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The 2021 NFL Draft class was widely regarded to have the best collection of quarterbacks, with the likes of Trevor Lawrence, Mac Jones, and Justin Fields being picked in the first round. But after three seasons, it has not quite turned out this way.
Trevor Lawrence, the first pick in that draft, is the only one regarded as a starting quarterback right now. Zach Wilson, the second overall pick, has been so poor that the New York Jets were forced to spend precious draft capital on an aging Aaron Rodgers. Trey Lance, drafted by the San Francisco 49ers, lost his job first to Jimmy Garoppolo and then to Brock Purdy and was traded to the Dallas Cowboys, where he is the third-choice quarterback behind Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush.
Mac Jones is in the process of being traded from the New England Patriots to the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he is likely to be a backup. And Justin Fields is still with the Chicago Bears likely because they are yet to find a willing trade partner who will take the quarterback off their hands and allow them to move on by picking Caleb Williams in this year's draft with the first overall pick.
Based on their performance, we rank the five quarterbacks picked in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft in how they have fared so far.
#5 - Trey Lance
Trey Lance has disappointed the most from the 2021 NFL Draft. He was selected third overall by the San Francisco 49ers after they moved up from their original position and he was supposed to be the next franchise quarterback. Instead, he sat behind Jimmy Garoppolo for the first season and played in only 6 games. He had five passing touchdowns, one rushing touchdown and two interceptions in that period.
Named the starter for the next season in 2022, he managed to play only two games before getting injured. He had no touchdowns in those games and instead managed one interception. His completion percentage was 48.4 percent and his passer rating was 55.0.
Jimmy Garoppolo regained his position after Trey Lance's injury and performed much better before being usurped by Brock Purdy, who has since established himself as the starter for the franchise and led them to a Super Bowl. In 2023, the third overall pick fell down the pecking order and became the third-overall choice behind Purdy and Sam Darnold and was traded to the Dallas Cowboys, where he is still the third preference.
#4 - Zach Wilson
The only reason Zach Wilson is not the worst quarterback from the 2021 NFL Draft is because Trey Lance exists. He has had a horrid time as a New York Jets player. He has been so bad that after two years the franchise chose to trade for Aaron Rodgers, believing that the risk was less with the aging quarterback than him.
And the numbers show just how shambolic his career has been. In his first season, when he was named the starter, he played 13 games and had nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions. In 2022, he managed six touchdowns and seven interceptions in nine games before losing his spot. In 2023, after the former Packers quarterback tore his Achilles, he featured in 12 games and threw for eight touchdowns and seven interceptions.
In total, he has 23 touchdowns and 25 interceptions in three years. He has never reached double digits touchdowns in a season. And the only year when he had more touchdowns than interceptions was last season when he recorded seven fumbles. It is hard to see him being a backup anywhere, never mind a starter.
#3 - Mac Jones
Mac Jones started his career bright enough. He was drafted by the New England Patriots and won the starting job from former MVP Cam Newton in his rookie year. He made it to the Pro Bowl and took the franchise to the playoffs, where he lost in the Wild Card round to the Buffalo Bills. For a moment, it looked like the Patriots had Tom Brady's replacement.
Alas, it all proved a mirage. Mac Jones has regressed ever since and was benched last season for Bailey Zappe towards the end. He is now being traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
He ends his career in New England with 46 touchdowns and 36 interceptions. In the last two seasons, that reads 24 scoring passes and 23 picks. He never once reached triple digits in passer rating. And Mac Jones will leave with the ignominy that it was his inability as a quarterback to complement Bill Belichick's defense that led to the firing of the legendary coach.
#2 - Justin Fields
Justin Fields comes second in the list simply because he was the starter for a franchise to end the 2023 NFL season. The Chicago Bears have gone through coaching changes during his tenure that have not made his life easier.
Over three seasons, his win-loss record stands at 10-28. In the three seasons Justin Fields has been there, each of their NFC North rivals has won the division except them and he has never taken the team to the playoffs. He has 40 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in his time with the Bears. His overall passer rating is a middling 82.3.
Justin Fields is likely to be traded in the coming days as Chicago uses its 2024 NFL Draft's first overall pick on Caleb Williams. However, whether there is a market for him remains to be seen. One bright spot that general managers might consider is his rushing ability as a dual-threat quarterback. After all, he did manage 1,143 yards on the ground in 2022, but that did not mask his other weaknesses.
#1 - Trevor Lawrence
Trevor Lawrence was picked first overall and he is undoubtedly the best quarterback from the 2021 NFL Draft. He suffered a terrible season in his rookie year, but that was more due to the ineptitude of Urban Meyer than anything else.
Trevor Lawrence followed that up in 2022 with a strong season that saw them make the playoffs and win a game in the Wild Card round against the Los Angeles Chargers. They fell in the next round to the Kansas City Chiefs, who would go on to be the eventual champions and there was no shame in that.
But they failed to make it to the postseason this year and much of it came down to them blowing their chances when it mattered. At the end of three years, Trevor Lawrence has a record of 58 touchdowns and 39 interceptions. At the moment, his spot as the starter is secure. But with Mac Jones backing him up, he knows that there is another young quarterback who can take his job if he fails to live up to expectations again this season.
