The 2021 NFL Draft – The Quarterbacks. How will they fare & where will they go? (Original content)

[Mogglez]

The 2021 NFL Draft – The Quarterbacks. How will they fare & where will they go?

4/26/2021 | Nick Frangopoulos 

As the 2021 NFL draft looms, I figured now would be the perfect time to give my final write-ups on the talented signal callers available in this years class. At this point, all the tape has been watched, the arguments for each guy have been debated ad nauseam, so decisions are ready to be made that will shape the immediate and, more importantly, long-term futures of numerous NFL teams. Alongside these write-ups, I will also be including which teams I believe these particular players will end up playing for.

• Trevor Lawrence | QB | Clemson – Lawrence is a player that needs no introduction. The kid widely referred to as “Sunshine” by his teammates for his long hair and looks that closely resemble a character with the same nickname in the 2000 football film “Remember The Titans” was, seemingly, born to play the position of quarterback, and has been in the spotlight since he was winning state championships at Cartersville High School and competing in the Elite 11 quarterback competition. He has ideal size, standing at 6 foot 5 5/8 inches, while weighing in at 213 pounds, and boasting a 10-inch hand size, so there isn’t much left to complain about when it comes to Trevor’s measurable features. There isn’t much to bemoan about his golden right arm either. Lawrence throws the short and intermediate ball better than any prospect I have seen in all my years watching football. While he could stand to improve his deep ball passing just a bit, he already showed the ability to do exactly that this past college football season, making marked improvement in that particular area of his game from his Freshman and Sophomore seasons. While Trevor seemingly has it all going on for him physically, he also has shown that he has a high level football IQ and that transitioning to the pro game should be no issue for him. Clemson gave Lawrence a pretty decent level of control at the line of scrimmage, and he handled it with ease, constantly showing off the ability to diagnose pre-snap blitzes, read coverages, and call audibles. Post-snap, he was just as brilliant, routinely finding the opposing secondary’s weak spot and attacking it with laser accurate precision. Don’t forget to account for his legs as well. He boasts deceptive athleticism for someone who plays the quarterback position and the threat to run should always be accounted for when game planning for him.

Ultimately, Trevor Lawrence is truly, in my eyes, the cleanest prospect to come out of college since Andrew Luck in 2012. His unique physical attributes and skill set make him the perfect prototypical quarterback prospect for where the NFL is going at the position.

NFL comparison: The best case scenario? John Elway with the stature of Peyton Manning. Worst case? I don’t believe his floor is lower than, say, a Justin Herbert-like player.

NFL draft prediction: 1st overall pick, Jacksonville Jaguars.

Source: @designedbyfranco on Instagram.

•  Zach Wilson | QB | BYU – Anyone who watched college football closely this year will be able to tell you that there was, arguably, no player even close to as electric at the quarterback position as Zach Wilson. Highlight play after highlight play helped shine the national spotlight on the former 3 star recruit and, boy, did he ever put on a show. From a physical standpoint, Zach measures in at just under 6’3 (6 foot 2 1/8 inches) and weighs in at 214lbs so, with those numbers, he is not the physical freak of this quarterback class, especially when compared to guys like Trevor Lawrence or Trey Lance. One look at his frame will tell you that. However, this is an area where he can improve, especially when he is introduced to an NFL strength and conditioning program to go along with an NFL health and nutrition program. I always think back to Mark Sanchez when evaluating a players body type, as he was another guy who possessed the height, but needed to fill out his frame a bit to withstand hits in the NFL. By the time Sanchez had hit his 3rd season, he looked like a very different player in terms of physical build, so I have no doubts that Zach can do the same. He’ll have to, as he already has somewhat of an injury history, including a torn labrum in each of his shoulders. Another concern many people have with him is the level of competition that he faced. While I can understand some of the concerns, I think what gets lost in translation a bit is that Wilson is also, for the most part, playing with guys who, quite frankly, wouldn’t be starting at any other school as well. With those same players he was able to compile incredible statistics and notch signature wins against much better teams like Tennessee or USC with such a supporting cast during his 3 year tenure as BYUs starter. This transitions beautifully into the part of the article that explains just why it is Zach has found all this success. Where Wilson really shines is his intelligence and his play making abilities on the field. He shows an advanced ability to go through his progressions, dissect coverages, manipulate DBs with his eyes, use his athletic talents to pick up yards on the ground or make off-platform throws inside and outside of the pocket. He also possesses upper level arm talent and a lightning quick release that reminds me quite a bit of guys like Aaron Rodgers or Tony Romo. He could stand to improve his footwork a little bit, but it’s nothing too concerning. Footwork is, typically, the easiest thing to coach into a quarterback and based on film from his off-season workouts, as well as his pro day, Wilson has made cleaning that part of his mechanics up a priority.

My clear-cut QB2 in this years class, Zach Wilson is a true boom or bust prospect. He is not nearly as “safe” as someone like Trevor Lawrence. However, the upside is a truly elite talent at the quarterback position. With the right refinement and coaching, he has the potential to be a special player in this league. The argument can even be made that his ceiling is the highest out of anyone in this class, Lawrence included.

NFL comparison: If Zach can reach his full potential, those Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, and Tony Romo comparisons are not far off at all. He has that type of ability. If he falters, I think you’re looking at a player who closely resembles Alex Smith. No, I don’t mean the incredibly efficient QB that managed to salvage his career and reinvent himself either. I mean the guy that struggled mightily his first few years in the league and needed to be rebuilt from the ground up in order reach “game manager” levels of production.

NFL draft prediction: 2nd overall pick, New York Jets.

Source: @mcmanusdesign on Instagram.

•  Justin Fields | QB | Ohio State – Like Lawrence, Justin Fields spent his entire career, from high school up until now, under bright lights and the national media. While this has it’s benefits in terms of exposure, Justin is finding out that sometimes, being under the microscope does more harm than good. The former Buckeye has been under intense scrutiny the last few months and, personally, I find most of it to be incredibly unfair nitpicking of a quarterback prospect who would, in my opinion, challenge every other player in this class, not named Trevor Lawrence, for the right to be selected 1st overall. Starting with the measurable numbers, he possesses more than enough size at 6 foot 2 3/4 inches and 227 pounds. More impressively, he was able to run a blazing fast 4.44 40-yard dash at this size, making him, arguably, the most explosive and athletic quarterback in this class. If you’re a defensive coach game planning for him, you better account for his legs. In the passing game, Fields possesses fantastic arm strength and great accuracy in the short, intermediate, and deep levels. In fact, he might possess the best deep ball accuracy and deep ball placement of any of the 5 projected 1st round quarterbacks, giving him a unique advantage over all those other players in an area the NFL game is moving towards. At this point, you might be asking yourself “So what’s the catch; what are his issues?” and that is where this write-up takes a turn. Fields, to no fault of his own, played for one of the best all-around teams in college football, in a system that is seemingly geared towards taking as much responsibility off the shoulders of it’s quarterback as possible, and it has made him a very polarizing player. When your 1st read is open on almost every single play, something Fields himself has admitted to being the case in many a situation, and your offensive line is so good that you can hold the ball longer than 3 seconds when getting blitzed, it makes it very difficult to determine how advanced a quarterback is in the mental aspect of the game along with how he will handle the skill gap of the NFL when he doesn’t have the best players on the field at every single position. This isn’t to say that Fields can’t go through progressions, make complex reads, or handle adversity. We have seen him do it. He just hasn’t been asked to do it a lot, and that, along with his performances against higher competition (Northwestern 2020, Indiana 2020, etc.) has caused there to be a certain level of concern with him.

I have Fields as my QB3, but it’s closer to QB2b. Like Zach Wilson, Justin Fields is a boom or bust prospect with sky-high potential, especially with his athletic ability. However, I personally believe that he would be best suited going to a team like San Francisco, Atlanta, or New England, where he can sit behind an established veteran quarterback for one year and let the game slow down for him.

NFL comparison: I think at his absolute best, I believe Justin will be a hybrid of Deshaun Watson and Ben Roethlisberger. Donovan McNabb, Russell Wilson, or Dak Prescott are three other comparisons I’ve seen thrown out there and, personally, I think those are good too. At his worst, I see a guy who will consistently flash talent, particularly his athletic abilities, but who never takes that next step. Some names I can think of are Colin Kaepernick, current day Cam Newton, and the Harbaugh-era Alex Smith. Yes sticklers, I am aware that using Smith in back-to-back comparisons is a little…boring. However, Smith is a guy who had two unique highs and lows, that happen to apply to 2 of these prospects “worst case” scenarios, who happen to compare well to each other more than most people realize, so it’s not too unconventional.

NFL draft prediction: 4th overall pick, Atlanta Falcons.

Source: @ndagraphics on Instagram.

• Trey Lance | QB | North Dakota State University – Every draft class, a prospect comes along with every single physical tool you could possibly imagine if you were forced to draw up the perfect QB. This year is no different and that prospect is NDSU’s very own Trey Lance. Lance stands tall at 6 foot 3 7/8 inches, and is a rock solid 224lbs. He has a cannon for an arm, great speed and athletic ability for his size, played in a pro-style system that included complicated reads, and has good mechanics. “So what gives Nick? We just went through this with Justin Fields. What is the problem here?” you might say. Well, much like everything else in the last year and change, the college football world was heavily rocked by COVID-19. Entering this year as my QB2, Lance was hurt more by the epidemic as any player I can think of. NDSU only scheduled one game in the fall due to the pandemic, which served as the only “showcase” game for Lance and many of the other NFL caliber prospects on their roster, as the rest of their season would be played this spring and these aforementioned players would have had to declare for the NFL draft well before then. This means that Trey has not played in an organized football game since October 3rd, 2020. If he already had 3 established seasons under his belt, this wouldn’t be too much of an issue. However, before the showcase, Lance had only 16 starts under his belt. In those starts he excelled, throwing for 2,786 yards and 28 touchdowns on 287 attempts while completing 66.9% of his passes and tossing zero, yes zero, interceptions. Lance also flashed as a runner, compiling 1,100 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground, while averaging a whopping 6.5 yards per carry. It was as dominant of a season as anyone could have and Lance seemed destined for greatness. However, his stock would take an abrupt turn because in his one chance to show off, he was incredibly inconsistent and many scouts were left feeling as if maybe he was leaving school too early. Fast forward to today and his stock seems to be on the rise once again after not one, but two great pro days.

Trey Lance needs time. There is no sugar coating it. He is, without a doubt, the rawest quarterback in this group of guys, and if he forced to start right away, it might get really messy, really fast. Like Justin Fields, he is best suited going to a team with a guy already in place that he can sit behind for a year, maybe two, and develop. Some teams that immediately come to mind in terms of fit are San Francisco, Atlanta, New England, and Washington.

NFL comparison: This one might be the easiest for me. When I watch Lance, I see a guy who plays like, and can be like, the 2015 MVP Cam Newton or the 2020 version of Josh Allen. A dynamic player, who is an absolute freak of nature with all the dominant physical tools at his disposal. That being said, any team who rushes his development can expect to get a player closer to someone like Vince Young than MVP winners and candidates.

NFL draft prediction: 3rd overall pick, San Francisco 49ers.

Source: @ryanawdesign/@swapkingdom on Instagram.

•  Mac Jones | QB | Alabama – Here we are folks. The end of the show. We’ll be wrapping up with a guy who seemingly went from overrated, to underrated, back to overrated in the eyes of the media, analysts, and fans. I’m, of course, talking about Mac Jones, the latest signal caller from Alabama. With an absolute abundance of weapons at his disposal, Jones took the Crimson Tide’s offense to new heights and a National Championship, ultimately winning the title against Justin Fields’s Ohio State Buckeyes. Therein lies the big issue with Mac and every other quarterback that has come out of Tuscaloosa recently. How much of it is him? Jones is not particularly tall or athletic, coming in at 6 foot 1 4/8 inches, 230 pounds, with a pedestrian 4.72 second 40-yard dash. He can move within the pocket and roll out well, but isn’t really a threat to run in the open field. His arm talent is a little bit better than “ok”, but nothing to write home about. He is a very accurate passer who has pretty good ball placement, but there was, arguably, no team in college football more stacked than Alabama. So Mac simply operates the offense. He doesn’t “create” like the other quarterbacks in this class. Ten years ago that wouldn’t be a knock on anyone. However, a lot has changed in the last decade and the NFL has shifted more towards guys who can do more at the most important position in football.

I think the consensus opinion, which I also share, is that Mac Jones is a quarterback who is limited in what he can do. He’s not going to rush for 50 yards per game while throwing for 250. He is a classic drop back passer who will, at worst, manage the game for you. This makes him a relatively safe prospect…so long as you aren’t picking him in the top 15.

NFL comparison: If Mac Jones managed to reach his full potential, Matt Ryan or Chad Pennington would be great comparisons for him. When I try and come up with a “doomsday” scenario for him, I keep coming back to another former Alabama quarterback. AJ McCarron. I think he’ll end up being something in between that and carve out a decent career for himself, but I don’t know if he ever lives up to his draft slot, given how high he is being projected by other outlets.

NFL draft prediction: 15th overall pick, New England Patriots.

Source: @thegraphicgod on Instagram.

https://conferringfootball.sport.blog/2021/04/26/the-2021-nfl-draft-the-quarterbacks-how-will-they-fare-where-will-they-go/

[Mogglez]

Hey guys, so with permission from Max and co. I posted a blog article that I wrote Sunday/yesterday.  It’s a write-up on the QBs from this years class, my comps for them, and where I believe that they will end up!  I started the blog just for some fun.

Any feedback is appreciated and I hope you enjoy the content!

[Dinamite]

2 minutes ago, Mogglez said:

Hey guys, so with permission from Max and co. I posted a blog article that I wrote Sunday/yesterday.  It’s a write-up on the QBs from this years class, my comps for them, and where I believe that they will end up!

I used the link (post didn't appear for me).  Nicely written! I enjoyed the comps and multi-application of Alex Smith phases!

[Grandy]

Awesome write up, and i tend to agree as well. 

Thanks for a good read!

[jetstream23]

The comps on Wilson seem fair.  Using your names I see them as....

Worst - The early version of Alex Smith w/ the 49ers.  Overdrafted, needed to restart with fundamentals to grow into an "adequate starter."  His best years were his late ones when, unfortunately, injury cut his career a bit short just as he had it all figured out.

Most likely - Tony Romo.  Very good player, not elite, can lead teams to the playoffs but can't carry them there.  Mobile, good arm, accurate and good but not great athletically.

Best case - Aaron Rodgers.  Transcendent, makes average players around him look great.  Can deliver strong, accurate passes from any platform including the pocket on both shallow and deep drops, outside the pocket and across the field.  Will compensate for mediocrity around him and mask other problems on offense.

If we got Tony Romo + I'd be thrilled.  Give me a smart, accurate guy who can make most of the throws but who also makes those 2 - 3 special, big-time plays a game that turn a close loss into a 24-21 victory.

[Mogglez]

24 minutes ago, Dinamite said:

I used the link (post didn't appear for me).  Nicely written! I enjoyed the comps and multi-application of Alex Smith phases!

 

23 minutes ago, Grandy said:

Awesome write up, and i tend to agree as well. 

Thanks for a good read!

Thank YOU for the kind words guys!  I love writing about this stuff so it’s always good to see the work appreciated :)!

[Mogglez]

26 minutes ago, jetstream23 said:

The comps on Wilson seem fair.  Using your names I see them as....

Worst - The early version of Alex Smith w/ the 49ers.  Overdrafted, needed to restart with fundamentals to grow into an "adequate starter."  His best years were his late ones when, unfortunately, injury cut his career a bit short just as he had it all figured out.

Most likely - Tony Romo.  Very good player, not elite, can lead teams to the playoffs but can't carry them there.  Mobile, good arm, accurate and good but not great athletically.

Best case - Aaron Rodgers.  Transcendent, makes average players around him look great.  Can deliver strong, accurate passes from any platform including the pocket on both shallow and deep drops, outside the pocket and across the field.  Will compensate for mediocrity around him and mask other problems on offense.

If we got Tony Romo + I'd be thrilled.  Give me a smart, accurate guy who can make most of the throws but who also makes those 2 - 3 special, big-time plays a game that turn a close loss into a 24-21 victory.

This is exactly how I was trying to convey it.  If we look back at this draft and he does end up playing like someone who resembles prime healthy Romo, I think we will be incredibly happy.  You can definitely contend for a championship with a QB like that!  Only argument I would make is that prime Romo is someone I’d consider elite.  Dude was a baller!  I also believe Wilson possess better athletic ability.

[jetstream23]

8 minutes ago, Mogglez said:

This is exactly how I was trying to convey it.  If we look back at this draft and he does end up playing like someone who resembles prime healthy Romo, I think we will be incredibly happy.  You can definitely contend for a championship with a QB like that!  Only argument if make is that prime Romo is someone I’d consider elite.  Dude was a baller!

Yup, I'd take prime Romo in a heartbeat.  My point was simply that although he was great he wasn't considered in the class of Brady, Manning, Rodgers during those years.  Knocked on the door but never got into the room with the uber elite.  But like you said, you can win Super Bowls with a guy like that.... Was Big Ben ever considered one of the Top 3 QBs in the NFL?  Not really, I mean maybe he had a season or two like that.  But the guy has multiple rings.

[Guilhermezmc]

Great content, but JF is still QB2

[Grandy]

2 minutes ago, Guilhermezmc said:

Great content, but JF is still QB2

Cool

[Mogglez]

18 minutes ago, Guilhermezmc said:

Great content, but JF is still QB2

Ay, difference in opinion makes for great discussion ?.  Like I said, if it weren’t a straight ranking, he’d be my 2b.

Appreciate the kind words all the same!

[Warfish]

1 hour ago, jetstream23 said:

The comps on Wilson seem fair.  Using your names I see them as....

Worst - The early version of Alex Smith w/ the 49ers.  Overdrafted, needed to restart with fundamentals to grow into an "adequate starter."  His best years were his late ones when, unfortunately, injury cut his career a bit short just as he had it all figured out.

Most likely - Tony Romo.  Very good player, not elite, can lead teams to the playoffs but can't carry them there.  Mobile, good arm, accurate and good but not great athletically.

Best case - Aaron Rodgers.  Transcendent, makes average players around him look great.  Can deliver strong, accurate passes from any platform including the pocket on both shallow and deep drops, outside the pocket and across the field.  Will compensate for mediocrity around him and mask other problems on offense.

If we got Tony Romo + I'd be thrilled.  Give me a smart, accurate guy who can make most of the throws but who also makes those 2 - 3 special, big-time plays a game that turn a close loss into a 24-21 victory.

Optimism is a hell of a drug.

[Paradis]

Hey brotha -- can you change the font color to black? It's white rn as far as i can tell. Nothing appears but the pics unless i highlight text. 

The content is great (I think you knows these individuals better than I do) but I would to offer some writing tips. If you flip the font color, that would help

[jetstream23]

2 hours ago, Warfish said:

Optimism is a hell of a drug.

I'm depressed about this team from September through January.  Give me a moment to smile, man!

[Mogglez]

2 hours ago, Paradis said:

Hey brotha -- can you change the font color to black? It's white rn as far as i can tell. Nothing appears but the pics unless i highlight text. 

The content is great (I think you knows these individuals better than I do) but I would to offer some writing tips. If you flip the font color, that would help

I will definitely look into that. The blog is hosted by WordPress, which I’m totally new to, so I don’t know exactly how much control I have lol.

Appreciate the love homie ?, I was gonna run it by you on Twitter yesterday but didn’t wanna be a bother lol.  Any feedback is welcome!

[Alka]

7 hours ago, Mogglez said:

Hey guys, so with permission from Max and co. I posted a blog article that I wrote Sunday/yesterday.  It’s a write-up on the QBs from this years class, my comps for them, and where I believe that they will end up!  I started the blog just for some fun.

Any feedback is appreciated and I hope you enjoy the content!

Very nice write-up!  For me, I feel you made an argument for the Jets drafting Trey Lance.

I know you discussed him being very raw, but ultimately you want the QB who will be the most successful, and with the least amount of risk.  You said Wilson is a boom or bust player, and if that is the case, then maybe even a more reason to draft Trey Lance.

My only criticism if you want to call it that is that you could have made a "head-to-head" comparison of the 2 QB's, and made an active case for the Jets drafting Lance over Wilson. Would Lance do well in the Jets system?  I think the answer is "yes".

[Jet Nut]

Anyone not able to read this, you can click the bulb in the upper right corner and all will magically become visible in dark mode

Unless this was meant to be one of those spy notes that the enemy cant read.   Ooops, your secret son!

[Paradis]

10 hours ago, Mogglez said:

The 2021 NFL Draft – The Quarterbacks. How will they fare & where will they go?

4/26/2021 | Nick Frangopoulos 

As the 2021 NFL draft looms, I figured now would be the perfect time to give my final write-ups on the talented signal callers available in this years class. At this point, all the tape has been watched, the arguments for each guy have been debated ad nauseam, so decisions are ready to be made that will shape the immediate and, more importantly, long-term futures of numerous NFL teams. Alongside these write-ups, I will also be including which teams I believe these particular players will end up playing for.

 

 

Lets get away from from using casual conversation, and start to consider the economy of words. Less is better. If it doesn't improve the sentence, or establish some new idea/angle, get rid of it.. eg. "at this point"... in the sentence prior, you just established where we're at. things like - "For each guy" that's conversational -  Read it out loud as though it's stranger and not a buddy, who is your audience.

"With the 2021 NFL draft looming, the time to share is now. We've seen all the tape there is to see, and had every argument there is to have. In other words, for 32 GMs, it's time to put your money where mouth is.  As a preamble to the excitement on Thursday night, allow me to walk you through 4 QBs; their strengths, their stories and, just maybe, their new homes.

It's only a sentence less or so, but every thing is a new thought and it reads with cadence and no manufactured conversational delivery

  Let's dissect the Lawrence paragraph - specifically with a lens for superfluous language 

10 hours ago, Mogglez said:

 

• Trevor Lawrence | QB | Clemson – Lawrence is a player that needs no introduction. The kid widely referred to as “Sunshine” by his teammates for his long hair and looks that closely resemble a character with the same nickname in the 2000 football film “Remember The Titans” was, seemingly, born to play the position of quarterback, and has been in the spotlight since he was winning state championships at Cartersville High School and competing in the Elite 11 quarterback competition.

 

1 sentence, too long. If he needs no introduction, then acknowledging this and dtich it. Get away from descriptive/subjective fluff too: some, very, really, widely... "Lawrence, nicknamed Sunshine for his resemblance to character in REMEMBER THE TITANS, was seeming born the play the position (ditch qb, it's implied). He's been in the spotlight since ____ 

IF HIGHTLIGHTED IN YELLOW DITCH IT. 

He has ideal size, standing (at an ideal) at 6 foot 5 5/8 inches, while weighing in at 213 pounds, and boasting a 10-inch hand size, so there isn’t much left to (leaves nothing to) complain about when it comes to Trevor’s measurable features. There isn’t much to bemoan about his golden right arm either. Lawrence throws the short and intermediate ball better than any prospect I have seen in all my years watching football. While criticized he could stand to improve his for his deep ball placement at times  just a bit, he's already shown the ability to do exactly that this past college football season he could do just that, making marked improvement in that particular area of his game from his Freshman and Sophomore seasons. While Trevor seemingly has it all going on for him physically, he also (impressed with) that he has a high level football IQ , (suggesting) and that transitioning to the pro game should be no issue for him. Clemson gave Lawrence a pretty decent level of control at the line of scrimmage, and he handled it with ease, constantly showing off the ability to diagnose pre-snap blitzes, read coverages, and call audibles. Post-snap, he was just as brilliant, routinely finding the opposing secondary’s weak spot and attacking it with laser accurate precision. (And) Don’t forget ( about ) to account for his legs as well. He boasts deceptive athleticism for (a) someone who plays the quarterback position and (keeping coordinators up at night) with the threat of a run should always be accounted for when game planning for him.

Ultimately, Trevor Lawrence is truly, in my eyes, the cleanest prospect to come out of college since Andrew Luck in 2012. His unique physical attributes and skill set make him the perfect prototypical quarterback prospect for where the NFL is going at the position.

NFL comparison: The best case scenario? John Elway with the stature of Peyton Manning. Worst case? I don’t believe his floor is lower than, say, a Justin Herbert-like player.

I was planning on going through more, but that would be overkill i think, It's just a matter getting synchronized with writer's prose and seeing the matrix on the economy of words

Hit me up any time to discuss more

[Mogglez]

2 minutes ago, Paradis said:

Lets get away from from using casual conversation, and start to consider the economy of words. Less is better. If it doesn't improve the sentence, or establish some new idea/angle, get rid of it.. eg. "at this point"... in the sentence prior, you just established where we're at. things like - "For each guy" that's conversational -  Read it out loud as though it's stranger and not a buddy, who is your audience.

"With the 2021 NFL draft looming, the time to share is now. We've seen all the tape there is to see, and had every argument there is to have. In other words, for 32 GMs, it's time to put your money where mouth is.  As a preamble to the excitement on Thursday night, allow me to walk you through 4 QBs; their strengths, their stories and, just maybe, their new homes.

It's only a sentence less or so, but every thing is a new thought and it reads with cadence and no manufactured conversational delivery

  Let's dissect the Lawrence paragraph - specificall with a lens for superfluous language 

I was planning on going through more, but that would be overkill i think, It's just a matter getting synchronized with writer's prose and seeing the matrix on the economy of words

Hit me up any time to discuss more

Exxxxxxactly the type of feedback I was looking for homie.  Thank you!!! 
 

***For anyone wondering I specifically asked him for writing tips via Twitter lmao, so don’t come down his throat for pointing it out here, it’s just easier to use the content as a reference!***

[Paradis]

15 minutes ago, Mogglez said:

Exxxxxxactly the type of feedback I was looking for homie.  Thank you!!! 
 

***For anyone wondering I specifically asked him for writing tips via Twitter lmao, so don’t come down his throat for pointing it out here, it’s just easier to use the content as a reference!***

I wouldn't do this with someone who didn't invite the feedback - and I know you have appetite for it. Peer review is the currency of improvement! I've had articles and screenplays ripped in half and it was some of the best learning ever offered! 

Look forward to following your work brosef

[JohnnyLV]

Nice write up even if I disagree with quite a bit of the evaluation and conclusions. I am sort of over evaluations as the only thing that matters is if the Jets can develop Zach Wilson.

[artemusclyde]

Everyone's floor projections are way too high. That's a lot of disrespect coming Smiths and Herbert's way by saying that they're the floor of these guys. You're selling Herbert short, he's had the greatest rookie season ever for a qb. 31 td to 10 ints on the worst offensive line in the league. Luck's rookie year he had 23 tds to 18 ints. Saying that's Lawrence's floor is crazy talk and unrealistic expectations for him.

[Jackie Treehorn]

14 hours ago, Mogglez said:

The 2021 NFL Draft – The Quarterbacks. How will they fare & where will they go?

4/26/2021 | Nick Frangopoulos 

As the 2021 NFL draft looms, I figured now would be the perfect time to give my final write-ups on the talented signal callers available in this years class. At this point, all the tape has been watched, the arguments for each guy have been debated ad nauseam, so decisions are ready to be made that will shape the immediate and, more importantly, long-term futures of numerous NFL teams. Alongside these write-ups, I will also be including which teams I believe these particular players will end up playing for.

• Trevor Lawrence | QB | Clemson – Lawrence is a player that needs no introduction. The kid widely referred to as “Sunshine” by his teammates for his long hair and looks that closely resemble a character with the same nickname in the 2000 football film “Remember The Titans” was, seemingly, born to play the position of quarterback, and has been in the spotlight since he was winning state championships at Cartersville High School and competing in the Elite 11 quarterback competition. He has ideal size, standing at 6 foot 5 5/8 inches, while weighing in at 213 pounds, and boasting a 10-inch hand size, so there isn’t much left to complain about when it comes to Trevor’s measurable features. There isn’t much to bemoan about his golden right arm either. Lawrence throws the short and intermediate ball better than any prospect I have seen in all my years watching football. While he could stand to improve his deep ball passing just a bit, he already showed the ability to do exactly that this past college football season, making marked improvement in that particular area of his game from his Freshman and Sophomore seasons. While Trevor seemingly has it all going on for him physically, he also has shown that he has a high level football IQ and that transitioning to the pro game should be no issue for him. Clemson gave Lawrence a pretty decent level of control at the line of scrimmage, and he handled it with ease, constantly showing off the ability to diagnose pre-snap blitzes, read coverages, and call audibles. Post-snap, he was just as brilliant, routinely finding the opposing secondary’s weak spot and attacking it with laser accurate precision. Don’t forget to account for his legs as well. He boasts deceptive athleticism for someone who plays the quarterback position and the threat to run should always be accounted for when game planning for him.

Ultimately, Trevor Lawrence is truly, in my eyes, the cleanest prospect to come out of college since Andrew Luck in 2012. His unique physical attributes and skill set make him the perfect prototypical quarterback prospect for where the NFL is going at the position.

NFL comparison: The best case scenario? John Elway with the stature of Peyton Manning. Worst case? I don’t believe his floor is lower than, say, a Justin Herbert-like player.

NFL draft prediction: 1st overall pick, Jacksonville Jaguars.

Source: @designedbyfranco on Instagram.

•  Zach Wilson | QB | BYU – Anyone who watched college football closely this year will be able to tell you that there was, arguably, no player even close to as electric at the quarterback position as Zach Wilson. Highlight play after highlight play helped shine the national spotlight on the former 3 star recruit and, boy, did he ever put on a show. From a physical standpoint, Zach measures in at just under 6’3 (6 foot 2 1/8 inches) and weighs in at 214lbs so, with those numbers, he is not the physical freak of this quarterback class, especially when compared to guys like Trevor Lawrence or Trey Lance. One look at his frame will tell you that. However, this is an area where he can improve, especially when he is introduced to an NFL strength and conditioning program to go along with an NFL health and nutrition program. I always think back to Mark Sanchez when evaluating a players body type, as he was another guy who possessed the height, but needed to fill out his frame a bit to withstand hits in the NFL. By the time Sanchez had hit his 3rd season, he looked like a very different player in terms of physical build, so I have no doubts that Zach can do the same. He’ll have to, as he already has somewhat of an injury history, including a torn labrum in each of his shoulders. Another concern many people have with him is the level of competition that he faced. While I can understand some of the concerns, I think what gets lost in translation a bit is that Wilson is also, for the most part, playing with guys who, quite frankly, wouldn’t be starting at any other school as well. With those same players he was able to compile incredible statistics and notch signature wins against much better teams like Tennessee or USC with such a supporting cast during his 3 year tenure as BYUs starter. This transitions beautifully into the part of the article that explains just why it is Zach has found all this success. Where Wilson really shines is his intelligence and his play making abilities on the field. He shows an advanced ability to go through his progressions, dissect coverages, manipulate DBs with his eyes, use his athletic talents to pick up yards on the ground or make off-platform throws inside and outside of the pocket. He also possesses upper level arm talent and a lightning quick release that reminds me quite a bit of guys like Aaron Rodgers or Tony Romo. He could stand to improve his footwork a little bit, but it’s nothing too concerning. Footwork is, typically, the easiest thing to coach into a quarterback and based on film from his off-season workouts, as well as his pro day, Wilson has made cleaning that part of his mechanics up a priority.

My clear-cut QB2 in this years class, Zach Wilson is a true boom or bust prospect. He is not nearly as “safe” as someone like Trevor Lawrence. However, the upside is a truly elite talent at the quarterback position. With the right refinement and coaching, he has the potential to be a special player in this league. The argument can even be made that his ceiling is the highest out of anyone in this class, Lawrence included.

NFL comparison: If Zach can reach his full potential, those Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, and Tony Romo comparisons are not far off at all. He has that type of ability. If he falters, I think you’re looking at a player who closely resembles Alex Smith. No, I don’t mean the incredibly efficient QB that managed to salvage his career and reinvent himself either. I mean the guy that struggled mightily his first few years in the league and needed to be rebuilt from the ground up in order reach “game manager” levels of production.

NFL draft prediction: 2nd overall pick, New York Jets.

Source: @mcmanusdesign on Instagram.

•  Justin Fields | QB | Ohio State – Like Lawrence, Justin Fields spent his entire career, from high school up until now, under bright lights and the national media. While this has it’s benefits in terms of exposure, Justin is finding out that sometimes, being under the microscope does more harm than good. The former Buckeye has been under intense scrutiny the last few months and, personally, I find most of it to be incredibly unfair nitpicking of a quarterback prospect who would, in my opinion, challenge every other player in this class, not named Trevor Lawrence, for the right to be selected 1st overall. Starting with the measurable numbers, he possesses more than enough size at 6 foot 2 3/4 inches and 227 pounds. More impressively, he was able to run a blazing fast 4.44 40-yard dash at this size, making him, arguably, the most explosive and athletic quarterback in this class. If you’re a defensive coach game planning for him, you better account for his legs. In the passing game, Fields possesses fantastic arm strength and great accuracy in the short, intermediate, and deep levels. In fact, he might possess the best deep ball accuracy and deep ball placement of any of the 5 projected 1st round quarterbacks, giving him a unique advantage over all those other players in an area the NFL game is moving towards. At this point, you might be asking yourself “So what’s the catch; what are his issues?” and that is where this write-up takes a turn. Fields, to no fault of his own, played for one of the best all-around teams in college football, in a system that is seemingly geared towards taking as much responsibility off the shoulders of it’s quarterback as possible, and it has made him a very polarizing player. When your 1st read is open on almost every single play, something Fields himself has admitted to being the case in many a situation, and your offensive line is so good that you can hold the ball longer than 3 seconds when getting blitzed, it makes it very difficult to determine how advanced a quarterback is in the mental aspect of the game along with how he will handle the skill gap of the NFL when he doesn’t have the best players on the field at every single position. This isn’t to say that Fields can’t go through progressions, make complex reads, or handle adversity. We have seen him do it. He just hasn’t been asked to do it a lot, and that, along with his performances against higher competition (Northwestern 2020, Indiana 2020, etc.) has caused there to be a certain level of concern with him.

I have Fields as my QB3, but it’s closer to QB2b. Like Zach Wilson, Justin Fields is a boom or bust prospect with sky-high potential, especially with his athletic ability. However, I personally believe that he would be best suited going to a team like San Francisco, Atlanta, or New England, where he can sit behind an established veteran quarterback for one year and let the game slow down for him.

NFL comparison: I think at his absolute best, I believe Justin will be a hybrid of Deshaun Watson and Ben Roethlisberger. Donovan McNabb, Russell Wilson, or Dak Prescott are three other comparisons I’ve seen thrown out there and, personally, I think those are good too. At his worst, I see a guy who will consistently flash talent, particularly his athletic abilities, but who never takes that next step. Some names I can think of are Colin Kaepernick, current day Cam Newton, and the Harbaugh-era Alex Smith. Yes sticklers, I am aware that using Smith in back-to-back comparisons is a little…boring. However, Smith is a guy who had two unique highs and lows, that happen to apply to 2 of these prospects “worst case” scenarios, who happen to compare well to each other more than most people realize, so it’s not too unconventional.

NFL draft prediction: 4th overall pick, Atlanta Falcons.

Source: @ndagraphics on Instagram.

• Trey Lance | QB | North Dakota State University – Every draft class, a prospect comes along with every single physical tool you could possibly imagine if you were forced to draw up the perfect QB. This year is no different and that prospect is NDSU’s very own Trey Lance. Lance stands tall at 6 foot 3 7/8 inches, and is a rock solid 224lbs. He has a cannon for an arm, great speed and athletic ability for his size, played in a pro-style system that included complicated reads, and has good mechanics. “So what gives Nick? We just went through this with Justin Fields. What is the problem here?” you might say. Well, much like everything else in the last year and change, the college football world was heavily rocked by COVID-19. Entering this year as my QB2, Lance was hurt more by the epidemic as any player I can think of. NDSU only scheduled one game in the fall due to the pandemic, which served as the only “showcase” game for Lance and many of the other NFL caliber prospects on their roster, as the rest of their season would be played this spring and these aforementioned players would have had to declare for the NFL draft well before then. This means that Trey has not played in an organized football game since October 3rd, 2020. If he already had 3 established seasons under his belt, this wouldn’t be too much of an issue. However, before the showcase, Lance had only 16 starts under his belt. In those starts he excelled, throwing for 2,786 yards and 28 touchdowns on 287 attempts while completing 66.9% of his passes and tossing zero, yes zero, interceptions. Lance also flashed as a runner, compiling 1,100 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground, while averaging a whopping 6.5 yards per carry. It was as dominant of a season as anyone could have and Lance seemed destined for greatness. However, his stock would take an abrupt turn because in his one chance to show off, he was incredibly inconsistent and many scouts were left feeling as if maybe he was leaving school too early. Fast forward to today and his stock seems to be on the rise once again after not one, but two great pro days.

Trey Lance needs time. There is no sugar coating it. He is, without a doubt, the rawest quarterback in this group of guys, and if he forced to start right away, it might get really messy, really fast. Like Justin Fields, he is best suited going to a team with a guy already in place that he can sit behind for a year, maybe two, and develop. Some teams that immediately come to mind in terms of fit are San Francisco, Atlanta, New England, and Washington.

NFL comparison: This one might be the easiest for me. When I watch Lance, I see a guy who plays like, and can be like, the 2015 MVP Cam Newton or the 2020 version of Josh Allen. A dynamic player, who is an absolute freak of nature with all the dominant physical tools at his disposal. That being said, any team who rushes his development can expect to get a player closer to someone like Vince Young than MVP winners and candidates.

NFL draft prediction: 3rd overall pick, San Francisco 49ers.

Source: @ryanawdesign/@swapkingdom on Instagram.

•  Mac Jones | QB | Alabama – Here we are folks. The end of the show. We’ll be wrapping up with a guy who seemingly went from overrated, to underrated, back to overrated in the eyes of the media, analysts, and fans. I’m, of course, talking about Mac Jones, the latest signal caller from Alabama. With an absolute abundance of weapons at his disposal, Jones took the Crimson Tide’s offense to new heights and a National Championship, ultimately winning the title against Justin Fields’s Ohio State Buckeyes. Therein lies the big issue with Mac and every other quarterback that has come out of Tuscaloosa recently. How much of it is him? Jones is not particularly tall or athletic, coming in at 6 foot 1 4/8 inches, 230 pounds, with a pedestrian 4.72 second 40-yard dash. He can move within the pocket and roll out well, but isn’t really a threat to run in the open field. His arm talent is a little bit better than “ok”, but nothing to write home about. He is a very accurate passer who has pretty good ball placement, but there was, arguably, no team in college football more stacked than Alabama. So Mac simply operates the offense. He doesn’t “create” like the other quarterbacks in this class. Ten years ago that wouldn’t be a knock on anyone. However, a lot has changed in the last decade and the NFL has shifted more towards guys who can do more at the most important position in football.

I think the consensus opinion, which I also share, is that Mac Jones is a quarterback who is limited in what he can do. He’s not going to rush for 50 yards per game while throwing for 250. He is a classic drop back passer who will, at worst, manage the game for you. This makes him a relatively safe prospect…so long as you aren’t picking him in the top 15.

NFL comparison: If Mac Jones managed to reach his full potential, Matt Ryan or Chad Pennington would be great comparisons for him. When I try and come up with a “doomsday” scenario for him, I keep coming back to another former Alabama quarterback. AJ McCarron. I think he’ll end up being something in between that and carve out a decent career for himself, but I don’t know if he ever lives up to his draft slot, given how high he is being projected by other outlets.

NFL draft prediction: 15th overall pick, New England Patriots.

Source: @thegraphicgod on Instagram.

https://conferringfootball.sport.blog/2021/04/26/the-2021-nfl-draft-the-quarterbacks-how-will-they-fare-where-will-they-go/

Great read! Thanks for sharing it here! I am so with you on the assessment of Mac Jones. I won't believe my eyes if the Niners traded up to #3 for him. 

[jetsons]

4 hours ago, Paradis said:

Lets get away from from using casual conversation, and start to consider the economy of words. Less is better. If it doesn't improve the sentence, or establish some new idea/angle, get rid of it.. eg. "at this point"... in the sentence prior, you just established where we're at. things like - "For each guy" that's conversational -  Read it out loud as though it's stranger and not a buddy, who is your audience.

"With the 2021 NFL draft looming, the time to share is now. We've seen all the tape there is to see, and had every argument there is to have. In other words, for 32 GMs, it's time to put your money where mouth is.  As a preamble to the excitement on Thursday night, allow me to walk you through 4 QBs; their strengths, their stories and, just maybe, their new homes.

It's only a sentence less or so, but every thing is a new thought and it reads with cadence and no manufactured conversational delivery

  Let's dissect the Lawrence paragraph - specifically with a lens for superfluous language 

I was planning on going through more, but that would be overkill i think, It's just a matter getting synchronized with writer's prose and seeing the matrix on the economy of words

Hit me up any time to discuss more

That's pretty funny... you criticize someone for writing "at this point" & in the very next sentence you use "where we're at"...  which is actually saying "where we are at"...  according to your logic you should have stated "where we are"... food for thought. ?

[Chrebetfan80]

On 4/27/2021 at 1:35 PM, Mogglez said:

Hey guys, so with permission from Max and co. I posted a blog article that I wrote Sunday/yesterday.  It’s a write-up on the QBs from this years class, my comps for them, and where I believe that they will end up!  I started the blog just for some fun.

Any feedback is appreciated and I hope you enjoy the content!

looks great man, nice writing.  Like anything else the more you do the more comfortable you get, but this was great, think you killed it.