An NFL record eight quarterbacks were selected within the first three rounds of this year's draft, and of those eight, five were taken within the first 15 picks. But how many of these rookies will be on the field and under center once the regular season begins?
CBS Sports NFL writer Will Brinson senses only two, which possibly means clipboards for Chicago Bears' Justin Fields, San Francisco 49ers' Trey Lance, and New England Patriots' Mac Jones.
"The Bears, the Niners, and the Patriots are all very interesting for fairly similar reasons," Brinson told the Reiter Than You show on Wednesday. "I think we'll see all three teams -- regardless of how Fields, Lance, and Jones play in their respective preseasons -- go with the veteran guy. Because it's just easier in the NFL -- from a psychological perspective -- to go with the vet and then you can bench him for the rookie.
"Whereas, if you go with the rookie out of the gate and you're losing games, you've got to bench this first-round rookie quarterback for Andy Dalton, or Jimmy Garoppolo, or Cam Newton. And that's just tough to do to that rookie. It's almost easier for the Jets and the Jaguars [with Zach Wilson and Trevor Lawrence]. But those other three teams are really in an interesting position..."
Fields, Lance, and Jones made strong first impressions in their preseason debuts last week. Fields completed 14 of 20 passes for 142 yards and two total touchdowns, Lance unleashed an 80-yard touchdown bomb on his second drive, and Jones amassed 87 yards on 13 completions.
Of those three quarterbacks, Fields currently has the best odds (+550) to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, according to the William Hill Sportsbook. The consensus favorite, Trevor Lawrence (+300), is expected to start for Jacksonville in Week 1.
The entire NFL conversation between Brinson and Reiter can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the Reiter Than You show on Twitter @sportsreiter and @CBSSportsRadio, and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.