NFL Football Betting: 5 Best QBs In 2021 NFL Draft

The 2021 NFL Draft is approaching, only three weeks away. The emerging reality in this draft is that each of the first three picks are going to be quarterbacks. There is widespread agreement about that point. The first two quarterbacks seem to be certain, with the real drama emerging at pick No. 3, which belongs to the San Francisco 49ers after a trade with the Miami Dolphins. Let’s look at these quarterbacks, which are all the center of discussion as we come closer to draft night on April 29.  

Trevor Lawrence, Clemson

The one quarterback whose position in the draft order has never truly been questioned or challenged is Trevor Lawrence at No. 1. He has the size Zach Wilson and Justin Fields lack. He has the straight-line speed Mac Jones doesn’t have. He has faced Division I competition on a consistent basis, unlike Trey Lance, who played at a lower classification (the FCS, not the FBS) in college. Lawrence will be able to survey the field, avoid having his passes get batted down at the line of scrimmage, and throw the ball with touch to receivers on downfield routes. Lawrence brings a complete skill set to the table, and the Jacksonville Jaguars – under new head coach Urban Meyer – have made it very clear that they will take Lawrence with the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft. 

Zach Wilson, BYU

The riser on the draft board in recent months has been Wilson, who – according to most reporting and analysis throughout the NFL community – is heading to the New York Jets with the No. 2 pick. Wilson is certainly a creative, fast and elusive quarterback. He is excellent when plays break down and he leaves the pocket. Questions remain, however, around the quality of competition Wilson faced at BYU last season. BYU played markedly inferior opponents for much of the season, and the Cougars lost to Coastal Carolina, a team in the Sun Belt Conference. The BYU offense was contained in that game. Wilson does offer a lot of different skills, but his size is a concern.

Trey Lance, North Dakota State

The obvious comparison with Lance is Carson Wentz, given that Wentz also played at an FCS program instead of being at a power conference team in Division I football. Wentz was brilliant in the early years of his NFL career, putting the Philadelphia Eagles in position to compete for the Super Bowl. Wentz led the Eagles to a No. 1 seed in the NFC but got injured. Nick Foles took over for him in the playoffs and led the franchise to its first Super Bowl title. If Lance can follow the path carved by Wentz, but avoid the injuries which have befallen Wentz, he could have a very special career. There is an awareness of how much potential Lance possesses.

Justin Fields, Ohio State

The mystery of the quarterback position in the NFL draft is Fields, who smoked Trevor Lawrence and Clemson in the College Football Playoff semifinals. Fields had a brilliant game, and he played through pain against Clemson, fighting through a shot to his ribs. Fields was tough, resilient, able to drill his passes, and capable of adjusting the way he played. It’s a puzzler that Fields has dropped from No. 2 on the draft board down to No. 5 or possibly lower. Fields has all the speed of Zach Wilson, but he throws a better ball and has faced better competition. The Jets and 49ers – if they do pass on him – will be taking a big risk in the top three on the draft board.

Mac Jones, Alabama

The Alabama receivers were so great in 2020 – DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle – that Mac Jones had very few problems taking charge of the Alabama offense as the successor to Tua Tagovailoa. While Mac Jones was able to win a national title because of his receivers, that brings up a complication in the NFL draft: Will teams look at the talent differential between Alabama and other teams and conclude that Jones was more the product of his receivers than the product of his own skills? Jones might have great receivers in the NFL, but they won’t be exponentially better than opposing cornerbacks. Jones might have a much more difficult time finding open receivers and being able to get rid of the ball quickly.