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The quarterback draft class of 2021 was supposed to be a generational class. Four of the five quarterbacks taken in the first round have been traded. What went wrong?
Five quarterbacks were selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Each one was viewed as potentially franchise-altering. The class was led by Trevor Lawrence, who was considered the best quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck.
The rookie season for most of the first-round quarterbacks was rough, but the wheels fell off in 2022. Zach Wilson was abysmal and immature, Trey Lance broke his ankle, Mac Jones was screaming at the sideline, and Justin Fields struggled as a passer.
Only Trevor Lawrence is still with the team that drafted him. All four of the other 2021 first-round quarterbacks have been traded for minimal draft capital returns. Let's dive into what went wrong for this quarterback class.
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Trevor Lawrence - No. 1 Overall Pick, Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence's career got off to a rocky start with Urban Meyer at the helm. Many rookie quarterbacks struggle mightily, but Lawrence looked overmatched. With few weapons, no offensive line, and a bad defense, no one could have expected Lawrence to succeed.
Meyer was fired after 13 games following several reports of inappropriate behavior both on and off the field. The Jaguars finished the season 3-14 and secured the No. 1 overall pick yet again. Lawrence improved down the stretch and entered 2022 with momentum.
Under the tutelage of Doug Pederson, Lawrence followed up his rookie season with a stellar sophomore campaign. Lawrence finished his sophomore year throwing for 4,113 yards and 25 touchdowns while cutting his interceptions from 17 to eight. The Jags went on to win the AFC South.
After a wild comeback playoff win over the Chargers in the Wild Card round, the Jaguars were narrowly edged by the Chiefs in the Divisional Round. It looked like Trevor Lawrence was the next big deal in the NFL following the magical season in Duvall.
In 2023, Lawrence was marred by injuries and a poor offensive line that did not allow him time to drive the ball downfield. Even so, Lawrence's 2023 regression is not what you want to see from your supposed franchise-altering quarterback. The Jags finished 2023 on a five-game losing streak and missed the playoffs.
Lawrence projects to be a solid franchise quarterback for years to come. He will get an extension, and he still has plenty of room for growth. However, so far, Lawrence has been a disappointment largely due more to results against expectation rather than overall performance.
Zach Wilson - No. 2 Overall Pick, New York Jets
Zach Wilson is a classic example of a quarterback who displays arm talent at the NFL Combine and jumps up the draft board. Quarterbacks are incredibly dependent on solid roster construction and their success is often correlated to their maturity level and work ethic. Wilson appeared to enter the league missing all three of those factors.
To be fair, the Jets did not have the pieces in place to support a rookie QB. The offensive line and weapons left a lot to be desired.
After benching Wilson several times in 2022, the Jets traded for Aaron Rodgers in 2023. Wilson displayed better maturity during the 2023 offseason, accepting his role as a backup to an all-time great and relishing the opportunity to learn from him. The succession plan was simple: let Zach Wilson grow and take the reins when Rodgers stepped away. If it were only that simple.
Aaron Rodgers only lasted four plays in 2023, forcing Wilson to play behind the same porous offensive line that allowed Rodgers to get injured and throw to a limited selection of weapons. Even though he flashed signs of growth, the Jets moved him to Denver.
Wilson is not in a situation that bodes well for his starting prospects. The Broncos hardly traded anything for him and just invested heavily in Bo Nix. It would appear that Wilson may be relegated to career backup.
Bo Nix passing Zach Wilson in the Broncos locker room pic.twitter.com/tL2v6QCmHU
— Shooter McGavin (@ShooterMcGavin_) April 26, 2024
Trey Lance - No. 3 Overall Pick, San Francisco 49ers
Trey Lance looked like a potential star in the making. Lance had little experience and only made 17 starts in college. However, Lance's 6-foot-3, 225-pound frame put him on the map.
Kyle Shanahan must have been infatuated with what he believed he could do with a talent like Lance. The 49ers traded three first-round picks and one third-round pick for the rights to the third overall pick, which would ultimately be used on Lance.
When the Niners whiff trading three 1sts for Trey Lance but find Brock Purdy with the last pick in the Draft. pic.twitter.com/qt4LR5UKUi
— Purple FTW! Podcast (@PurpleForTheWin) April 29, 2024
Lance was used sparingly during his rookie season behind Jimmy Garoppolo. Once Lance was handed the reins in 2022, he broke his ankle in week 2. Lance was made obsolete by the play of former third-string quarterback Brock Purdy.
Frankly, no one knows if Lance is good or not. He has only had the opportunity to make four starts in his NFL career. He has only played in nine regular-season football games since 2019. No one can develop without getting reps.
Now with the Cowboys, Lance is sitting behind Dak Prescott. With Prescott's future in flux, Lance could get a shot in the future. You have to feel bad for the guy to some extent. Or maybe not because he is a multi-millionaire.
Justin Fields- No. 11 Overall Pick, Chicago Bears
When Justin Fields was drafted, the Bears had no direction and had been stuck in quarterback purgatory for most of their 100-year history. At the time, the Bears had a Matt Nagy problem. Nagy seemed allergic to using Fields' legs as an asset. The head coach was fired at the end of the 2021 season, leaving hope for Fields' career.
Over the next two seasons, the Bears started playing to Fields' strengths and gave him a legitimate weapon in D.J. Moore. Ultimately, Fields did not take a large enough step forward in 2023 to convince the Bears that he was their future, and they shipped him to Pittsburgh for pennies on the dollar.
The Bears have given Caleb Williams an offensive line, more weapons than just about any other team, and stability. These are all luxuries that Fields simply never had. Under Williams' circumstances, Fields may have very well developed into a superstar. With Russell Wilson on a one-year deal in Pittsburgh, it is feasible that Fields will get another shot.
Justin Fields seeing his new team build him the best line in the NFL to have for the next decade. pic.twitter.com/VXb0u0H15E
— Baku 🐧 (@Mazursky8895) April 27, 2024
Mac Jones - No. 15 Overall Pick, New England Patriots
Mac Jones stepped into a playoff-ready team with the greatest coach of all time. Jones delivered in Year 1, throwing for 3,801 yards and 22 touchdowns to 13 interceptions. He even made the Pro Bowl.
"If Mac Jones was in San Francisco, he would be playing like Brock Purdy."
👀 @danorlovsky7 pic.twitter.com/Riny8cGmCf
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) October 9, 2023
After a successful season in which the Patriots made the playoffs, Bill Belichick made the puzzling move not to hire a true offensive coordinator. The Patriots also did almost nothing to upgrade Jones' receiving corps in any substantial way.
Jones suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 3 of 2022 and was never the same upon his return. Jones expressed significant frustration with the play-calling and direction of the offense. After being benched in favor of Bailey Zappe several times, Jones entered 2023 on the hot seat.
At least the Patriots hired Bill O'Brien, who is a real offensive coordinator, in 2023. However, it did not seem to help. The Patriots had no weapons, and Jones' confidence, which was so apparent as a rookie, appeared to be crushed.
Jones has since been traded to the Jaguars to backup Trevor Lawrence. In a league that covets athletic quarterbacks, it is hard to imagine any path back to a starting job for Jones. He could have been a quality player and likely is a high-end backup, given his extensive experience as a starter. As such, he will likely enjoy a longer career than a couple of other names on this list. Unfortunately, Jones was yet another first-round quarterback who was a victim of mismanagement.
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