There’s been a lot said about these quarterbacks leading up to the 2021 NFL Draft. Due to the nature of the position, I have always compared them to flavors of ice cream. Your Rocky Road might be my Cookies Cream – it just depends on your taste. In studying this class there is no question they’re a talented group. Here are my notes of the Top-8 leading up to the draft – Hope you enjoy it.
Trevor Lawrence - Clemson (1st Round, 1st Overall)
6-6, 220 pounds
Outstanding size and physical make-up. Shows athletic ability to avoid trouble in the pocket in order to deliver the ball. Makes throws going both to his left or right. Will get his shoulders square and be on target. Shows the accuracy to put the ball in the exact spot. Was rare to see him miss on a pass. Throws a catchable ball and doesn’t make the receiver have to work for the ball. Outstanding touch with his passes. Can deliver the ball on the swing without the running back breaking stride. Shows poise in the pocket in order to hang in there with bodies around him.
If he does have a flaw he tends to stare his guy down. Eyes will lock on the area where he's going with the ball. Got away with a couple of throws where the defender was reading him as well. The majority of his snaps are from the shotgun. Runs an offense where they play with tempo. Can make the defense pay with his scrambling with the ball. Good decision-maker with the ball. Does a nice job of protecting it. Can make all the throws. Hash to the outside without any issues. Has played in several big-time games and has been able to deliver.
Justin Fields Ohio State (1st Round, 2nd Overall)
6-3, 227 pounds
Ideal quarterback build. Has the body armor to protect himself when taking hits. Wore a knee brace on his left knee in 2019 but none this season. Good arm talent and strength. Can get the ball out of his hand in a hurry. Over the top delivery with a flick of the wrist. Shows touch and accuracy which appears to have improved from year to year. Can put the ball on the target either inside or outside the numbers. Is not going to miss many throws.
Appears to play with poise to move around while underdress. Has a sense of timing for how to lead the receiver. Doesn’t hold onto the ball too long. Appears to be able to process the information and go where he needs to. He Will work from the gun but there are snaps where he is under center. Shows upper/lower body strength to break tackles in the pocket. Doesn’t play hurried at all.
Zach Wilson BYU (1st Round, 3rd Overall)
6-2, 214 pounds
The Player has some Pat Mahomes traits to his game. Feel like that he throws better when he's on the move than standing in the pocket. Love the way he competes and his willingness to never give up on a play. Will deliver the ball in all arm angles in order to get a completion. Of Lawrence and Fields, I would say that his arm strength is behind them. There are throws where you do see the receiver waiting on the ball. Will throw some passes where the receiver has to adjust low in order to pull them off the ground but you will also see some strikes. Felt like he had poise when moving the offense. Faced some opponents that didn’t tax him all that much.
Houston and Louisiana Tech were his toughest opponents. Both forced him to have to make plays. Good ball-handler. Is comfortable in this area. Not going to make many mistakes. Will play out of the shotgun and under center. Will turn his back to the defense from the snap and relocate his targets after the setup. Showed good touch when he had to swing it wide. Physically looks less impressive size-wise than Lawrence and Fields. Didn’t see that power in his body to shake off would-be tacklers. Big fan of his mobility and ability to create.
Related
Trey Lance North Dakota State (1st Round, 4th Overall)
6-4, 227 pounds
Physically is well built. Has a Dak Prescott vibe to him in the way he plays. Not afraid to run the ball and take on tacklers. Is a physical player. Plays the majority of the game from the shotgun. Good ball handler and faker. Overhand throwing motion. The ball really comes off his hand well and with some pace. No question of his ability to make all the throws. Impressive arm strength and power. Will put the ball in a tight spot. Isn't always rewarded at the other end for the reception. Sets up quickly and with a firm base. Doesn’t bounce on his toes or appear uncomfortable in the pocket. Will move around when he has to.
Throws well on the move (Prescott trait). Can get his shoulders around and whip the ball out going to his left. Puts some pace on it. Wouldn’t call him the quickest afoot to escape and run but does enough to give himself a chance. Appears able to sort things out scheme-wise. The offense does a lot of pre-snap motion and shifting. His size and arm talent are his most impressive traits along with his toughness.
Mac Jones Alabama (2nd Round, 5th Overall)
6-2, 217 pounds
Has sat and waited his turn at Alabama. He will surprise you with how polished he is for the position. Has a real feel for how to play the game thus moving the squad. Benefits greatly from some of the best weapons in the country but he does a fine job of putting them in a position to make plays. The majority of the snaps are in the shotgun. Good ball-handler with his faking ability and delivering the ball. It will come out of his hand quickly and generally on target. Doesn’t miss many throws and the ones he does miss are throwaways. Can deliver the ball on all platforms. The offense allows him to make some creative throws to open targets. Does a nice job of making sure the ball is where it needs to be.
Do not see the receivers have to work for the ball. Can hit his man on the move. Does a good job of throwing the receiver open. Nice touch to deliver the ball over the top whether it’s a long pass or touch in the red zone. Plays with pocket awareness and feel. Knows how to slide around to avoid trouble. As he is moving does a nice job of keeping his eyes down the field and toward his target. Can make all the throws. Not going to win any foot races but is not afraid to run when necessary. Would not say that he's just riding the coattails of his teammates has a hand in their success.
Davis Mills Stanford (3rd Round, 6th Overall)
6-4, 212 pounds
Physically looks the part. Sturdy in the pocket. Wears a large knee brace on his left knee. Don’t know if that is preventive or an injury history? Has no fear when it comes to throwing the ball. Has unbelievable confidence and poise. Will move around in the pocket to buy a 2nd chance. Has a feel for how to slide and deliver the ball. Does a nice job of keeping his eyes down the field in order to make the play. Has some receivers that make some big-time receptions for him.
His accuracy and touch are good overall but there are also some snaps where the ball will get away from him and they will track it down. Super competitive in how he attacks the field. Some of his best throws are shots down the middle of the field. Will lay it over the top of a defender with little problem. Shows the ability to throw the ball wide and with some pace. The ball does come off his hand well. There is little effort or problem getting the ball out there. Good touch on the swings and screens. Will give the receiver a chance to run with it. Shows touch in the red zone. Has a feel for how to put the ball far enough out front in order for the receiver to bring it down.
Related
Kyle Trask Florida (3rd Round, 7th Overall)
6-5, 240 pounds
Was a finalist for the 2020 Heisman Trophy. Had his moments where he shinned then others where he just didn’t make the right read or talented enough to make the best throw. The majority of his snaps were from the shotgun. Plenty of RPOs for the offense. Could be hit and miss with his technique. His feet and body position could really be out of whack as he attempted a throw but managed to find ways to make it work. Was always attempting to keep his eyes down the field and not focus on the rush. Will hang in the pocket to make throws.
Showed the toughness to take a hit and still deliver the ball. Will throw the ball in tight windows and pull it off. Has the type of teammates that can make him look good. Can be hit and miss with his deep ball accuracy. Made a beautiful throw for a touchdown and then came back the next series and missed the same open throw vs Alabama. Had a big problem with turnovers toward the end of the season. Five of his eight interceptions came in the final three games. Had seven games where he had four or more touchdowns. The tape shows that he can make all the throws. Arm talent is there along with the touch. Plays with a knee brace on his left knee. Limited threat to run but will move in order to buy himself time.
Kellen Mond Texas A&M (4th Round, 8th Overall)
6-2, 205 pounds
Have seen this guy play live in a 7 OT game where he wouldn’t let his team lose. Thought he was going to be the next big thing when it came to the QBs in the SEC. Has had his moments of greatness and others of disappointment. Was able to put things together his final season to lead his guys to a top ranking. The only loss of the season was to Alabama. Will wow you with the way that the ball comes off his hand. Has impressive ease of throwing motion. The effort in which he delivers the ball doesn’t tax him at all. Just flicks it down the field no problem. Can throw all passes with touch and sometimes accuracy. Not afraid to let it rip or fit it into a tight window.
Will get away with some throws that he has no business making. Will also throw some passes where his receivers are not even close to the target. He will miss some throws to some wide-open receivers. Numbers could have been even better on the season if he just connected on those throws. In the games that I studied, he refused to take a sack. Somehow and someway that ball was coming out of his hand. Will bounce his share of balls into the ground to avoid a sack. Stands very tall in the pocket. Little or no body movement. The willingness to hang in there when everything around him is falling apart. Wouldn’t be surprised to see him have success in the league due to his physical traits.
Related
