Not much time has passed since the first in the history of the league virtual draft, experts and fans discuss the prospects of Jordan Love and Jalen Hurts, new teams were found by Jameis Winston and Andy Dalton. Meanwhile, the end of one draft means the beginning of preparation for the next. On this wave, David Hale and Kevin Seifert talk about quarterbacks that will be drafted in the spring of 2021, and teams that might be interested in them.
The main stars of the class
Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
Having scored 66 touchdowns over two seasons, Lawrence is on that short list of talents you can't pass by. The combination of anthropometric data, athleticism, accuracy and understanding of the game gives him a good basis for success at the next level. Trevor can be compared with John Elway and Andrew Luck. However, he continues to progress. Do not forget about the psychology of the winner - in his debut season, Lawrence led Clemson to victory in the national championship.
Justin Fields, Ohio State
Last season, with a quarterback rating of 92.1, Fields lost only to Joe Burrow and Tua Tangovailoa, who were selected in the top 5 of the last draft. He is the only quarterback in college football who has made at least 40 pass touchdowns with only three interceptions. After a difficult start in Georgia, Fields opened in Buckeys, dominates the Big-10 conference and brought his team to the playoffs. Despite the dimensions, it is quite mobile. At the same time, Fields successfully plays out of an envelope, not inferior in accuracy to transfers to classical quarterbacks.
Sam Ehlinger, Texas
Texas returned or not, but last year Ehlinger threw 32 touchdowns. This is the second result in the history of the program, Colt McCoy did two more in 2008. You can recall the second week of last season and the face-to-face meeting of Longhorns and LSS. In that game, Ehlinger scored 401 yards with four touchdowns without interceptions and looked like a future NFL player no less than his counterpart Joe Burrow. Not bad Sam spent the second part of the season.
He has all the data to become the best quarterback in the 2021 draft, only a little help from teammates is required. Do not forget that in 2018 and 2019, Ehlinger scored a total of 8,100 yards with 80 touchdowns in a pass and a pass.
Jamie Newman, Georgia
Thanks to his physical data, Newman has already earned a comparison with Cam Newton, but so far he does not look as bright a talent. Last season he spent in Wake Forest, where they are using attack attack. Now he has to test his strength in the pro-style game of Georgia. The environment will also influence his assessment - Bulldogs undoubtedly have the best selection of players. Statistical fact: playing with the best host of Wake Forest Sage Surrath, Newman passed with an accuracy of 64%, threw 29 touchdowns with six interceptions and had a rating of 74.4. After Surrat's injury, these same indicators are as follows - 54% accuracy, six touchdowns, eight interceptions, rating 40.5.
Brock Purdy, Iowa State
In terms of the average number of yards earned during the attempt, Passy last season at the Big-12 conference was second only to Jalen Hurts. He was not considered a very talented recruit, but over two seasons in Iowa, the State became a real star. The combination of precision and athleticism makes him one of the most dangerous quarterbacks of college football. In 2019, Purdy held two games with six touchdowns, one of which was against Oklahoma. In total, he scored 3982 yards in the pass, a total of 35 touchdowns and threw only nine interceptions. Brock Purdy is capable of becoming the first player in the program since 1973 to be selected in the first round of the draft.
Kellen Mond, Texas A&M
In 2019, Mond became the only quarterback in the SEC to score more than 2,500 yards with a pass and 500 takeaways. He has good dimensions, athletic, three years playing in the starting lineup under the guidance of such a guru as Jimbo Fisher. Mond's main problem is his line of attack. For three seasons, he fell under the sec 83 times, and opponents played blitz against him more often than against any of the Power 5 quarterbacks. Another weakness is an unconvincing game against strong opponents.
Kay J Costello, Mississippi State
Costello spent the first three years of his career at Stanford. Last season, he appeared on the field in only five matches, although before that he was the sixth-rated FBS quarterback. A year ago, he seemed a safe choice for the first round, but a bad line of attack and injury significantly worsened his position. Running teams did not help him either. Now Costello will try to restore his reputation in the eyes of the Scouts in the new program.
Trey Lance, North Dakota State
Last season, Lance made his debut as a starting quarterback and threw 28 touchdowns at zero interceptions. He is definitely the best among those who are out of sight of most fans and journalists. He is tall, athletic and agile. The main question, as always in such cases, is how it will operate at a different level of competition. Lance’s playoff stats are casual compared to any FBS handler. He is a dark horse, but his potential is obvious.
Who else is worth following?
The third among the quarterbacks of the set of 2018, who played for Southern California, JT Daniels is now on the transfer portal and has not yet decided on a new team. If he has a good season, he will definitely be able to claim a high pick in the draft.
Since 2010, only two Powerback 5 quarterbacks have passed with an accuracy of 63%, gained at least 20 touchdowns and made no more than eight losses, falling under the sec no less than 35 times. The first was Baker Mayfield. The second is Tommy Devito from Syracuse. His last season turned out to be blurred due to the disgusting game of the line of attack, but after school Tommy was considered a great talent, and his experience with Dino Babers makes it an even more interesting prospect. Now in the NFL plays a pupil of Babers quarterback Niners Jimmy Garoppolo.
Do not forget about the successor of Joe Burrow in LSS. Myles Brennan has been with the team for two years, working with the first number of the last draft, and is familiar with the pass game system that Joe Brady built.
Formerly a star in Houston and sitting on a bench for almost the entire past season, D'Eriq King will start from scratch in Miami. A good year at ACC can convince scouts that it has the potential to play in the NFL.
The last on the list is Notre Dame Iain Buck quarterback , characterized by excellent athleticism and high accuracy of short and medium gears. Its disadvantages are low growth and problems with long-range shots. It’s hard to imagine how he might look when moving to a new level.
Who might need a quarterback for a draft in 2021?
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts will begin the new season with veteran Philip Rivers, who has signed a one-year contract. Obviously, the club does not see Jacoby Brissett as their future, and the prospects for Jacob Eason, selected in the fourth round, are still unclear. If he does not show his abilities during the period of reduced charges due to the epidemic and during the season, then in the spring the Indianapolis office may again try to resolve the issue of the quarterback on the draft.
New Orleans Saints
Drew Brees is already over forty, and although he still plays at a high level, his agreement on subsequent work on the NBC channel brings some intrigue to the future. His salary after 2020 is not guaranteed. Recently, a contract for two years was extended by Rhys Hill and his terms give a hint that he will get his chance to play in the starting lineup or close the position during the transition period. There is a team and signed for one season, Jameis Winston. On the whole, the Saints approach to manning this part of the roster looks as if it was the choice of a new franchise quarterback that was planned for the next draft.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Ben Roethlisberger's contract is valid until the end of the 2021 season. However, he does not have financial guarantees for the last year of the agreement, although the club undoubtedly expects that their leader has fully recovered from an elbow injury. Replacing him Devlin Hodges and Mason Rudolph showed nothing that could allow us to consider them as a replacement for Big Ben in the long run.
New England Patriots
So far, everything looks as follows: Bill Belichick gives Jarrett Stidham a chance to prove himself in the starting lineup, and experienced Brian Hoyer will be a backup with a reliable hand. Andy Dalton, who had already signed a contract with Dallas, and Cam Newton, in the case of which everything rests on his health and money, also appeared as a possible gain. If Steadham does not cope with her task, then the fans can only wait for next year with new hopes.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
In the next two seasons, Tom Brady, who is fully guaranteed a salary of $ 50 million, will play in the starting lineup of the team. This can only be prevented by injuries or the veteran’s sudden decision to end his career. However, in 2021, the Buccaneers should already think about how to live on. The current replacement Blaine Gabbert and Ryan Griffin will not give an answer to this question.
Chicago Bears
The club has already abandoned the fifth year option for Mitch Trubisky, who will soon be looking for a new job. Nick Foles came to Chicago, who is expensive and who expects a lot, but if the MVP of the Super Bowl fails, then in the spring the Bears can go for a draft in search of a new Sid Luckman.
Jacksonville jaguars
Gardner Minshew managed to prove himself brightly in the debut season, but there is a difference between several excellent games and a stable game for a long time. Jaguars should use the financial opportunities that the newcomer Gardner gives the contract and invest in other components of the team. At the same time, if the team will choose highly in 2021, which is very likely, then the temptation to take a new talented quarterback will be very great.
Dallas Cowboys
This season, Dak Prescott will play under the franchise tag, and in a year he can get another one. However, this does not bring him and the club closer to signing a new long-term contract, and the tag itself will cost about $ 37.7 million in a year. Now no one is considering the likelihood of Prescott leaving the team, but the player himself does not show a desire to meet the club, while the transaction requires two parties.
Las Vegas Raiders
Here the situation is pretty transparent. In two seasons under John Gruden, Derek Carr is only 21 in the quarterback rating. During this time, the team lost 21 of 32 matches. Carr's contract, valid until 2022, left no guaranteed money. The second quarterback of the team, Marcus Mariota, now looks like a cool backup with dubious prospects as a starter. The coming season will be decisive for both the team and Derek himself.
Atlanta Falcons
Matt Ryan for twelve years has missed just three matches and so few people think that he is almost 35 years old. In the same way, no one argues that he can finish playing or leave the team. However, if not in 2021, then a little later, Ryan will be in the same situation as Aaron Rodgers after the Packers drafted Jordan Love. Atlanta will also come to think about the future.