By: Jeremy Trottier

The last two NFL Drafts have had quarterbacks who came out of nowhere and become top two picks in their class.  In 2020 it was Joe Burrow, who after a phenomenal senior season became the number one pick in his class, and in 2021 it was Zach Wilson who went number two in his class.  This trend could definitely continue into the 2022 draft class, as there is a huge amount of quarterbacks who have large amounts of potential in this class.  In this article, I will be going over three quarterbacks who have somewhat gone under the radar so far who could break out in a big way in 2022 and improve their draft stock drastically.

Jayden Daniels ”“ Arizona State University

One of the most explosive and fun to watch quarterbacks in all of college football right now is junior Jayden Daniels out of Arizona State University.  After a down 2020 season since ASU only played four games, he likely will be looking to bounce back to his freshman form to prove he is worth a high draft pick.  His 2019 freshman stats looked like this:

• 12 games played
• 205 completions on 338 attempts (60.7% completion)
• 2,943 passing yards, 17 passing touchdowns, 2 interceptions, 149.2 passer efficiency rating
• 125 rushing attempts, 355 rushing yards, 3 rushing touchdowns

His versatility as a dual threat QB really started to show in the 2020 season however, averaging 6.8 yards per rushing attempt and 4 rushing touchdowns in only 4 games, as well as 223 yards on 33 attempts, showing his effectiveness as well.  If he can continue this rushing success into the next season and improve his passing accuracy slightly he could be an elite prospect for the 2022 class.

Tyler Shough ”“ Texas Tech

Next, we have a quarterback who transferred this offseason from Oregon to Texas Tech in Tyler Shough.  The 6’5” 221 pound QB has an amazing frame for a quarterback and is exactly what you would want to see at the position.  With very good arm strength and the occasional burst of mobility, he could definitely take it to the next level on his new team.  

The Oregon Ducks replacement for Justin Herbert after the 2020 Draft had a solid season, putting up 1,559 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions on a 63.5% completion rate, in only seven games played due to PAC-12 regulations.  On a new team with new coaching and likely a full seasons worth of games started, he could have the chance to turn into one of the top quarterbacks in the class if his efficiency translates over more passing attempts.

Michael Penix Jr. ”“ Indiana University

Finally, to wrap things up, we have Michael Penix Jr. out of Indiana University.  After 2019 and 2020 seasons that were both pretty solid, we should be looking for more passing accuracy out of Michael over anything right now.  He has had back-to-back seasons with 1300+ yards and double-digit TDs with four interceptions each season and has only played in six games each year due to the Big Ten minimum.  With that said, we could expect Indiana to play more than six games this season with COVID-19 protocols starting to be removed slowly.

One of the most amazing things of Michael’s game is his ability to hold out under pressure, he will stand in the pocket with someone rushing at him and stand firm for an extra second just to get the ball out into an open window rather than forcing it.  His passes are sharp and clean, and very fast to get to the receiver, very rarely floating any.  Overall, he could definitely turn up for the 2021-2022 season and become a blue chip prospect. 

The post Which three QBs could break into the first round in 2022 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Pierre Wilson

During this time of year, we see a lot of NFL rankings circulating.  The draft is over and a majority of free agency and trades have happened.  Now it’s time for folks to look at rosters and depth charts to try to predict outcomes on the season.  Power rankings for the teams themselves, fantasy football rankings for dynasty, redraft, and superflex type leagues.  Positional rankings, standard and PPR, you name it. 

With this piece we’re going to tackle the newcomers under center – the rookie quarterbacks – and how I see “Offensive Rookie of The Year” falling for these gunslingers.  Here we go…

6) Davis Mills (Houston Texans) – Starting off the beaten path a bit with Davis Mills out of Stanford.  This award is often about opportunity and Mills could be provided just that, given the Deshaun Watson situation. 

The Texans selected Mills with their first pick in the NFL draft.  A pick that didn’t come until the 3^rd round but seemed to speak volumes for that quarterback room.  With only journeyman Tyrod Taylor in front of him, it’s possible Mills could impress the Texans brass and get an early opportunity.  His selection got a boost from Texans QB Coach, Pep Hamilton, who has ties to Stanford and their head coach David Shaw.

5) Mac Jones (New England Patriots) – Mac Jones comes in at number five due to a few question marks surrounding the Patriots and their offense.  For starters, it’s likely he’ll begin the season behind Cam Newton.  The recent signing of Brian Hoyer has some wondering if that could be a sign of Newton being released.  My guess would be “No”, as Brian Hoyer has been bad in recent years.

I expect Cam Newton to still get the first crack at the starting job.  With that, I believe the offense will be more focused on the run game and quick passing attack.  The Patriots really focused on adding weapons in the offseason with the addition of tight ends Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith, as well as wide receiver Nelson Agholor.  Agholor brings some deep threat abilities, but many of the targets in New England appear to be bigger bodies across the middle and blocking, when looking at the tight ends and wide receivers like N’Keal Harry and Jakobi Meyers.

It’s possible we see Mac Jones later in the season, because clearly the former Alabama quarterback has some talent, given his college resume.  It’s also quite possible that Alabama head coach Nick Saban convinced his friend Bill Belichick of this talent, but I’m not confident we see him enough in year one or with the right team offensive mindset to be offensive rookie of the year. 

4) Trey Lance (San Francisco 49ers) – Similar to Mac Jones, I’m just not sure when Trey Lance will actually take the field.  Some analysts are saying a year or two and I think that makes sense. The 49ers haven’t traded incumbent starter Jimmy Garoppolo and he’s still only a year removed from leading San Fran to the Super Bowl.  The Niners dealt with a plethora of injuries last season to big time starters like DE Nick Bosa, TE George Kittle, CB Richard Sherman, RB Raheem Mostert, and even Jimmy G himself who had a bum ankle most of the year.

Allowing Trey Lance (who just turned 21 this month) some time to learn the offense behind a veteran like Garoppolo makes a ton of sense. The likely lack of snaps is what brings him in at number four.  The 49ers have a good offensive line and some nice weapons on the roster like Kittle, and wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk.  If it was a known fact that Lance would be the day one starter, he’d be higher on this list.

3) Zach Wilson (New York Jets) – Zach Wilson comes in at number three and it’s not for lack of opportunity, as has been the case leading up to this point.  Wilson should have every opportunity, from the start, to be the franchise quarterback for the J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets.  The number two overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft will be thrown right into the spotlight.

Wilson threw for over 3,600 yards, 33 touchdowns and only 7 interceptions during his junior year at BYU.  The level of competition is put into question, due to the Cougars biggest win coming at Boise State back on November 6^th of 2020.  Their only other ranked opponent was a late season loss at Coastal Carolina, which stopped their run at an undefeated season.

One big question is how we feel about the talent and coaching staff surrounding Zach Wilson. One likely bright spot is new head coach Robert Saleh, who was hired after his stint as 49ers defensive coordinator.  I say “likely”, as it will be extremely hard to come in and underperform based on the expectations that were set by previous head coach Adam Gase.  What we should find out is how much of the Jets issue was, in fact, Gase.

The team shipped off, who many assumed would be the franchise quarterback of the future, in Sam Darnold.  Darnold was traded to the Carolina Panthers to make way for Wilson.  The attention will turn to Wilson now to determine if Darnold was the issue.  Many believe Wilson is surrounded by good young talent with a receiving corps that includes Denzel Mims, newly acquired free agent Corey Davis, highly touted rookie Elijah Moore, and solid veterans in Jamison Crowder and Keelan Cole.  How much better this group is, when compared to a younger Crowder, healthy Quincy Enunwa, Robby Anderson, and aging vets Demaryius Thomas and Le’veon Bell, will likely be the telling sign of how successful Zach Wilson will be in New York.

2) Justin Fields (Chicago Bears) – Now before you jump on me about lack of opportunity in comparison to Trey Lance and Mac Jones, I think Fields is in a different situation.  Andy Dalton was signed by the Bears this offseason as QB1, but those plans quickly changed when the Bears had the opportunity to trade up in the draft for Fields.

Cam Newton showed some signs early in the season last year for the Patriots before his case with COVID. Jimmy G led the 49ers to the Super Bowl and was five minutes or so away from winning it.  Dalton doesn’t have that in Chicago and was merely serviceable in Dallas, once Dak Prescott went down. 

This situation paves the way, in my opinion, for Justin Fields to make his starting debut early In the season.  If he does, Fields is in prime position to make a run at OROY.  Of the potential candidates, he has the most talented wide receiver in Allen Robinson who had 1,250 yards, 6 touchdowns and 102 receptions with Nick Foles and Mitchell Trubisky under center last year. 

Fields also has some up-and-coming weapons that many are excited about in WR Darnell Mooney and TE Cole Kmet.  The Bears also have some talent in the backfield that’s capable of catching the ball in David Montgomery, a healthy Tarik Cohen, and the addition of Damien Williams who sat out for the Kansas City Chiefs last year (due to COVID) after helping them win the Super Bowl the year prior.

Toss in, whom many believe to be a good offensive coach in Matt Nagy, and Justin Fields (who I felt was the second-best quarterback in the draft) has a lot of good parts around him for an OROY run.

1) Trevor Lawrence (Jacksonville Jaguars) – Surprise, Surprise!  The number one overall pick in the NFL Draft comes in at number one.  In the eyes of many, the Clemson product comes in as the best QB prospect since Andrew Luck.  Lawrence threw for over 10,000 yards, 90 touchdowns and only 17 interceptions during his three seasons at Clemson…only losing 2 games in his career.

Lawrence will likely get used to losing in Jacksonville, joining a team that went 1-15 last season to earn the opportunity of selecting him as their franchise quarterback.  He’s joined by new head coach Urban Meyer, who had a lot of success in his college coaching career, mostly in the spotlight at Florida and Ohio State. 

The Jaguars and Lawrence are in a similar situation as the Jets and Wilson are.  Both guys drafted one and two as franchise quarterbacks, new head coaches, young offensive weapons – as the Jags run out DJ Chark, Laviska Shenault, James Robinson, and Clemson teammate Travis Etienne.  They also added veteran wideout Marvin Jones Jr which gives Lawrence solid talent around him.

The hype around Trevor Lawrence also gives him a leg up on the competition.  Like it or not, if it’s a close race, Lawrence will likely be given the nod because of who he is.  Unlike Zach Wilson he’s well known to even the casual fans, due to the big stage in college football.  He played in the college football playoffs all three of his seasons at Clemson, going up against the best of the ACC, Big Ten, and SEC.  The marketability is already there, and he will be given every chance to be the “Offensive Rookie of the Year”.

Add in the fact that he’ll get to play the Houston Texans twice a year, and I believe Trevor Lawrence is the odds-on favorite quarterback to win the Offensive Rookie of The Year award.

The post Ranking QB rookie of the year candidates appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Draft day is just over a day away and the anticipation of what each NFL franchise will do has all fans excited! The first round of the NFL draft goes live at 8:00 PM ET from Cleveland. The draft is back in person after a remote and virtual draft last year. The commissioner will be back on stage greeting and shaking hands with the future stars of the NFL.

The Jaguars have been on the clock for months. They hold the first pick of this year’s draft and it is all but done in the eyes of everyone. Could they shock the world and really shake things up? Maybe but it is unlikely! The prospect everyone penciled in for Jacksonville and the number one overall pick of this year’s draft is Trevor Lawrence, from Clemson.

For the first time in franchise history, the Jaguars will have the number one pick. This is pivotal for the franchise and the future of their newly signed head coach Urban Meyer. Meyer is testing his luck in the NFL for the first time after winning multiple NCAA Football Championships and coming out of retirement. Meyer won National Championships at both Florida and Ohio State in the past. He has plenty of championship pedigree in the college ranks. Meyer has tallied 187 wins in 17 NCAA seasons as a head coach. Meyer will start off his NFL tenure with a high caliber QB in Trevor Lawrence.

Why Lawrence is a sure fire number one pick can be seen in his football career dating back to high school. Lawrence broke the Georgia high school record for yards and touchdowns in his senior year, records previously held by Deshaun Watson. He broke these records while competing versus another high profile quarterback in this class in Justin Fields, who grew up 20 miles away from Lawrence. Lawrence followed Watson to the University of Clemson. In his freshman season, he led the Tigers to a National Championship. Lawrence led the Tigers in a route over Alabama. The next season Lawrence made it to the College Football Championship again but lost to Joe Burrow and the LSU Tigers. His junior year Clemson lost to Ohio State in the semifinals.

Lawrence’s college career is full of gaudy numbers. In three seasons as a starter, he tallied a record of 34-2. Lawrence completed 66.6% of his passes for 10,098 total yards. He has a career passer rating of 164.3 with 90 career passing touchdowns to 17 interceptions. He wasn’t just a pure passer he has the ability to run and make big plays with his legs outside the pocket. Lawrence rushed for 943 yards for an average of 4.1 yards per carry and 18 touchdowns. We all saw his running ability in the 2019 Fiesta Bowl where he broke off a 67 yard touchdown run.

Of course, with all the numbers come awards and accolades. Lawrence has plenty of All-Honors from all of his seasons. He finished second in Heisman voting last year as well as a finalist for the Maxwell, O’Brien, and Camp Player of the Year Awards.

Lawrence is regarded as the ultimate NFL prototype in today’s game. With rare size, mobility, speed, awareness, arm strength, and accuracy Lawrence is set to play a huge role in the Jaguars future. Mel Kiper graded Lawrence as his fourth highest quarterback ever and the highest since Andrew Luck. The experts say Lawrence is an Elway, Luck, Manning type of player.

Lawrence is a smooth operator in the pocket, his awareness and athleticism allow him to move in the pocket and he uses his eyes and arm talent to make plays. He works well under pressure and can beat you outside the pocket. His experience in big games vs high quality competition gives NFL teams a clear view of his ability on the field.

Off the field, Lawrence doesn’t raise any red flags. Last year he missed a few games with a positive covid test. He was on the sideline engaged in the game and helping his teammates and team in whatever fashion he was able to. He showed another phase of his toughness and football spirit by having his pro day on February 12^th. He was scheduled for labrum surgery on his non-throwing shoulder on February 16^th. He’s expected to make a full recovery before camp and get ready for his rookie season.

Lawrence will make it four straight years a quarterback is picked number one overall. The Jaguars are rebuilding a team and former pro bowl receiver DJ Chark will be excited with his new signal caller. Of course, there are no guarantees of becoming a superstar in the NFL but Lawrence is an insanely talented prospect and one of great value for the Jaguars.

The second overall pick belongs to the New York Jets. A team that also is looking for a future leader at the quarterback position and one with a new first time NFL head coach. Robert Saleh was signed as the Jets new head coach back in January. Saleh has been an NFL coach on the defensive side of the ball since 2005. Most recently he was the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers starting in 2017. With a new defensive coach and at the time a young quarterback the Jets were looking at prospects in the playmaking and defensive side of the ball. However, a lot has changed since January.

The Jets traded away Sam Darnold to the Panthers earlier this month. Darnold was supposed to be the savior of the Jets after being drafted third overall in 2018. Without a quarterback, the Jets are expected to draft Zach Wilson with the second overall pick.

The Jets have been linked to Wilson since his pro day at BYU. Wilson made some high level throws including a viral throw that may have started a trend in the following pro days. Wilson is a gunslinging quarterback prospect with the talent to make big explosive plays off schedule. Wilson broke out in his final season at BYU with many plays of this type. Wilson led BYU to an 11-1 in his junior season. He threw for 3692 yards, 33 touchdowns to 3 interceptions while completing 73.5% of his passes. The completion percentage ranked second in FBS last year and he broke Steve Young’s BYU record. He also used his rushing ability for 235 yards and 10 scores. Surprisingly to some Wilson does have Hawaiian ancestry and was named a co-recipient of the 2020 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year.

What the experts like about Wilsons 2020 tape is a vast improvement in play from previous years combined with explosive plays and the ability to execute tight window throws on and off schedule. Some of those tight window throws come with a lot of risks although only three went as turnovers scouts would like a higher level of decision making in the next level. His mobility kept defenders honest, he’s able to slide in the pocket and make accurate throws deep as well as good decisions while scrambling. His deep ball accuracy was over 50% and he gave big receivers plenty of opportunities to win 50-50 balls.  

Although BYU didn’t face elite completion Wilson was able to deliver the goods to show he’s an NFL caliber player. In the cougars lone loss vs Coastal Carolina another group of five school that was ranked Wilson played well but showed some holes in decision making and accuracy. He’s got the tools and ability to overcome those struggles and the Jets are likely to make him the second overall pick.

Even though Wilson will go after Lawrence some think Wilson will be the better NFL quarterback. Crediting his accuracy and playmaking. Gang Green get ready to welcome Zach Wilson after booing the commissioner.

The top two picks are nearly 100% locked in by all. The draft really starts at number three with the 49ers. Thursday night will be highly entertaining and the anticipation and excitement will grow more till your team is officially on the clock.

The post Why Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson are the top two picks appeared first on Pro Football Mania.