Let's Talk About... The Top QBs From The NFL Draft The Last 4 Years - 4/2/21
I got an idea talking to a friend about an article. He was talking about where Jordan Love would be ranked among this years group of 1st round QBs. So I am going to take the QBs from the last 4 NFL Drafts (2018-2021) and rank them from their college careers only. I want to avoid the bias of some of the QBs that have already played because they may have gone to a great situation (or a bad one), and thus had my opinion on them change.
This is just a fun exercise for me to be able to stack up where I saw these players from years past with the current crop. I don't even know how it is going to look so I am excited. Also, it gave me an opportunity to go back to old mock drafts since I have them saved going back to 2016. My formatting and lack of fucks to give on my writing style back then is actually hilarious. It gave me a good chuckle. Excuse the loose formatting on this article as well. I tried to treat it more like I was writing down notes than presenting something.
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Closer Look: Recent QB Trades
Before we dive completely in, I wanted to bring something up that I have been thinking about recently. Trades involving draft picks only for QBs have gone increasingly higher over the years. I am talking about draft picks for veteran QBs and also draft picks to move up in the draft to select a QB. Consider these examples. The picks that concern me are day 1 and 2 picks.
2016: (Jared Goff trade) The Rams traded the 15th, 43rd, 45th, 76th picks in the 2016 draft, plus their 1st and 3rd round selections in the 2017 draft to the Titans for the #1 overall pick and a 4th and 6th in the 2016 draft. The Titans acquired one 1st, two 2nds, and two 3rds to go from #1 to #15.
2016: (Carson Wentz trade) The Eagles traded the 8th, 77th, and 100th pick in the 2016 draft, plus a 2017 first-round pick and 2018 second-round pick to the Browns for the #2 overall pick and a 2017 fourth-round pick. So the Browns acquired one new 1st, one 2nd, and one 3rd to go from #8 to #2.
2016: The Eagles traded QB Sam Bradford to the Vikings for a 1st round pick in 2017 and a 4th round pick in 2018. This trade sort of goes hand in hand with the Wentz draft trade up. If you want to include them as a one in the same deal the Eagles gave up considerably less. However if it is considered separate, the Eagles acquired one 1st round pick.
2017: (Patrick Mahomes trade) The Chiefs traded the 27th pick and a 3rd round pick, plus a 2018 first-round pick to the Bills for the #10 overall pick. The Bills acquired one new 1st and a 3rd to move up 17 spots in the 1st round.
2017: The Patriots trade QB Jimmy Garoppolo to the 49ers for a 2018 2nd round pick. Pats acquired only a 2nd round pick.
2018: The Chiefs traded QB Alex Smith to Washington for CB Kendall Fuller and a 2018 third-round pick. Only a 3rd round pick and a corner that only played on the Chiefs for 2 years for a QB.
2018: The Bills traded QB Tyrod Taylor to the Browns for a 3rd round pick in 2018. The Bills acquired a 3rd round pick for a backup QB.
2018: (Sam Darnold trade) The Jets traded the #6 pick, the 37th and 49th selections in the 2nd round, and a 2019 2nd round pick to the Colts for the #3 overall pick. The Colts acquired three 2nds to move back 3 spots.
2018: (Josh Allen trade) The Bills traded the 12th,53rd and 56th overall picks for the #7 overall pick and 255th selection. The Bucs acquired two 2nds to move back 5 spots.
2018: The Jets traded QB Teddy Bridgewater and a 2019 6th round pick to the Saints for a 2019 3rd round pick. The Jets acquired a late 3rd round pick for a backup QB.
2019: The Dolphins traded QB Ryan Tannehill and a 6th round pick in 2019 to the Titans for a 7th round pick in 2019 and a 4th round pick in 2020. No important picks traded.
2019: The Ravens traded QB Joe Flacco to the Broncos for a 4th round pick in 2019. No important picks traded.
2019: The Cardinals traded QB Josh Rosen to the Dolphins for the 62nd overall pick and a 5th round pick. A late 2nd round pick for a player that was taken 10th overall the previous year.
2020: The Jaguars traded QB Nick Foles to the Bears for a fourth-round pick in 2020. No important picks traded.
I give you all of these recent examples in the last 5 years because of the incredible movement we have had in 2021 and I wanted to compare what we have seen this year to what we have seen from the past.
2021: The Rams trade QB Jared Goff, a 2021 3rd round pick, a 2022 1st round pick, and a 2023 1st round pick to the Lions for QB Matthew Stafford. The Lions net a worse starting QB on a worse contract, two 1sts, and a 3rd round pick.
2021: The 49ers trade the 12th pick, a 2022 1st round pick, a 2022 3rd round compensatory pick, and a 2023 1st round pick to the Miami Dolphins for the #3 overall pick. The Dolphins net two 1sts, and a 3rd round pick.
This Rams-Lions trade was no doubt the structure of the 49ers-Dolphins move that went down last week. Both the 49ers and Rams believe they are a team competing to win Super Bowls so neither values their (hopefully) late 1st round picks. The Lions are obviously rebuilding and want to gather as many picks as they can. Miami wants to keep the shelves stocked in case they have the opportunity to trade for Watson or they feel the need to move on from Tua in the coming years. Both the Lions and Dolphins can easily pivot in any direction. Just thought that was really interesting but I have one more.
2021: The Eagles traded QB Carson Wentz to the Colts for a 2021 3rd round pick and a 2022 conditional 1st round pick. The condition is based on Carson playing 75% of the snaps in 2021 for the Colts, which is almost certainly going to happen. If he doesn't hit that mark, the pick will revert to a 2nd round pick in 2022. The Eagles only received one 1st and one 3rd round pick.
Now obviously the cap number comes into focus here as one of the reasons this trade happened, as does Jalen Hurts' play. But comparing this one to the above trades is very interesting. This is very similar to the Bills-Chiefs Mahomes trade where the price to move up for a QB wasn't as grossly exaggerated as it is today. Of course, it isn't the worst compensation the Eagles could have gotten back either. It seemed like at the end the Colts were the only team with an offer and they were good to get what they could, but if Carson has a return to form it won't look good for the Eagles brass.
It is just very interesting to see all of these QB trades side by side. Hopefully, this makes you think a little bit about how much more expensive QBs have become in such a short time.
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First Round QBs from 2018-2021 Big Board
- Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
Trevor is really interesting. We have known he was going to be the top quarterback in whatever draft he came out of since his freshman season. That level of hype is very rare but, in my opinion, it is deserved. If I could start a franchise with any of these QBs, I think Trevor Lawrence offers the best skillset for immediate and long-term success regardless of the offensive scheme.
The big thing with Trevor is not only can he make all the throws, but he does so consistently. We have seen Trevor in the brightest of spotlights and still make plays even when the rest of the offense around him couldn't. I look back to his sophomore season against Ohio St in the National Semifinal, the Buckeyes took over the game and, with poor play calling from Clemson, Trevor was forced to carry the team on his legs. Literally running like a gazelle and singlehandedly winning the game. His feet in the pocket are no joke either, the comps have been to Andrew Luck in that category and if you guys know me at all, you know how much I loved Andrew Luck.
There isn't such a thing as a perfect prospect and I am not guaranteeing Trevor will bring the Jaguars to the promised land. But with some decent protection from their OL, I think there is a decent shot that they are in the wild card in 2021. - Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama
This is not biased. I don't care if you think it is because I have been screaming from the rooftops how much I loved Tua and still would've taken him #1, regardless of the injury, in 2020.
My favorite trait about this Hawaiian is his anticipation. Not too often can you find a QB that is able to read defenses so well coming out of college. In the first game that he was introduced to the world and in the biggest moment, Tua looks off a safety, in OT of the National Championship (after taking a sack), and throws a touchdown to Devonta Smith in the corner. That play doesn't happen if Tua doesn't hold him with his eyes. The kid was 18 at the time. A freshman. And he only got better.
Tua is the reason Alabama is no longer a run-first school. How he was able to command this Alabama offense full of stars cannot be understated. Jalen Hurts was the unquestioned leader prior to Tua, and the kid just stole the team from Jalen and no one batted an eye because of his talent and leadership. Another thing that is kind of similar to Trevor, he has sneaky athleticism. There were many times in college with Alabama in the RZ that Tua would roll out or move up in the pocket, while baiting the linebackers/safeties with his eyes, and take off for a TD.
We all know he suffered injuries, is he injury prone? I can't be sure because they were all different injuries. But there are a few things I look for out of a QB; leadership, ability to win/comeback, accuracy, pocket presence. Tua graded out as an A+ for me in all of those. - Joe Burrow, LSU
There is something about having a QB with a little moxie that I just can't get enough of. Joe Burrow has the 'I want to be on this guys team' thing going for him. The way he won over the entire state of Louisiana in just a few short weeks is proof.
The thing I saw with Joe was how ready he was to make the jump to the NFL. It was clear that this player wasn't bothered by the bright lights. He wasn't only able to work because the offense created opportunities for him to be successful. He had plenty of times where players were wide open, yes. But a lot of college QBs did. What impressed me was the location on his back shoulder passes to Chase throwing from the opposite hash. It was his touch and timing on a crosser to Justin Jefferson. It was his mobility to lose pass rushers but keep his eyes downfield because while he could run it, that wasn't his first choice. That is such an underrated asset I look for in college QBs and these top guys always wanted to attack you with the chunk gain before taking off and running it.
Burrow was able to learn from Joe Brady, who brought a lot of offensive concepts from Sean Payton and the NFL. Having the knowledge but also the personnel of what he would have at the next level can be really important, but some people view it as a negative. When you have all this talent and you are destroying people how is that a bad thing? How is running pro concepts with future pro players and doing it at a high level a bad thing?
Joe is really the last guy on the list that I would put in my S tier of QBs. These guys are in a different breath than the rest because of the football abilities they have but also their leadership and locker room skills. - Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma
I know I mentioned that Joe Burrow had moxie. LOL. Joe ain't got nothing on Baker. This kid is the ultimate competitor. Someone who would punch you in the face if you beat him at ping pong. I love that in a quarterback. Now, it can also backfire and it has sometimes with Baker. His ego and leadership style has rubbed a few people the wrong way but I hope that in the pro's some people can show him how to get the best out of his entire team.
I love Baker Mayfield's feet. They are always ready to move. Ready to duck out of the pocket, step up, twirl around, and of course ready to plant and throw a dart. Similar to Tua, he wasn't the tallest guy, but he was the most accurate college passer in his senior season. It's not like the Oklahoma offense is all underneath passing either. Baker had one of the best deep-ball completion percentages in all of college football in 2017. I understand the Oklahoma offense is very QB friendly, but his accuracy surely passed the test.
Another asset of his (that all of the top 4 QBs had but if I mentioned everything I'd be here forever) was his ability to get through a progression. There were quite a few examples where you see him jumping and sliding in the pocket moving from right to left going through everything. Now he had a pretty good OL protecting him so he was able to do that without much pressure, but it is still important that he isn't fixed on a singular target. - Zach Wilson, BYU
One thing Zach Wilson has plenty of are pretty boy genes. Damn is that guy good looking.
Of the 5 first-round QBs in 2021, I think I've talked the most about Zach because there is no reason to talk about Trevor and Zach is my next favorite. My favorite skill he possesses is his ability to manuever the pocket and keep the play alive. Zach does a real good job at preventing negative plays whether it be sacks or interceptions. Holding penalties on the other hand may become an issue at the next level because of how long he holds the ball. It isn't like Zach holds it because he is indecisive either. He is looking downfield waiting for an opening and then he will zip the ball downfield. He doesn't need to be in a normal throwing stance to let it rip either. He has some of the craziest throwing platforms that you can only look at and say Mahomes/Rodgers. However, I also see some Baker Mayfield in him. He is very jumpy and always keeps his feet moving.
I'm sure all of you have seen the video of Zach throwing a 60-yard bomb while turning, at his pro day, and while that is impressive, it doesn't give me anything knowing he can throw in shorts on air. I know he has the arm strength to make that throw. Cool. What gets me excited is his poise in late-game situations. I wouldn't say he necessarily has the clutch gene that some of these other college QBs possessed, but BYU was never out of a game that he played in, last year. In the Coastal Carolina game this season, he led his offense down the field and slotted a pass to the 2-yard line but the runner didn't make it to the end zone and the time expired. - Kyler Murray, Oklahoma
Kyler Murray is the most elusive QB I've seen in quite some time and yes that includes Lamar Jackson. Lamar has great speed and juke abilities, but in short spaces, Kyler has a twitch that allows him to make plays that aggravate the hell out of you if you play against him. Out of all the above QBs, I think he gives defenses the most headaches. With the above guys, if you just sat back and put 9 in coverage you might be able to limit the QBs potential. But you can't do something as stupid as that against Kyler because he will run on you too.
Somehow as good as Kyler's running ability is, he also was one of the most accurate passers in his final season at Oklahoma. He was the most accurate draft eligible QB in 2018 on throws 10 yards or more downfield and 20 yards or more downfield, at 60% and 61% respectively. Having a WR room with CeeDee Lamb and Marquise Brown definitely helped him out, but being on target with your throws is something that translates to the NFL and he was that. While there were many times Kyler did tuck it and run when he was pressured, he was also able to look up and find targets deep downfield once the safety or linebackers had bitten on him running. It is a very underrated part of his game.
Kyler's big negative to me is that he drops his eyes when running around in the pocket. When he feels the pressure, he stops looking downfield and then obviously it is harder to pick back up the progression when he looks back up. This leads him into running it a lot more than I would personally like. - Justin Herbert, Oregon
Herbert has a cannon we all know that, but his college tape was largely meh. The thing you bet on with Herbert is that the Oregon offense wasn't conducive to what Justin would succeed best with.
Herbert really succeeded when he was given time in the pocket and could get a clean throw off. Obviously. If you are a top college QB you need to have that happen, but ironically that is a measurement that sites like PFF have found are directly correlated to success in the NFL. Taking it a step further, Herbert was one of the best in the country with a clean pocket on 20+ yard throws.
One of the issues with Herbert in college was his timing and accuracy on quick timing routes. This is something that has become increasingly used in the NFL over the past few years. Let your playmakers... well... make plays. The top QBs on this list all can do that well. Herbert was 64th in the country in his senior season on passes thrown under 2.5 seconds between 1-9 yards downfield. PFF also dinged him for having the most QB-fault incompletions behind only Jordan Love at 15% of his attempts.
This doesn't include the now-false narrative that Herbert wasn't a strong leader on the Oregon offense. That he was a quiet leader. Even if he was, we shouldn't have taken much stock into that. Quiet leaders at QB can be large team leaders in the locker room. They just aren't super boisterous. With all of this in mind, the ceiling for Herbert was still just so large because of what we didn't know about him. He lit up the Senior Bowl when he finally got out of the Oregon offensive playbook and into an NFL one. That was no coincidence and we should've put more weight to it. All that being said though, I value accuracy more than any other trait and Justin didn't show that to be one his strengths at school. - Sam Darnold, USC
Darnold is a really interesting QB to look back on. He was the front runner for what seemed like every QB-needy team and then the Browns shocked the world with Baker going #1. But they got to see Baker at the Senior Bowl which Sam was not eligible for.
He left his junior season with the most passing yards against pressure and the most "big-time throws" in 2017 among draft-eligible QBs. Sam's leadership was lauded by Juju Smith-Schuster, coaches, and mentors alike. Everywhere he seemed to go people were talking about him like he was their favorite godchild. Those features of natural leadership and personality are really important for a locker room.
Another plus for Sam is that he had a really good feel for where pressure was coming from and that lead to all of his success against it. He was athletic but not to the point where he is tucking and running it often. His athleticism allowed him to climb the pocket or move out of the way and complete a pass. Being able to show that he had the accuracy and anticipation to see openings before they were there was something that Sam was trying to grasp. He could flash it in certain games and it was nonexistent in others.
One of the big question marks with Darnold was his consistency. He went through a 4 game stretch that he looked absolutely lost for in the middle of the 2017 season. However, in the 3 games prior and the remaining games, he was a man possessed. It is good that he was able to rebound off of a streak of bad games, but in college the fact that he had a poor stretch of that long isn't something that makes me feel good about your prospects in the NFL. On top of this, he had a ton of turnover worthy plays in his career at USC, even if they didn't all result in turnovers. - Josh Allen, Wyoming
Something about Josh Allen that you just love. He is basically a TE playing QB that runs around like a RB.
Josh had the highest ceiling in this 2018 QB class. He could throw it 70 yards downfield in a snowstorm but he also couldn't complete 10 yard comebacks. His accuracy was all over the place in his time at Wyoming, but the athleticism was evident. Josh was a thrower that could run. He never went down easy and had the speed to truck you if you were in his way. I loved his ability to make a play out of absolutely nothing. Not only that but Josh played with no fear and had the thinking that he could make any throw. He couldn't but the confidence was there.
Josh had an issue with turnovers in college. He didn't get a ton of help from his WRs at Wyoming, but them dropping the ball into the defenses hands wasn't the issue most of the time. Josh had a hard time finding where the cornerback or safety was in his reads. Maybe it was more of a hard time understanding the speed of the play, I don't know. But there were several occassions where Josh threw the ball behind his WR on an out-breaking route and a cornerback could jump the pattern for a pass defensed or worse.
What's worse for Josh is he had a hard time getting through progressions. In the NFL game, if you stare down a WR you might as well start running to your defending end zone to get the tackle before the corner scores a pick-six. Josh had far too many examples of him just looking down a guy and then pulling the trigger because he had a rocket for an arm and thought he could beat the corner to the ball. - Justin Fields, Ohio St
Fields has a narrative going around right now that he can't go through progressions. They did not watch the Buckeyes last few games in 2020 if they think that is the case. Justin has the eyes and the vision to go through multiple progressions and find his best option. He also has the raw speed to take off for 40 yards in 4.4 seconds.
Justin was very accurate in 2020 which has been another false stigma of his. A lot of NFL fans are scouting the helmet of what we normally think of Ohio St quarterbacks as. Athletic guys that run the ball and can't deliver an accurate ball with timing. It's not true. Yes, Justin is athletic. Yes, Justin can deliver a great deep ball. But he showed that with good route runners (something he will get at the NFL level) he can time up his throw with the route and he knows where it needs to be.
Justin's biggest issue is that he waits too long to pull the trigger. He needs his WRs to be open before he throws it or he at least needs to see the window and in the NFL that isn't going to be there all that often. People are now bashing Tua because he wouldn't throw into tight windows in the NFL because of this very fear. I also don't think Justin's college system lends itself to a lot of pro-style systems. I think the number of teams that will be a match with him will be less than Zach or Trey. - Trey Lance, North Dakota St
Trey Lance doesn't have the highest ceiling in the draft. If you hear that, just tune it out. But Trey does have all of the athletic traits you look for in a modern QB. He has the height and the weight. He didn't run the 40 at his pro day but we didn't need him to prove he is fast. The tape speaks for itself when he is running away from DBs. Trey has the arm strength that any of these other QBs have except for maybe Josh Allen. More importantly, that arm strength is coupled with accuracy at the deepest portions of the field and he attacked it often in school. The thought of multiple deep routes opening up the middle of the field for Trey to leak out of the backfield and make a couple of people miss stays in my imagination.
Trey is very smart with the football. During his entire 2019 season, he had ZERO interceptions with 28 touchdowns. He played in a very heavy pro-style system at NDSU that bridges the gap well. For example, Carson Wentz didn't need to sit and learn for a season when he was drafted. He played from the jump in Philly. The worry with Trey is how few reps he has taken in college. In 2018, Easton Stick was the QB for the Bison so Trey only has 17 starts to his resume. However, during that resume, he went 17-0. Yes, North Dakota State has been the best FCS team for a very long time. But that pedigree is earned, not given.
I know that the narrative that Trey may need to wait and learn the NFL game for a year is very strong. However, if he goes to the right team, I could see them starting him from the jump. Trey has played in that pro-style offense. When he gets lost, he knows how to tuck it and take the yards his feet will give him. He doesn't force bad balls and throw interceptions. Obviously, there will be growing pains as all young QBs have. I just don't know if they will be as drastic because of what his athletic ability will make up. - Jordan Love, Utah St
I think I liked Jordan Love more than most just because of his rawness. I actually saw that as an advantage. Love played at Utah St in 2019 with none of the weapons, coaches, or lineman that he was used to when he had success in 2018. We saw him struggle without the continuity. However, Love still showed some of the traits that we fell in love with in 2018.
Love has all-important athleticism that allows him to throw off of many platforms, escape dangerous situations, and gain yards on the ground. Some of the throws he is able to make while off-balance showcase why many people in the draft community had him as a top 16 selection in the 2019 draft. Finally, his arm strength makes it so no pass is off-limits. He knows he can squeeze the ball into tight windows or uncork one from sideline to sideline.
Similarly to Josh Allen, Jordan's accuracy and ability to read defenses was on high alert when he played Power 5 schools in Wake Forest and LSU and really struggled. In 2019, he saw a large increase of "tight-window" throws and he ended up having the most "tight-window" interceptions in the FBS. Furthermore, he had an uncatchable pass rate of 44% on those "tight-window" throws. In the NFL, you are going to see a lot more tight throws than in the Mountain West. He played very similarly to Sam Darnold did in his final season with many big-time throws but many turnover worthy plays as well. - Josh Rosen, UCLA
Remember, this is an article talking about where I would rank them as prospects. Not where they are now.
Rosen had a lot of unique qualities to him that made me quite intrigued. His mental makeup was one that was especially important and that people kept talking about. He was incredibly bright and would continue to ask questions on why things worked the way they did. I personally want a QB that wants to know the ins-and-outs. It gives me a Peyton Manning vibe. Rosen excelled at throwing in the intermediate parts of the field, which is where a lot of NFL QBs have success. He didn't always put the ball exactly where it needed to be but he was fearless of tight-window throws and often came out on top with them.
However, Rosen really struggled in a few major areas. First, he wasn't really a great leader. He didn't connect with guys in the locker room. Second, he did not have good touch on his deep balls and it showed with his deep ball accuracy being average at best. The consistency just wasn't there. Finally, Rosen was one of the worst in 2017 with turnover worthy plays. His aggressiveness and fearlessness came back to bite him in the ass far too often.
This is my line of 1st to 2nd round guys. I really liked all of the 13 QB above for different reasons but all of the guys below I had questions about that I don't think made them deserved of a 1st round pick. That being said, all of these players were in the 1st round in my mocks. I just don't believe if the QB position and all other positions were equal that they would have been. - Mac Jones, Alabama
Imagine Tua but in Josh Rosen's body. That is what I feel like Mac Jones is. Rosen wasn't unathletic and a lot of people think he was. It's the same story with Mac Jones. Jones isn't afraid to tuck it and run if he has to. He just is more of a passer.
Mac does a great job of being accurate at all levels of the field. It isn't too hard to deliver passes to wide open WRs, but part of the reason it looks so wide open is that Mac is leading his WRs perfectly. No wasted motion for them, they catch it in stride and continue moving. Mac does that, not the WRs. Mac is also a leader. There is a reason all of these Bama players are coming out and saying they prefer Mac > Tua. Mac waited behind Tua for 2 seasons and finally got his chance. Instead of transferring out when they brought in a 5-star recruit (Bryce Young), Mac beat him in training camp and went on to win a National Title. Teammates respect the dedication he showed and he repaid their trust in him with a ring.
We talk about how Trey Lance has barely any real snaps in college. He has the same exact amount of games started as Mac Jones. I haven't heard that as a negative for Mac Jones at all. 17 games started only. Sure he can in with mop-up duty for Tua but this needs to be talked about more if it is talked about for Trey.
I've mentioned athleticism as not really a negative with him so I won't continue on it. Mac got away with a lot this past season because of how good the team around him really was. Mac has slow feet in the pocket. Slow feet means slow to plant and throw. If you aren't getting rid of the ball in 2.5 seconds in the NFL, you are slow. Mac will need to speed up his entire lower half for the next level. Mac also had the benefit of not getting as much pressure as he will see at the next level. A fear that people have of QBs coming out of Alabama is that they won't transition to the NFL because of the elite play around them. He also won't be throwing to wide-open players next season. Mac isn't a first-round talent to me, but I understand why he will be taken there. - Drew Lock, Missouri
Funny enough, Drew Lock was actually my 2nd highest rated QB in 2019 behind Kyler. I was surprised to see that when I looked back but yea. I had the Broncos trading up for him. You will see Haskins and Jones below as well so I didn't view this class very highly.
Lock flashed his arm strength in 2018 with his ability to make throws from unnatural throwing positions. We see him make throws fading away, on the run forward, and in the natural stance. All the while he is able to show the touch needed to complete these intermediate and deep throws.
On the flip side, his unnatural throwing positions were partially due to his poor feet when he got in trouble. Lock didn't show great pocket presence and when he started to panic his slow feet never would catch up with him. Because of this, he wasn't able to avoid negative throws as often, throwing into tight windows and inaccurate passes a little too often. - Dwayne Haskins, Ohio St
I know it has been awhile, but a lot of people really liked Haskins in the 2019 draft. He was the best QB Ohio St had produced in a very long time that was an NFL caliber quarterback.
Dwayne was very much an in rhythm passer and he had plenty of opportunity and time to be in rhythm with the weapons and OL he had there. He was top 5 in the 2019 QB class in terms of accuracy on throws under 20 yards downfield, based on catchable balls. He was also one of the best passers with a clean pocket which PFF grades very highly, as noted earlier with Herbert. And unlike many passers before him in Scarlet Red, Dwayne was able to get past his first progression and have success.
The biggest issue with Haskins was how large the drop off in play was when he was pressured. He dropped from a 135 passer rating to 73.2. That is abysmal. Part of the reason he struggled so much is because of how unathletic he was. He had a really hard time moving around in the pocket and even worse could not tuck it and run. When his pocket collapsed around him, throws were often high and off-target. - Lamar Jackson, Louisville
Lamar is the most athletically gifted quarterback we have seen since Michael Vick. There are very few players that would be able to beat Lamar in a race or a longest pass competition. A combination that can make him absolutely deadly. But those proficiencies don't hide what is underneath.
In college, Lamar was truly a cheat code. Watching a lot of ACC games, I was fortunate enough to see him never be out of a game. Louisville had a shot of scoring from anywhere on the field because defensive players weren't as fast as him or his WRs. How can you tackle someone who isn't even there anymore? Lamar steadily got better as a passer from his first season to his last as a Cardinal by making more "NFL throws" and learning the soft spots of defenses.
However, he never quite eclipsed the point where I trusted him to burn a defense consistently with his arm because of how poor his accuracy is. If you need a game-winning drive and the defense is playing prevent over the top but man coverage on the WRs, he can't dink and dunk you down the field. He will have to rely on his legs to get you those smaller chunks. It is so painful to watch because he is so talented but I couldn't for the life of me give Lamar any chance of succeeding in the NFL. (The reason for his success is because the Ravens abandoned all hopes of a pass-first team to pretty much become a 1950 NFL team.) - Daniel Jones, Duke
One of the best things going for Daniel Jones was that he was coached by David Cutcliffe. The former coach of Peyton Manning. Seriously, that was what a lot of people kept coming back to.
Of all of these QBs, Daniel Jones had the least amount of plays in college that I was "WOW"d over. In college, I want to see these QBs attacking and killing defenses for 45 minutes and the final 15 minutes I want to see their backup come in and struggle because you as the starter were so good it was unfair. You would never see that from Daniel Jones.
One thing you would see from him is a willingness to stand in there and take a hit. The kid got knocked around so much that you think he almost enjoyed it. It was a departure from the very clean pockets we see from a lot of the top QB prospects. Part of the reason he would get hit so much is because of his unwillingness to just throw the ball. He held on to it for longer than he should have and it resulted in issues. That is something that needs to be addressed in the pros. Jones also forced a ton of throws into double or very strong coverage that led to a high turnover worthy plays number. I wasn't impressed at all.
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Where would you guys rank the 5 QBs from this draft? Let me know in the comments or at @KyleTheCommish on Twitter.
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