- Trevor Lawrence, Clemson – Seriously Jets? I haven’t seen this kind of leadership out of someone who started as a true Freshman. Lawrence is the epitome of solid and I do not think that he had that great of an O-line or WRs last year. Lawrence knows when to take off running with the ball which is a quality that not many NFL quarterbacks possess. He also knows how to get down and avoid injury. His 6’6 frame allows him to see over the offensive line with ease. A 70% completion and a 24-5 TD/INT ratio on a shortened season was great. Lawrence has the highest ceiling, and more importantly, the highest floor in this draft.
- Justin Fields, Ohio State – The NFL Pro-Day really said it all to me. 4.44 40 yard dash speed was amazing for a QB that can check down the ball. Justin can throw the ball accurately down field as well as hit the seams with precision. Fields has proven that he could take a beating and keep on ticking in that Clemson game. Let’s just hope these beatings do not continue unless it is done in the playoffs. A 70% completion last year with a 26-6 TD/INT ratio was fantastic.
- Zach Wilson, BYU – The kid from BYU that wowed everybody. Zach had a 73.5 completion percentage and a 33-3 TD to interception ratio. Can’t argue with that. BYU had an absolutely amazing year and I still wonder that if they would have ended up beating Coastal Carolina, that they would have been a massive playoff disruptor. Zach is more of a traditional QB at 6’3 210lbs. I actually think that it would have fit him better to be taller. My biggest issue with the kid is that BYU only had a strength of schedule ranking 104th in the nation. Were they better than many power 5 teams? Yes but they haven’t had to face much adversity. Zach can be a very dangerous quarterback and I think that he makes it in the NFL, but I also think that he could end up as a backup if the team that he gets drafted by doesn’t take advantage of his skillset.
- Mac Jones, QB Alabama – 77% 41/4 TD/INT. Are you kidding me? Ok, I know Alabama guys do not really turn out in the NFL, but I saw a lot of Joe Burrow in this guy last year, and Mac was able to make very quick decisions with some smooth check downs after the snap. Has he had the best of the best to play with? Well yes, but he still didn’t look flawed while he was out there. Mac performed at the highest level with the most pressure on the biggest stage. Lets hope the Bears don’t draft him so he doesn’t become ruined.
- Kyle Trask, Florida – The kid’s a winner. He did everything that he could to try and beat Alabama but he just didn’t have the defense to do it. Did he have great pass catchers? Sure, but he also won some big games vs Georgia, Arkansas and Kentucky. What helped bring Trask into my top 5 was his size at 6’5 240lbs, and his decision making in the pocket. Some cons against him are the fact that he was in a spread system in Florida and was somewhat scheme dependent. 68.9% completions with 43/8 TD/INT is fantastic.
- Kellen Mond, Texas A&M – Another 6’3 quarterback in this draft but what Kellen has over some of the guys that I have ranked over him is experience in a pro-style offense at Texas A&M. I must say that I whiffed on this team and thought that Mond didn’t have the confidence to step up to some of the teams that they have beaten. Mond played fantastic football and showed great poise beating Florida, LSU, at Auburn and North Carolina in their bowl game with ease. My only crack against Mond is that he had a little bit lower completion percentage of 63.3% and 19 touchdowns. Mond at least only had 3 interceptions so that’s good.
- Trey Lance, North Dakota State – Finally we get to the FCS level quarterback that some have in their top 2 or 3. Ok, this whole Carsen Wentz thing has gotten out of hand in my opinion and I think that Lance is going to be a project. Let’s face it, North Dakota State is the best system in the FCS but it really isn’t a pro style offense. Lance produced a huge redshirt freshman season in 2019, completing 67 percent of his passes for 2,786 yards with 28 touchdowns and zero interceptions. He also ran for 1,100 yards with 14 touchdowns on the ground. Trey Lance reminds me of Jordan Love who has a lot of upside but will need to be developed and coached.
- Davis Mills, Stanford – Davis is another QB that could make some noise in the NFL. He stands 6’4 weighing in at 210 lbs. Mills quietly led the Cardinal to a nice 4-2 record last year with 5 of his 6 games all away from home. The good thing for Mills is that he was in a pro-style offense at Stanford and he completed over 65% of his passes over the last 2 years. His skill sets might translate well into NFL offenses, and with some improvement in making decisions in the pocket, he could be very dangerous for some teams.
- Sam Ellinger, Texas – I am going to miss this kid playing Texas football. Sam was the best thing that this team has had over the last 4 years and he has the heart of a champion. Sam can take a big hit and he also can run the ball. I think that if Texas could have kept a decent team around Sam without losing guys to the NFL, injuries and transfers, his draft stock could have been a lot higher. Sam has a nice 6’3 frame at 230lbs. His completion percentage dipped a bit from 65% to 60% last year but he had very nice performances against Oklahoma and Iowa State only losing those games by single digits. Sam was also a big part in beating Oklahoma State last year and ruining their playoff dreams. If Sam can improve as a pocket passer, he will be a very interesting player in the NFL.
- Ian Book, Notre Dame – Who’s Wheaties did this kid piss in to be projected to not get drafted by many of these analysts. The kid only helped make Notre Dame extremely relevant over the past few years and he has huge wins vs Clemson and North Carolina. When Book hit the post season games, Clemson and Alabama’s great defensive play certainly didn’t help him much being that he was under pressure most of the game, but the real reason why he has dropped so much in this draft is his size at 6’0 212 lbs and his flat footed speed. Ian’s 65% completion percentage and 15/3 TD/Int ratio looks very good on paper but he did have an easier ACC schedule. One thing that I noticed when watching Ian is that he can throw the seam route, which is very important in the NFL, and he can check down to his other pass catching receivers. Ian came from a pro-style offense which should translate very well in the league. I think that Ian definitely has a low floor in the NFL being that he is so small but he also has a high ceiling. Ian is a leader and he has proved it on the field many times over. I remember another QB his size that came out of Purdue that had a similar skill set and talent level. His name was Drew Breese.
