Revisiting the 2021 NFL quarterback draft class five years later

The 2021 quarterback class arrived with enormous hype. Teams were desperate for answers at the most important position in sports, and that draft looked like a solution. 

Five quarterbacks came off the board in the first round. The first three picks were all quarterbacks.

Five years later, the picture is a bit more murky.

Trevor Lawrence still carries the class

Lawrence entered the league with about as much hype as a quarterback prospect can carry. The Jacksonville Jaguars selected him first overall in the 2021 draft after his dominant run at Clemson and expected him to stabilize the franchise almost immediately.

The Urban Meyer season turned into chaos, and Lawrence’s rookie year reflected that environment. Things began to settle once the organization reset. Since then, he has grown into a reliable starter, throwing for 17,822 career yards and 98 touchdown passes while completing roughly 62.8 percent of his throws. He can push the ball downfield while limiting mistakes far better than he did early in his career.

No other quarterback from this group can say that with the same certainty.

Zach Wilson never found his footing

The New York Jets selected Wilson second overall in the 2021 draft after a breakout season at BYU. Turn on the highlights and you see the throws that convinced teams he could become a franchise quarterback.

Wilson struggled with routine consistency almost right away. Simple throws missed high. Timing routes arriving late. Turnovers followed. Across his first several seasons, he threw more interceptions than touchdowns in multiple stretches, and the Jets eventually moved on from him. He is now with the Miami Dolphins.

Trey Lance remains the biggest mystery

The San Francisco 49ers made one of the boldest moves in the draft when they traded a pile of first-round picks to move up and select Trey Lance third overall in 2021.

Lance entered the league with fewer than 20 college starts at North Dakota State. Development was always going to take time. Instead, he got injuries and very few opportunities. Lance started only a handful of games before losing the spot to Brock Purdy.

Purdy stepped in and started winning games. The job disappeared, and Lance never really had a chance to grow into it. He's since spent time as a backup with the Dallas Cowboys and is now in the same position with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Justin Fields struggles with balance

Fields slipped to the 11th pick in the 2021 draft, where the Chicago Bears traded up to take him. Fields quickly became one of the league’s most productive running quarterbacks. In 2022, he rushed for 1,143 yards, one of the highest single-season totals ever for a quarterback.

Passing consistency proved harder to find. Some games, the offense flowed and Fields looked comfortable pushing the ball downfield. Other weeks, the passing game stalled.

Fields eventually moved on and landed with the Jets, but he likely won’t be starting for them in 2026.

Mac Jones had a hot start

Jones became the fifth quarterback taken in the first round when the New England Patriots selected him 15th overall. His game looked different from the rest of the class. No overwhelming arm strength. No elite mobility.

Jones threw for 3,801 yards with 22 touchdowns, earned a Pro Bowl nod and helped lead the Patriots to the playoffs. The following seasons saw coaching changes and offensive confusion that slowed his development and eventually pushed him out of the starting job. A move to San Francisco gave him another opportunity, and in 2026, he may see a career revival.

Where do things stand now?

Five quarterbacks went in the first round of the 2021 draft. Right now, Lawrence stands clearly at the top. 

The other four, including Jones, are still trying to show the promise teams believed they saw that night.