QB Rankings: See How The Rookies Stack

The number 8 spot was honestly a toss up but I decided to land here at 8 with Kyle Trask.

After being talked about as a possible Heisman candidate, Trask has rarely been mentioned during the offseason as a top-tier draft eligible QB. You would think a guy who put up over 4,000+ yards with 43 touchdowns to 8 interceptions would have his name brought up often, but it hasn't. 

After watching Trask for the majority of last season and going back to review, it's clear as day that he benefited from one of the most gifted rosters in college football. Kyle does have a strong arm and an ability to make the required throws which led to him putting up monster numbers. However, when you take a deep dive into his game tape, you can see in many instances he just throws the ball up in hopes his guy comes down with it.

Having offensive weapons like Kyle Pitts, Kadarious Toney, Trevon Grimes all ensured Trask would look good. I think Trask has the tools to be an NFL QB but think he needs some time to learn the small nuances of the game and work on being more intentional with his accuracy. I have him as a developmental guy at this point.

7) Texas A&M - Kellen Mond

Kellen Mond is one of the more polarizing figures in this year's draft class. Analyst Chris Simms actually has the Aggie QB ranked ahead of Justin Fields and Trey Lance. 

I was able to watch Mond live in Alabama at the Senior Bowl throughout the week of practices that led up to the game where he won MVP. Let's just say, I came away from watching Kellen Mond 4 days in a row and felt uninspired by his play. The value of watching guys live is you get to see their body language in real time after a good/poor throw, how they handle certain aspects of adversity, who the true leaders are.

I felt Mond lacked in the leadership category on top of being wildly inconsistent as a passer. Understanding the Senior Bowl may not be the ultimate tool to understand who he is as a player, I of course watched the tape and saw a lot of the same same things there that I saw in person; inconsistency. 

From what I have seen, Mond has the arm strength to make all the required throws at the next level. The question remains though if it will be on target or sail out of bounds where nobody can come down with it. He needs time to learn from a veteran and become more consistent. For me, my evaluation goes beyond the arm talent and with QBs, being consistent is one of the most important traits. I feel he has all the tools physically, but he needs time to sit and allow the processing to catch up to speed.



6) Stanford - Davis Mills

Davis Mills is someone that I came onto late and I didn't know much about him, but it was quickly apparent what he is capable of. Mills isn't going to excite you when you look at him from a physicality standpoint, but what he does lack in that department he more than makes up for with his decision making and mental processing. This is arguably the most important aspect when it comes to being a successful QB. 

Mills doesn't bring a ton of experience with him as the PAC-12 playing a modified schedule in 2020 and only 8 games in 2019 but I've seen enough to discern what Mills can do. He is a cerebral guy who is going to take care of the football and make the correct reads and put the ball in the right situation. He has the arm talent to thread the ball into places that may have underneath defenders by using his combination of touch and accuracy. I feel his arm talent is a bit underrated due to his inexperience but from everything I can see, this kid can spin it.

I don't see Mills as a day 1 starter, more so someone who could really benefit from sitting a few years but I also see someone who could operate pro schemes day 1 if that is required of him. For these reasons, I see Mills potentially being one of the first guys taken on day 2 due to the top 5 QB prospects being gone in the top 15. A QB needy team could move up to the top of the 2nd and take the best QB prospect available on day 2.

5) Alabama - Mac Jones

Mac Jones has quickly become a hot topic amongst 49ers' fans as seemingly being the clubhouse leader for the QB fans don't want to see on the team.

A lot of this has been due to the constant narratives being pushed by media that Mac Jones is the pick at three. It's to the point where there is clear agenda being pushed behind the scenes. I for one, have always thought Mac Jones would be someone who would fit Kyle's scheme and could be very successful but I have always felt he has a capped ceiling. He may have the highest floor out of all the prospects not named Trevor Lawerence but he also has the lowest ceiling out of the top 5 QBs.

Now, here is what Mac Jones is good at. Arguably the best processor in this class. He has the ability to make all the correct reads and keys pre-snap and has the ability to diagnose defenses to ensure he puts his team in a good spot. This is more than half the battle of being a QB so it points to him being able to translate very well to the NFL. He ran scheme's and concepts very similar to what Kyle Shanahan which is where a lot of this narrative is coming from.

He has the ability to be accurate with touch. He works really well in the short to intermediate areas of the field and shows an ability to push the ball down field. He doesn't have natural velocity or a big arm which he uses his processing to mitigate. He will not be able to extend plays if initial reads aren't open and he see's quick pressure. He does have a toughness about him, he will stand in the pocket and let it rip, even with pressure in his face.



Jones is a first round talent that is worth of being a first round pick. However, his limitations as an athlete, a DIU that resulted in a car accident as a 19 year old should all be things that are taken into consideration and is why he is firmly planted as the 5th best QB prospect in this class.

4) North Dakota State - Trey Lance

Trey Lance is one of my favorite prospects in this class. He is a guy who suffers from poorly placed perceptions surrounding his level of play and lack of experience at NDSU.

Mac Jones has the same number of college games played (17) as Trey Lance yet one is "pro ready" and the other is "developmental". Now, with Trey not playing in 2020 due to the FCS only playing one game before shutting down the year, there is some room to want to see more experience but it is important to note, he has been training nearly everyday since October, refining his mechanics which will allow him to function much better in the NFL. 

Trey has arguably the best tools in this class. He runs like Derrick Henry but throws like Ben Roethlisburger. He has an absolute cannon for an arm and can put the ball wherever he wants. Another thing that isn't discussed enough is about the scheme Lance executed at NDSU. All the concepts he ran translate to the NFL and specifically to Kyle Shanahan's play-action philosophies. He was also tasked with calling protections at the line of scrimmage and getting the offense into the right play based on what the defense is showing. He is more pro-ready than people give him credit for. I think Trey Lance is further along as a prospect than Josh Allen was coming out of Wyoming in regards to "rawness'.

There is a world that Trey Lance could be the most successful QB prospect from this class. All it takes is for one team to fall in love and that could be the 49ers. I would be ecstatic with Trey Lance as the 49ers QB.

3) BYU - Zach Wilson

Here is where the disagreement will likely begin. From my perspective, Zach Wilson has been the consensus #2 overall QB prospect by most and for good reason.

Wilson arguably has the best arm in this class, arguably the best arm out of any prospect to enter the draft in the last decade. Wilson has special arm talent and that was on display all year in 2020 and during his pro day. His throwing motion is effortless and the ball just jumps out of his hands. He can throw out of any position, arm angle and off-platform similarly to what we see from Aaron Rodgers week in and week out.

Some of the knocks on Wilson are strength of schedule and the fact that he had a really good offensive line which allowed him to throw freely without much pressure. But after diving into the tape, even though the latter may be true, Wilson's talent is no gimmick. He is also a great runner of the football and is a trait that is better than most suspect. He truly is a natural athlete and comes from a long line of successful people in his family. There really aren't a ton of negatives in Zach Wilson's game.

I think Zach Wilson will be a stud wherever he lands, which could even be the 49ers if the Jets opt to take Justin Fields over Wilson which I believe is a REAL possibility and have felt this was for the entirety of the offseason. If that turns out to be the case, 49ers should be thrilled because Zach is the real deal with a massive ceiling and should be running to turn into the card.

2) Ohio State - Justin Fields

Justin Fields has firmly become the most polarizing prospect in this class thanks to most major media outlets. Fields has been under fire since his time at Ohio State and that plays a big part in my evaluation process. 

I am really high on the importance of mental intangibles, especially from the QB position. With Justin Fields' journey starting from high school to now, I see a guy who has been through the fire multiple times and he has overcome it each and every time. Whether transferring to Ohio State after things didn’t work out in Georgia, having the national media pick apart the young QB after the Indiana/Northwestern games, to come out against Clemson and dismantle a top ranked defense littered with NFL talent, from the pocket. The way he battled through the National Championship game, even in a loss, was huge for my evaluation of what Fields is made of and he is absolutely made of all the right stuff.

From a traits standpoint, he has EVERYTHING. Justin Fields is a prototypical pocket passer -- you take away his ability to run and he is still a top QB prospect in this class. He can make every throw from the pocket and has the ability to throw with anticipation and fit the ball into tight windows. The most accurate passer in this class according to advanced metrics and charting, Fields has all the tools to be able to win solely from the pocket as a passer. He is also exceptional when moving outside the pocket.

Fields has the "Russell Wilson" intangible of being able to move outside the pocket while continuously looking to make plays downfield with his arm. This will put defenses in very tough positions due to his ability to run and force defenders to choose between covering or coming up to stop Fields from running.

He’s a prototypical pocket passer that brings 4.4 speed with him. Not only does he have straight line speed but he possesses fantastic lateral ability to be shifty and make cuts on a dime, similarly to Lamar Jackson. His running ability is actually an underrated part of his game because he relies so much on winning from the pocket. Justin Fields is the only draft eligible QB with top 10 in both passing (92.2) and rushing (84.3) grades per Pro Football Focus.

I truly don't see many negatives to Fields game and have disproven all major media concerns as they simply aren't true. The only one true concern is his epilepsy. That is very hard to project how a team views that situation and it could very well scare a few teams from taking Justin in the top 5 if it is more serious than we think. 

If Fields can continue to overcome his epilepsy disorder, I think Justin Fields could have the best career out of any QB in this class based on him being what I consider, the new ‘prototype’ QB in the NFL.

1) Clemson - Trevor Lawrence

I don't need to be long winded here because this is where Trevor Lawrence has belonged since he was slanging the rock at Cartersville High School outside Atlanta Georgia. I first stumbled onto his highlights of him while he was a junior as a complete accident and knew nothing about him. I was instantly impressed. I sent a highlight clip of his to a group chat with some of my buddies and said that he might have the best arm I have ever seen.

His talent popped as a high schooler and that only continued throughout his college career. He is the rare combination of length and ability that you don’t see. 6’6” guys aren't supposed to run or throw like Trevor. Has has every tool possible when it comes to being a QB. He truly is rare. He has elite arm talent and can make every single throw imaginable. He has the mental tools to be able to thrive and handle the scrutiny that comes along with being a #1 overall pick, as he has been touted as such since he was in high school. He has a hall of fame trajectory and would not be shocked at all to see him in Canton one day.

Should be a pretty easy decision for the Jags.