2021 NFL Draft: Ranking the top quarterback prospects with tiers
2021 NFL Draft: Quarterback Tier 3
QB4: Zach Wilson, BYU
Zach Wilson is coming off of an incredible final season at BYU and has raised his draft stock more than any other prospect in the class over the last year. Wilson is an ideal fit for the modern NFL, dominating as an improviser at the quarterback position. Wilson does a great job of making something out of nothing, using his tremendous speed and quickness to escape the pocket and create with his legs when needed.
The BYU product can certainly make plays as a runner but he also does a fantastic job of keeping his eyes downfield while moving. Wilson plays the game with tremendous on-field awareness and throws the ball on the run extremely well. He also shows accuracy to all levels of the field.
While Wilson does have a good arm, it is not special when compared to the other top quarterbacks in the 2021 NFL Draft class. He throws a solid deep ball but the ball simply does not explode out of his hand the way it does when Lawrence, Fields and Lance letting it rip. Wilson is undoubtedly a talented quarterback prospect who has a chance to be a star at the next level. However, he is a clear fourth when compared to the other top-ranked quarterbacks in the class.
2021 NFL Draft: Quarterback Tier 4
QB5: Mac Jones, Alabama
For me, there is a massive drop-off from QB4 to QB5 in the 2021 NFL Draft class. Mac Jones was absolutely dominant at Alabama this past season, doing a fantastic job of spreading the ball around the field and letting his dynamic playmakers create. He is an extremely smart quarterback who rarely makes mistakes and shows fantastic accuracy to all levels of the field.
However, Jones is extremely limited as an athlete. His arm is okay but he cannot fit the ball into tight spaces with velocity anything like the guys ranked above him. Jones also displays extremely limited mobility and it is difficult for a traditional pocket passer like him to have success in the modern NFL.
The quarterbacks ranked above Jones all have special natural playmaking ability and can prop up the players around them. Jones is a good player who can have some success as a game manager, but he is not the kind of quarterback who makes the guys around him better. Jones will need to be surrounded with a ton of high-level talent in order to have consistent success at the next level.