2021 draft parallels

[SacPete1]

I'm sure this has been discussed but I haven't looked too hard for a thread or articles about it.
The 2021 draft saw Lawrence, Wilson and Lance selected as the first three picks and one of them has worked out and the other two are either on the bench and/or will be out of football soon.
I would be curious to know how our scouting department ranked/graded these guys and maybe other teams (Cleveland and NY Giants) grades and how these grades compare to where they were drafted and also how these will compare to the top 3 qb's in this year's draft.

Does the pressure on teams to get that franchise qb force them to select them higher than where they should go?
Phil Perry has been talking about getting that qb if he is graded highly but if there is one position that teams miss more often then not, it's qb and the 3rd pick in the draft really should not be a miss. Mac was picked 15th and missing on that pick is more acceptable.

I'm not advocating going one way or another but I really don't want to see them force it either if Harrison or Alt grade out as their best player available when the pick is up.

 

[jmt57]

I'm sure this has been discussed but I haven't looked too hard for a thread or articles about it.
The 2021 draft saw Lawrence, Wilson and Lance selected as the first three picks and one of them has worked out and the other two are either on the bench and/or will be out of football soon.
I would be curious to know how our scouting department ranked/graded these guys and maybe other teams (Cleveland and NY Giants) grades and how these grades compare to where they were drafted and also how these will compare to the top 3 qb's in this year's draft.

Does the pressure on teams to get that franchise qb force them to select them higher than where they should go?
Phil Perry has been talking about getting that qb if he is graded highly but if there is one position that teams miss more often then not, it's qb and the 3rd pick in the draft really should not be a miss. Mac was picked 15th and missing on that pick is more acceptable.

I'm not advocating going one way or another but I really don't want to see them force it either if Harrison or Alt grade out as their best player available when the pick is up.

I think the Patriots in 2021 were not even looking at those three, because they were too far doen (#15) to have enough to offer to get into the top three, or even top 5. As far as the two other teams you mentioned, the Giants had drafted Daniel Jones just two years earlier, so they weren't looking. Cleveland was coming off an 11-5 season and a playoff win with Baker Mayfield, so they weren't looking at a 1st round QB.

Does pressure on teams to get that franchise QB force teams to select them higher than where they should go? Absolutely. Every year teams reach for a QB early in the draft. It's the most important position on the roster, and teams (hopefully) won't have that early of a draft pick again for a very long time.

If you compare 'Big Boards' to mock drafts or actual drafts, you will definitely see teams value QBs by reaching for them. To a lesser degree same holds true for some other poistions, like OT. It is just really hard to get a great player at those super important positions.

If you want to see what fans here were saying about the 2021 draft, along with links to articles from that time, go back about four pages in the Draft Forum. With the benefit of hindsight there is some really great stuff - like how highly BGC rated Brock Purdy.

BGC 2021 QB/PTP Thread

I'll use this thread to discuss & breakdown the upcoming 2021 QB class. And what a class we could potentially have. Honestly there's no way around it, this could be one of the better classes we've had over the last 10-20 years. The athleticism the position has taken on is incredible. I really...

www.patsfans.com

If both Justin Fields and Trey Lance are available for the Patriots in Round 1 who do you pick?

Ok so it's the day of the draft. You are in the War Room. The Patriots have boldly moved up the draft board and BOTH of these two QBs are available. BB turns to you and says, Who's our guy? Your answer is... [And please explain why you pick who you pick. IE try to pitch the pick like a...

www.patsfans.com

 

[jmt57]

There was one mock that had the Patriots trading up to #10 to get Mac Jones. If I recall correctly very few if any people believed he would still be available for the Patriots at #15.

Three-Round 2021 NFL Mock Draft: Patriots trade with Cowboys to select QB, Dallas goes heavy on defense

The Patriots and Broncos both move up to get their quarterback in this three-round mock

www.cbssports.com

On the consensus Big Board, Mac Jones was ranked #13 - but the consensus also had him going #3 to SF.

2021 Consensus Big Board | NFL Mock Draft Database

The 2021 Consensus NFL Big Board from NFL Mock Draft Database. We've compiled all featured big boards into a single board.

www.nflmockdraftdatabase.com

2021 NFL Mock Draft List | NFL Mock Draft Database

NFL Mock Draft Database is the largest 2021 NFL Mock Draft collection from the top analysts, experts and sites around.

www.nflmockdraftdatabase.com

 

[50-yard-line]

Does the pressure on teams to get that franchise qb force them to select them higher than where they should go?

Absolutely. The rule changes have turned a team game more into a one-man-show, which may be exciting for a bit, but really diminishes the product, in my opinion. QBs have always been important - the most important player - but never near the disparity we see now.

 

[Brotherblues]

Gotta understand also... At other positions you can be top 30 among your peers and you're good. At QB if you're not top 10 in the league then you're middlig or worse. So the "hit rate" for that position is inevitably much lower.

 

[upstater1]

Trey Lance and Zach Wilson played against weak competition so they simply did not have the record or background that Daniels and Maye do.

On the other hand, Mac Jones and Justin Fields had as much experience going against tougher competition as Maye and Daniels do.

 

[Ivan]

I'm sure this has been discussed but I haven't looked too hard for a thread or articles about it.
The 2021 draft saw Lawrence, Wilson and Lance selected as the first three picks and one of them has worked out and the other two are either on the bench and/or will be out of football soon.
I would be curious to know how our scouting department ranked/graded these guys and maybe other teams (Cleveland and NY Giants) grades and how these grades compare to where they were drafted and also how these will compare to the top 3 qb's in this year's draft.

Does the pressure on teams to get that franchise qb force them to select them higher than where they should go?
Phil Perry has been talking about getting that qb if he is graded highly but if there is one position that teams miss more often then not, it's qb and the 3rd pick in the draft really should not be a miss. Mac was picked 15th and missing on that pick is more acceptable.

I'm not advocating going one way or another but I really don't want to see them force it either if Harrison or Alt grade out as their best player available when the pick is up.

Neither Wilson or Lance should have been picked where they were picked. Wilson had played against weak competition, and Lance didn’t have anywhere near the experience to adequately evaluate him. All 3 of the top 3 QB prospects in this draft have the experience and resume to be worth their draft status. How it all works out in the NFL will depend upon coaching, work ethic, and situation, but the ability to properly evaluate them is readily available, so there really is no comparison to that draft.

 

[signbabybrady]

I kind of look at it opposite all 5 QBs including Lawrence have been underwhelming. Lance and Wilson were a little bit of a reach. But at the end of the day I think all 5 were pretty good prospects worthy of first round selections. They are going to fail as often as succeed so you just never know but that can be true at 15 or 3.

So as it relates to this draft even if we're getting the third guy off the board they all seem like they are worthy selections of being top ten selections if not top 5 so I don't think you can afford to pass. It's not likely all 3 succeed but each one is an interesting prospect on their own.

 

[patfanken]

Neither Wilson or Lance should have been picked where they were picked. Wilson had played against weak competition, and Lance didn’t have anywhere near the experience to adequately evaluate him. All 3 of the top 3 QB prospects in this draft have the experience and resume to be worth their draft status. How it all works out in the NFL will depend upon coaching, work ethic, and situation, but the ability to properly evaluate them is readily available, so there really is no comparison to that draft.

You are correct about your observation, and I thank you for it. On the surface 2021 would seem to be a cautionary tale on the whims of picking even THIS high in the draft.

I believe that beyond all the obvious physical ability you want in your QB, the prospect's ability to process what's going on in front of him AND to do it quickly and accurately is an NFL QB's most important skill. The problem with that is that a LOT of that ability doesn't come out of the box. It only develops will experience. LOT's of experience. How long was Brady here before he "knew all the answers to the test", a decade or more.

Brady WAS a game manager his first 5+ seasons. That is NOT a pejorative. He was a young QB who was learning his craft and the most impressive thing about Brady's career is that he CONTINUED to get better all through his 20's and 30's.

Looking at that 2021 draft. You have to wonder what would have happened if Mac WAS picked by SF #3. How would have HIS career arc have changed in a consistent system build around a guy like the one we saw in 2021. Brady was blessed and LUCKY he came to NE. He got to sit his first year. THIS system fit his skill set as perfectly as it DIDN'T fit Bledsoe's skills. IIRC, by the end of camp, it was clear to the coaching staff that Brady really WAS the guy to run the offense Bill wanted to run. We didn't know this at the time, but Drew never really had a shot at "getting his job back" after he was hurt.

Are guy's like Wilson and Lance really that bad, or were they sidetracted by injury or being in the wrong system. How good would Brady have started out if he had been drafted by some team that wanted to run a "run and shoot" kind of offense, or an offense that required a "big armed QB".

Brady was lucky to have been draft here where he could be developed into a solid NFL starter. That was all Bellechick. HOWEVER, that he evolved from a "good NFL QB, into a great one and eventually the GOAT was all Brady AND the TEAMS that were put together from Bill. JMHO

 

[Ivan]

You are correct about your observation, and I thank you for it. On the surface 2021 would seem to be a cautionary tale on the whims of picking even THIS high in the draft.

I believe that beyond all the obvious physical ability you want in your QB, the prospect's ability to process what's going on in front of him AND to do it quickly and accurately is an NFL QB's most important skill. The problem with that is that a LOT of that ability doesn't come out of the box. It only develops will experience. LOT's of experience. How long was Brady here before he "knew all the answers to the test", a decade or more.

Brady WAS a game manager his first 5+ seasons. That is NOT a pejorative. He was a young QB who was learning his craft and the most impressive thing about Brady's career is that he CONTINUED to get better all through his 20's and 30's.

Looking at that 2021 draft. You have to wonder what would have happened if Mac WAS picked by SF #3. How would have HIS career arc have changed in a consistent system build around a guy like the one we saw in 2021. Brady was blessed and LUCKY he came to NE. He got to sit his first year. THIS system fit his skill set as perfectly as it DIDN'T fit Bledsoe's skills. IIRC, by the end of camp, it was clear to the coaching staff that Brady really WAS the guy to run the offense Bill wanted to run. We didn't know this at the time, but Drew never really had a shot at "getting his job back" after he was hurt.

Are guy's like Wilson and Lance really that bad, or were they sidetracted by injury or being in the wrong system. How good would Brady have started out if he had been drafted by some team that wanted to run a "run and shoot" kind of offense, or an offense that required a "big armed QB".

Brady was lucky to have been draft here where he could be developed into a solid NFL starter. That was all Bellechick. HOWEVER, that he evolved from a "good NFL QB, into a great one and eventually the GOAT was all Brady AND the TEAMS that were put together from Bill. JMHO

Hey Ken , great to see you back posting here. I agree with much of what you said. I think what happened with Brady and Belichick really was the perfect fit for both, what Brady figured out, and Bledsoe never figured out, was what Belichick wanted from his QB was to see each play and make each decision the way he would, then execute it, and.not turn it over. And you’re right that Brady became a “ game manager,” not a perjorative. Ironically, at least in my opinion, that became the secret to his success. Whereas Manning would go out every drive and just try to put up as many points as he could as fast as he could, Brady played games within the game. And he was able to marry what he was executing on the field for the game plan Belichick had put in place for that week, that game, that team. If they were playing a high powered offense Brady could slow the game down, eat up clock, and keep opposing offenses down. However if the defense was letting up points Brady could put the pedal to the metal and keep up. He would do the same thing in terms of being ahead and behind. If they were trailing he could go hurry up and put points up, but if they were two TD’s ahead he would take the air out of the ball, slow it down, and make it impossible for teams to come back on them. So ultimately the “ game manager tag that was usually used as a knock ended up being a key to him becoming the greatest winner the NFL has ever seen.

As far as Mac Jones goes I agree that they didn’t give him the consistent coaching or weapons he could have used, but ultimately, at least in my opinion, he didn’t put in the work, or at least it didn’t show up on the field, his decision making got worse, and his arm never got any better. I don’t believe he has the mind set or talent to be a winner in the NFL. I suppose like Lance he will get another chance but unless he does an exceptional amount of personal work to improve it’s hard to see him making it.