The top quarterback prospects in the 2021 NFL Draft will be the most anticipated in nearly a decade. Two elite quarterback prospects clash at the top, with one being arguably the most impressive quarterback prospect ever, and that’s not hyperbole. Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence and Ohio State’s Justin Fields are two of the highest graded high school quarterbacks ever. They were also two of the five most productive quarterbacks in the nation this past year. So what makes both of these players elite quarterback prospects, and who are some other names you should keep an eye on?
Top 2021 NFL Draft quarterback prospects
Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
In the 2018 high school football class, one quarterback was widely considered the best prospect ever. Trevor Lawrence out of Cartersville High School had everything a college could want in their newest quarterback – elite size at 6’6″, 208, strong athletic ability, and an absolute rocket of an arm.
Lawrence committed to Clemson on December 15, 2016, via his Twitter. Thus far, it seems to have been a great decision, as Lawrence has amassed a record of 25-1 and a National Championship. Of the quarterbacks in the 2021 NFL Draft class, none have a resume like Lawrence.
Lawrence has done more than just win on the field. He’s thrown 57 touchdowns in 26 games, and he’s also added 11 more scores with his legs. Lawrence has physical traits that have genuinely never been rivaled.
His 6’6″, 220-pound frame is impressive, and what’s more impressive is that he looks like he can still fill out in the NFL. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to say Lawrence can fill out to 240 pounds by the time his rookie contract ends. That would rival Cam Newton’s size, and as we know, Newton has been quite difficult to tackle over the years.
To match his frame, Lawrence has an elite arm. His ability to fit the ball in non-existent windows is only rivaled by his ability to push the ball down the field. The arm talent is the best in years, both from an upside perspective and a level of consistency. He’s accurate on a down-to-down basis and makes all the throws asked of him, and then some.
So Lawrence has the size and throwing ability, but how about the athletic ability? While he’s no Kyler Murray, Lawrence can still be deadly with his legs. He’s a great athlete and can cover ground in a hurry with his long strides. While he’s a pass-first quarterback, he showed first hand against Ohio State that he can take over a game with his legs, as he registered 107 yards and a touchdown.
While Lawrence has some of the top physical traits in years, what truly separates him is how prepared he is to take the next step in his journey. He proved his ability as a true freshman at Clemson when he took over the starting job at Clemson just five weeks into his true freshman season.
No, he didn’t take over the starting job for a perennial loser or even a team that hovers in the 10-25 range. He took over the third-ranked team in the nation; a team that had been in two of the last three national championship games, winning one of them.
Lawrence showed an ability to read defenses, dissect coverages, set protections, make plays under pressure, and so much more. Whether working in the pocket, as a runner, or out of structure, Lawrence does it all, and at an elite level. Expect Lawrence to be the easy consensus QB1 of the top quarterback prospects in the 2021 NFL Draft. However, he is not without competition.
Justin Fields, Ohio State
While Lawrence was widely considered the top quarterback prospect in high school football history, there were some who believed that he wasn’t even the top quarterback in his class. When next draft season comes around, and Lawrence is the consensus top quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft class, I still believe there will be some who view him as QB2. The reason for both of these is simple: Justin Fields is a great quarterback.
Impressively enough, when both players attended the prestigious Elite 11 quarterback camp, Fields came away as the Elite 11 MVP. He outplayed Lawrence on the final day and won the award by performing as the top quarterback in the 7-on-7 Elite 11 showcase. Fields showed he too is an elite prospect.
Fields took a different route to college stardom than Lawrence. For the majority of his high school career, Fields was committed to Penn State University. However, the summer prior to his senior year, Fields de-committed from Penn State and re-opened his recruitment. He committed to Georgia, where he would spend his freshman season under Kirby Smart as Jake Fromm’s backup and occasional special play QB. Georgia would almost exclusively use him as a wildcat quarterback on special occasions.
After Fields’ freshman season, the Bulldogs chose to go with Fromm as their main man, and Fields transferred to Ohio State. This season, Fromm and the Bulldogs failed to make the College Football Playoffs, while Fields and the Buckeyes were one costly (and awfully called) targeting penalty from competing for the National Championship. Fields accounted for 51 total touchdowns to only eight turnovers in 2020, on his way to a top-3 Heisman finish.
Fields doesn’t possess the same frame as Lawrence. He’s 6’3″ and compactly built. I mentioned Newton earlier when talking about Lawrence’s potential frame, but in actuality, it’s Fields who plays more like Superman Cam.
He’s an elite athlete, and excellent with the ball in his hands. He was one of the most efficient runners in the nation, as a quarterback. He’s also well-filled into his body, and defenders have a difficult time tackling him consistently. His arm is also a weapon, as he has the requisite arm strength to make every throw, though his accuracy is still developing.
That being said, Fields will also be a highly-sought-after quarterback prospect, and some will value his dual-threat dynamism enough to rank him over Lawrence.
The other QB prospects in the 2021 NFL Draft
Brock Purdy, Iowa State: Brock Purdy isn’t as dynamic as the other two top quarterbacks are, but he has a legitimate chance to cement himself as the de facto QB3 in the 2021 quarterback class. PFN Draft Contributor Chris Spooner wrote about Purdy here.
Kellen Mond, Texas A&M: Kellen Mond has shown flashes of true NFL ability. He has an excellent frame, combined with great athletic ability and arm strength. He’s a warrior, and he reminds me a bit of Dak Prescott at Mississippi State, but with better physical gifts, though Mond lacks the accuracy and consistency Prescott has at the NFL level.
Adrian Martinez, Nebraska: Adrian Martinez has elite athletic ability, and has shown flashes of being a true dual-threat play-maker with next-level ability. However, his lack of consistency is truly worrisome. Martinez must put together a strong year by stringing together not just multiple quality games, but also much better down-to-down consistency and pre-snap processing.
Jamie Newman, Georgia: After transferring from Wake Forest, Jamie Newman will look to grow in his final season of college eligibility. Newman showed the ability to play quarterback at a high level and was widely viewed as the top available quarterback in the transfer portal in 2020. Newman has a solid arm and above-average athletic ability. He also showed a solid understanding of defenses in his last year at Wake Forest. Some draft analysts viewed Newman as a potential third-round pick, had he declared for the 2020 NFL Draft.
Honorable Mentions: Minnesota QB Tanner Morgan, Mississippi State QB KJ Costello, Texas QB Sam Ehlinger, Florida QB Kyle Trask