The 2021 NFL draft saw 5 quarterback prospects taken in the first round, including 3 with the first 3 picks. Playing quarterback as a rookie in the NFL can be tough, and that’s exactly what the 2021 class discovered. The best we could say about their efforts in their first year is that we saw mixed results.
Of the 5 first-rounders, the most productive in 2021 was the fifth guy taken, Mac Jones, who went to the Patriots with the 15th pick. Trevor Lawrence, who went first overall to the Jaguars, also started all 17 regular-season games but went 3-14, while Zach Wilson with the Jets and Justin Fields with the Bears both had injury-hit debut campaigns, and Trey Lance of the 49ers had only 2 starts. It could even be argued that the 2nd-best rookie QB of the year was Davis Mills, a 3rd-round pick of the Houston Texans.
Year 2 can be a make-or-break year for young quarterbacks, though, and the big 5 are all set to be starters for their teams entering this season. We’ve ranked them in the order we think they are most likely to impress in 2022, not necessarily in terms of wins, but in personal performances, and have suggested an over/under player performance bet for each one as they head into the crucial season ahead.
Check out our advice for the Super Bowl, AFC Championship'and'NFC Championship