Four quarterbacks were taken in the top ten picks in the 2018 NFL Draft, and four quarterbacks — maybe five — could be taken in the top ten picks of the 2021 NFL Draft. But that doesn't mean they were similar draft scenarios. In 2018, there was no surefire No. 1 pick, and there was a question for some time about who the Cleveland Browns would go with: Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen or even Josh Rosen.
This year, that's just not the case. Trevor Lawrence is going No. 1 overall to the Jaguars. It's a done deal. It doesn't matter which analysts rank Lawrence below one of the other top prospects, or whether there's any last-minute drama that really begins to stir up some confusion. In my mind, Lawrence is a Jaguar. Done deal. No need to discuss further.
However, it's not Lawrence but another quarterback — the one that's very, very, very likely to go No. 2 overall to the Jets, but that we still have maybe .05 percent doubt about — that drew comparisons to 2018's eventual No. 1 pick. NFL.com's Tom Pelissero spoke to a number of NFL executives, coaches and scouts about the quarterbacks available in the 2021 draft, and one observation about BYU's Zach Wilson compared him to Baker Mayfield. It wasn't about his playing style, but about his non-football qualities: the swagger, the attitude, the charisma and all that good stuff.
Pelissero said that an NFL exec described it as "a little bit of Baker Mayfield syndrome, where you like [the edge] to a point. It's just whether or not you can control it and toe the line." That was a part of Mayfield's draft profile that stood out. NFL.com's Lance Zierlein, for instance, wrote in Mayfield's weaknesses that he "has to prove he can reign in and control on-field edge and cockiness." Walter Football stated it more simply, listing "maturity" under his weaknesses. But in both cases, a positive was something along the lines of a fiery attitude, good confidence and leadership potential.
The Browns, it now seems, were smart to dismiss any of these concerns, or at least take them on with the mindset that they could indeed reign in his personality. Had they chosen Darnold, it's unknown how it would have turned out due to the different environments, but seeing the Jets trade him away this offseason had to be somewhat of a reassurance. Josh Allen, of course, has looked like the real gem of the draft class, and Josh Rosen is... well, he's not very good.
How will this draft class turn out? Will Zach Wilson be the Josh Allen, surpassing even super-prospect Trevor Lawrence? Will Mac Jones become the Josh Rosen of the bunch? Will anyone fall off the board and become the Lamar Jackson of 2021, who the Ravens stole with the No. 32 overall pick? We'll find out in less than a week where these young studs' futures will begin.
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