NFL Draft: Predicting the top performing 2021 rookie at each position

The 2021 NFL Draft rookie class has plenty of potential impact players, so who will be the top performers at each position this season?

The NFL season is back tonight as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Dallas Cowboys in what should be a fun start to the 2021 season. As the season starts, plenty of attention turns to the rookies, and the 2021 NFL Draft had some good ones. There will be plenty who also get the chance to start on opening weekend, including three quarterbacks and a number of receivers. Micah Parsons is also ready to roll for Dallas this evening.

With so many rookies set to start, and inevitably get snaps, this season, they definitely get put under the microscope. The NFL is still a steep learning curve, but there’s still an abundance of impact felt across the league in year one. Which rookies from the 2021 NFL Draft will be the top performers? Let’s dive in with predictions at every position.

Quarterback: Trevor Lawrence

It’s the easy answer right now, but Trevor Lawrence is this writer’s pick to have the best season of any of the rookie quarterbacks. Lawrence was widely considered as the top NFL Draft quarterback prospect in quite some time (however this writer thought Justin Fields was closer than many believed) but will need to make an adjustment this season to a more vertically-oriented passing game than the one he ran at Clemson. The good news is that D.J. Chark, Marvin Jones, and Laviska Shenault should help in that regard. James Robinson will again be a great three down back.

Lawrence has impressive ball placement to every level of the field, and stays calm under pressure. He can make plays on the run and has the mobility and athleticism to succeed maneuvering the pocket and picking up yardage with his legs. The Jaguars might not be very good yet, but Lawrence will give this franchise some hope in year one.

Honorable Mention: Fields