Rookie QB watch: Preseason freak-out, geek-out edition

The 2021 quarterback draft class will be on the minds of many football fans this upcoming season.

With so many first-year quarterbacks having the opportunity to play significant snaps this season, we thought it would be a good idea to keep track of these and how they handle their first year in the NFL.

Let’s take a look at how all these quarterbacks are faring with a couple of weeks left to go before Week 1.

Jones is on the heels of Cam Newton right now for the starting spot in New England. Both quarterbacks have looked pretty good in both practice and preseason games, however, with Newton’s unwillingness to get vaccinated, he could subject himself to missing significant time if he comes down with COVID. He’s already missed five days due to a misunderstanding in his COVID testing. It’s been reported that Jones went 35/40 and completed 18 straight passes in a joint practice with the Giants. It’s honestly becoming a toss-up in New England and I wouldn’t be surprised if head coach Bill Belichick went in either direction.

Bears head coach Matt Nagy has already said that Andy Dalton will be their Week 1 starter against the Rams. The decision was met with a ton of backlash because Justin Fields has obviously been the better quarterback in the preseason, and gives the offense a more dynamic look with his mobility and arm strength. I understand having hesitancy about putting Fields behind an offensive line that’s been as shaky as the Bears O line has been in the preseason. That’s why I wouldn’t start him until that offensive line can show some consistency and go from bad to at least average. However, Fields is the best option in Chicago so it’s more than likely a matter of when he starts this season versus if he starts this season.

Lance is the more dynamic option in San Francisco. Head coach Kyle Shanahan could probably lay awake at night thinking of packages for Lance. His abilities as a runner and downfield passer have given him a slight advantage over Jimmy G in my eyes and likely in the eyes of Shanahan as well. Shanahan hasn’t named a starter yet, but it’s clear the optimism surrounding Lance is high.

Wilson has been the best rookie quarterback in the preseason by far. In two preseason games, he’s had command of the offense and he’s been accurate down the field. Wilson has a quarterback rating of 137.7 in his first two preseason games. It’s Wilson’s squad already, so unlike many of the other QBs who were drafted, he isn’t competing with anyone. So this year will be truly beautiful about progression and learning how to be a good quarterback in the NFL.

Lawrence has plenty of talent. He was one of the most pro-ready quarterback prospects in the last ten seasons. But the path to success in the NFL remains the same, your surroundings matter. And it’s unclear at this point if Urban Meyer has the offensive scheme to help Lawrence reach his potential. The rookie QB did not look good in his Monday night preseason start against the Saints because he was being pressured all night from the New Orleans front seven. Meyer just officially named Lawrence the starter over Gardner Minshew so they’ll have a whole season to try to figure out how to get this offense in rhythm.