In this article, I will be discussing who my top 6 QB’s are in this year’s draft. The top 5 QBs are all projected to go in the top 10 in this year’s draft, which is frankly absurd. However I do have 1 other QB who I seriously consider to be a good prospect with starting-caliber QB potential at the next level.
- Trevor Lawrence | Clemson
- Zach Wilson | BYU
- Trey Lance | NDSU
- Justin Fields | OSU
- Mac Jones | Alabama
- Kellen Mond | Texas A&M
1. Trevor Lawrence: Is an explanation needed for this one? Lawrence has been universally accepted to be the best QB in this draft class and among the best prospects to come out of the draft since John Elway. Lawrence brings the full package and nothing short. Lawrence looks to be a sure-fire bonafide star in the NFL for the next decade.
2. Zach Wilson: The next three after Lawrence are all quite close. However, Wilson gets the edge here simply due to his outstanding season at BYU. The accuracy, the arm strength, the mobility were all present in his 2020 campaign, and on par with a top 3 pick. Wilson had the risky, yet dynamic play style that seems to be taking over the NFL. His accuracy did get slightly overrated by draft pundits, and he still does have some mechanical issues that need to be fixed. Wilson is a one-year wonder, but there is no doubt that if any of his game translated from his 2020 season at BYU to the NFL, he will be a superstar in the NFL. The comparisons to Patrick Mahomes are absurd, yet there is some truth to this. The downside however, are the valid comparisons to Johnny Manziel.
3. Trey Lance: Lance beats out Fields for the 3rd spot just by a small margin. Mechanically, I believe Lance’s game is one level above Fields. Lance is a spectacular athlete, with a cannon of an arm and accuracy. Regardless of what conference he played in, the fact that he was able to pull of 28 TD’s and 0 INT goes on to show his capabilities. He is a smart QB, who is able to fit the ball in tight spots when asked to do so. Lance is far from a finished prospect, however. His footwork needs improvement, and I do believe that some of his deep accuracy concerns, which are valid, stem from some poor technique. I do believe this can be coached in the next level, and apart from the deep accuracy and technical issues, Lance is an exceptional prospect. He could benefit from sitting out a season.
4. Justin Fields: Fields took quite the fall after the 2020 season. At one point, Fields was 1A and 1B with Trevor Lawrence. However, while Fields did show some concerning issues with his technique, nobody could’ve projected Wilson’s meteoric rise. Lance was always on par with Fields and the tape gives Lance the slight edge. Yet, I do not understand the people who have Fields falling in the draft. He may be the 4th best QB in this class, but he deserves to be a top 10 pick nonetheless. He brings ALL of the tools to the table and does most things at an extremely high level. He needs to become a smarter QB overall, when it comes to making more progressive reads and having a better internal clock, but he has demonstrated elite traits that one may look for in a QB. Fields has some inconsistent moments where he simply lapses, derailing his usually reliable accuracy. Lance has slightly more potential, which is what made me give him the benefit of the doubt over Fields.
5. Mac Jones: Mac Jones has been mocked all over the place, from potentially going 3rd overall, to the back end of the first round. Jones’ talent was great this season, and many like to credit his production to having multiple first round picks around him. Yet, the truth of the matter lies in the fact that Jones did everything he needed to do and did so at a high level. On tape, Jones displays elite accuracy, placing the ball right where the receiver can get it, or in between the numbers. He is among the smartest QBs to enter the draft, as many scouts have noted. Jones has decent arm strength, but nothing to write home about. He is a solid overall prospect. He needs to demonstrate more of his athletic ability at the next level, which was flashed here and there at the college level. The questions about his true talent are valid, yet this class is filled with questions due to the uncharted circumstances we are in. Jones is a safe prospect who can be a game manager at worst, and teams like the Patriots, 49ers, or Steelers could be satisfied with that.
6. Kellen Mond: I am very high on Kellen Mond. Mond flashes elite traits and makes elite throws with jaw dropping accuracy. Some of the throws he makes would be commendable at the NFL level, let alone in college. Mond is an athletic and dynamic QB, who can move out of the pocket and make things happen with his legs. He has good pocket awareness most of the time and is able to sense pressure and evade. On the run, Mond can be a good thrower with solid accuracy. All of this sounds great, however the issue with Mond is consistency. He needs to do all of these things at a consistent level and he has failed to do so in college. He may disappear during stretches of the game, and may emerge with some of the excellent traits he has. Mond has a good arm strength and with solid accuracy most of the time. He could look to fix his throwing motion, and his arms before he releases the ball. His elbows come a little high, which could very well be affecting his accuracy and the way he throws. If possible, NFL coaches should try to fix this at the next level.
All of these prospects are great talents, and should go within the first 2 rounds. This is one of the more polarizing QB classes, with multiple one-year wonders, dynamic athletes, with elite NFL level traits. It will be interesting to see how these prospects fall, and if they make it to an ideal destination that would be best for their growth and success.
