Five quarterbacks were selected in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft. Entering year four, three have risen above the rest in the quest for glory.
NFL draft classes are often lumped together when one looks back at history. Specifically, quarterbacks from certain classes are given much more scrutiny, drawing comparisons throughout their careers (and beyond).
Six quarterbacks from 1983 were taken in the first round, highlighted by Hall of Fame selections John Elway, Jim Kelly, and Dan Marino. These three vaulted to the top of their class and, in some cases, left Todd Blackledge, Tony Eason, and Ken O'Brien as mere afterthoughts.
In 2004, a stellar trio made a name for themselves and two became Super Bowl champions. Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger will be one day inducted into the Hall, as should Philip Rivers. And what about the other quarterback taken in the first round that year? Well, J.P. Losman never truly ascended to greatness but he did grab a few highlights along the way.
The 2021 NFL draft found five quarterbacks being selected in the first round. And while they are just beginning their NFL journeys, the last class to have five quarterbacks selected in the first round is beginning to make the world take notice.
As the five quarterbacks taken in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft enter their fourth season, three have pulled away from the pack. Each has designs on leading their respective team to a Super Bowl title with the next few seasons.
One need look no further than the 2020 season to believe that.
In the playoffs after last year's regular season, two of these quarterbacks picked up their first playoff wins. Lamar Jackson finally notched win no. 1 after failed chances in his first two seasons. And Baker Mayfield not only delivered the Cleveland Browns their first playoff berth since 2002, but also led the Browns to their first playoff win since 1995.
It was Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills, however, who came closest to that Super Bowl berth. Allen led the Bills to the AFC title game, where Buffalo lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 38-24.
In 2021, Allen will be setting out to prove his 2020 near-MVP season was no fluke. Mayfield will be doing the same, while Jackson will be climbing back towards his 2019 MVP campaign. And Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen hope better things are on the horizon as they suit up for new teams.
Josh Allen
To think that it's Allen who has come the closest to the Super Bowl might be a little unbelievable. But from the beginning, ownership and coaching have shown faith in the quarterback. They've surrounded Allen with plenty of talent on offense and built a sturdy defense to boot, which resulted in a 13-3 record in 2020.
With Allen at the helm, the Buffalo Bills should own the AFC East and hold a constant playoff presence for years to come. Including this upcoming 2021 season in which most of the key players from last season return.
Allen had his best year as a pro, throwing for 4544 yards. He did so while completing nearly 70 percent of his passes, throwing for 37 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions. Allen also ran the ball less for the third straight year, in turn saving wear and tear on his body, rushing for 421 yards and eight touchdowns.
Each season has brought improvement over the last, and 2021 should be no different. He is 28-15 as a starter and holds a 2-2 record in the playoffs. Allen is nearing the 10,000 yard mark in career passing yards with 9707 and has thrown 67 touchdowns against 31 interceptions.
Barring any major injury, Allen and the Bills should be kings of the AFC East again. And with another year under his belt, that berth in the Super Bowl could very well be in the cards.
Baker Mayfield
Mayfield capped off his best pro season with the Browns' playoff win, before they came up just short in falling to the Chiefs 22-17 in the AFC Divisional round. Still, there's a lot to build on for Cleveland going forward, much of it thanks to Mayfield.
Mixed results had taken place in his first two seasons and there was some talk of Mayfield not being the quarterback of the future in Cleveland. In 2020, he settled in and played up to his potential. Some of his offensive numbers were down compared to previous seasons, but for Mayfield, the results were much better.
Mayfield went 11-5 in 2020, throwing for 3563 yards and completing 62.8 percent of his passes. He tossed 26 touchdowns and most impressive was the low number of interceptions, eight, he threw.
A strong and healthy running game certainly helped. Much like Buffalo, the Browns also return many of their key weapons on offense. The AFC North will continue to be competitive so the playoffs are no guarantee but Mayfield and Browns are poised for more success in 2021.
Overall, Mayfield is 23-22 as a starter (the most starts among these five quarterbacks from the 2018 first-round). He also has the most passing yards and touchdowns, with 11,115 and 75, respectively. (His 43 interceptions also lead the pack).
Lamar Jackson
Jackson had his ups-and-downs as the Baltimore Ravens went 11-4 when he was a starter in 2020. He was banged up a bit more, was slightly more inconsistent, yet all told the numbers were close to his 2019 campaign.
Baltimore simply wasn't blowing teams out like they did that season, which led many to believe they'd taken a big step backwards.
Except Jackson finally snagged that first playoff win, a 20-13 victory over Tennessee, though the offense was largely non-existent in the Ravens 17-3 playoff loss to Buffalo.
Jackson hit the 1000-yard mark as a rusher again, finishing with 1005. He threw 26 touchdown passes and nine interceptions, finishing with 2757 yards and a 64.4 completion percentage.
The concern is availability, of course, as he continues to be a spectacular "running" quarterback. And a subpar playoff record of 1-3 isn't helping. Jackson is only a 55 percent passer in these four games with three touchdowns and five interceptions, though he is averaging 6.8 yards per carry.
Still, Jackson is 30-7 as a starter with 68 career touchdown passes. He has also averaged six yards per carry in his carry, with 19 touchdowns and 2906 yards on the ground.
Jackson and Baltimore should very much be in contention for the playoffs once again. A lot of that depends on Jackson and, if he's healthy and accurate, the Ravens could finally make the jump to serious contender.
Sam Darnold
A change of scenery might be what's best for Darnold as he enters his fourth season.
The New York Jets moved on from the "face of the future" when they traded Darnold to the Carolina Panthers four weeks prior to the 2021 draft. And while the Jets will now be starting over with rookie Zach Wilson as their future, the Panthers get to see if Darnold can lift them back to glory.
It won't be easy with Tom Brady looming over the NFC South but if Darnold can play a full season and have his abilities shine through, Carolina could be in the playoff discussion.
For the first time, he'll have some star power to help carry the load. A stellar running back in Christian McCaffrey is a plus, as are two outstanding receivers in D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson.
There was a lot of hope for Darnold after he went 7-6 as a starter in 2019. But the health bug caught him again in 2020 and Darnold went 2-10. There were more interceptions than touchdowns (11 to 9) and Darnold managed to average less than 200 yards passing per start.
He's 13-25 in his career as a starter, with 8097 yards, 45 touchdowns, and 39 interceptions. Darnold hasn't quite had the receiving corps like he has in Carolina. If he can't find at least a modicum of success this season, Darnold could very well be on his way to lackluster career and just another 1st-round quarterback who couldn't quite find magic in the NFL.
Josh Rosen
Rosen, in many ways, has become the outlier of this group. To start 2021, he will be suiting up for his fifth team and possibly gearing up for a redemption arc. Or be looking at his final chance.
But first, he will be settling in with the Atlanta Falcons.
After spending most of last season on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice squad, Rosen found himself closing out the year with the San Francisco 49ers. And while he was welcomed back to camp this summer, the 49ers cut Rosen after the first preseason game.
Then the Atlanta Falcons came calling after their projected backup to Matt Ryan, A.J. McCarron, was injured.
It appears Rosen, who has not thrown a pass in a regular season game since 2019, will be the backup to Ryan heading into the season. For a player who has bounced around the league in such a short time, there should be a lot of gratitude for his chances.
Be sure to follow along in charting the progress in year four of these five quarterbacks, with updates after week 4, 9, 13, and 18.
photo credit: Wikipedia Commons
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