excitement at the quarterback position over the last decade. It has been a rollercoaster ride since Brett Favre’s miraculous season and it’s time to get a young gunslinger with mobility on the roster.