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It is hard to not become infatuated with the 2021 quarterback class, not only because of the hype and hoopla bestowed upon us by the media (you’re welcome), but also due to real world moves weeks before the draft that will surely impact the NFC West. That hype and hoopla could be easier to ignore, if not for the many twists and turns leading up to April 29’s first round.
Most have Trevor Lawrence as the top quarterback in the class, but Chris Simms and J.T. O’Sullivan (a former NFL quarterback whose The QB School channel has become one of my favorite) have both ranked Zach Wilson as number one. And who is to say they are wrong? There are some serious question marks with Wilson’s level of competition in 2020 and some of his decisions on throws, but Wilson entered last season with infinitely more to prove than Lawrence and he has somehow made it a tight race.
But many others suspect than neither Wilson or Lawrence are the best quarterback in the 2021 class.
Former Hawaii coach June Jones drew ridicule for suggesting that Alabama’s Mac Jones was the top-ranked player in the class, but months later some of those same finger-pointing Nelson’s are suggesting that the 49ers traded up to three specifically to secure Jones as their quarterback of the non-Garoppolo future. Mac, that is.
The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen called Jones an “excellent pocket passer” and that if a team drafts him in the first round, they must be expecting him to develop into the next Tom Brady. As I wrote a month ago in a roundup of 2021’s quarterback class, if a team spotted the next Tom Brady, there wouldn’t be the “next Tom Brady” because he would go much higher than the sixth round.
That appears to be what is happening to Mac Jones, if in fact he winds up as a top-five pick.
At the end of that QB article from February 28, I added a poll asking readers who the best QB in the 2021 class is: Lawrence 72%, Wilson 11%, followed by Justin Fields, Jones, and Trey Lance. In a non-Trevor poll, Wilson edged out Fields 31% to 23%, but now the story surrounding Fields is that he is “falling” on draft boards. Is that true or are the people who believe that going to overlook another player who has been called the actual “best” quarterback in this class by some?
I wanted to do another check in on how people feel about the 2021 quarterbacks, one month later.
Poll
Who is the best quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft?
This poll is closed
-
69%
Trevor Lawrence
(105 votes) -
17%
Zach Wilson
(26 votes) -
13%
Other
(20 votes)
Poll
Is Justin Fields worthy of a top-3 pick?
Poll
Is Mac Jones being overrated?
This poll is closed
-
68%
Yes
(98 votes) -
21%
No
(31 votes) -
10%
No, he’s being underrated
(15 votes)
Poll
Which QB do you most WANT the 49ers to draft?
This poll is closed
-
10%
Zach Wilson
(15 votes) -
22%
Justin Fields
(33 votes) -
38%
Mac Jones
(57 votes) -
28%
Trey Lance
(42 votes)