Nearing a loaded 2024 NFL Draft, Justin Fields and the 2021 QB class remind us the position is a crapshoot

In the spring of 2022, shortly after the Kansas City Chiefs had traded Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins for a bushel of draft picks, I had a conversation with an AFC general manager about the strength of the rookie class that was weeks away from being selected. He complained that it felt like a thin group on offense, particularly on the heels of the 2021 class.

“The quarterbacks are weak,” the GM said. “Especially after last year’s group.”

The fraternity he was speaking of included five first-round quarterbacks, all selected inside the top 15 picks. Going into that draft, some personnel officials suggested it had the chance to be special, one of the best classes in decades, blessed with the generational talent of Trevor Lawrence, cannon arm of Zach Wilson, unlimited ceilings of Trey Lance and Justin Fields, and the pinpoint accuracy and well-rounded passing profile of Mac Jones. In terms of styles, there was something for everyone in the class. And despite four of the five players struggling badly in their 2021 rookie seasons, talent evaluators were still raving about the class the following offseason. That included this particular general manager, who still believed it would be a measuring stick for years to come, despite only Jones sustaining early success.

“Top to bottom, that entire first round could be one of the best in history,” he said. “Especially with the quarterbacks.”

This embedded content is not available in your region.

In the indexing of throwaway predictions over the years, that one has continued to stick out like a sore thumb. Even if part of it still has some merit. Indeed, a handful of the 2021 first-round picks have produced some special talents. But only one quarterback — the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Lawrence — has hinted at cementing himself as a franchise quarterback. And even that has been a roller-coaster ride, with his 2023 season representing an injury-driven step backward. The rest: Wilson is on the trade block with…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nearing-a-loaded-2024-nfl-draft-justin-fields-and-the-2021-qb-class-remind-us-the-position-is-a-crapshoot-054028768.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-03-17 05:40:28

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.