Ranking sophomore QBs with the best situation heading into year two
The 2021 QB draft class had a lot of hype.
Trevor Lawrence was seen as a once-in-a-generation quarterback, while Zach Wilson was drafted as the saviour of the Jets. Trey Lance was viewed as a unicorn of a prospect, while there was so much talk regarding Justin Fields going to Chicago.
And how could I forget Mac Jones, who was surprisingly the only rookie QB to make the Pro Bowl last season.
A lot has changed since then. The teams, most of them anyway, have done what they can to put their young gunslinger in a position to succeed in year two.
In this article, we rank the five former first-round QBs on who has the best situation heading into 2022.
1. Trey Lance, San Francisco 49ers
I believe Trey Lance is on the best team out of these five QBs.
The two premier weapons on offense are Deebo Samuel and George Kittle, two of the best players in their respective positions. The 49ers O-Line is anchored by Trent Williams, who is arguably the best tackle in the league. Automatically, these are two big positives for Lance and his development as an NFL quarterback.
The 49ers have a notoriously good rushing scheme where they can seemingly plug and play with any running back. This isn’t even mentioning the rushing ability of Lance himself, who looks Cam Newton-esque at times.
Kyle Shanahan is a mastermind head coach who excels on the offensive side of the game. He has done great things with mediocre QB play. With someone like Lance at the helm, Shanahan must be rubbing his hands together.
This is a match made in heaven. To make things even better, the 49ers have an elite defence, with Nick Bosa and Fred Warner as the stars. This stellar defence will give Lance plenty of opportunities to have the ball in his hands and lead the 49ers to victories.
San Francisco has everything a QB needs to succeed, but only one question remains. Does Trey Lance have what it takes?
2. Zach Wilson, New York Jets
It might come as a surprise to see the Jets second on this list. But Zach Wilson looks to be in a good spot for next season.
The WR trio of Corey Davis, Elijah Moore, and Garrett Wilson are unproven but have a lot of potential. These three players could become dangerous weapons for Zach Wilson if they live up to the hype.
The offensive line is also talented, but slightly inexperienced at the highest level. Mekhi Becton and Alijah Vera-Tucker are two young staples of the unit, but Joe Douglas splashed out on Pro Bowler Laken Tomlinson to strengthen the team at guard.
The backfield is very young, but 2022 second round pick Breece Hall could make a name for himself as the premier tailback for the Jets.
The opposite side of the ball is also filled with young talent, most notably Sauce Gardner who was picked #4 overall this year. A good defence will only make the life of a young QB easier.
The Jets can only be described in one word: Potential. 2022 is the perfect time for these young players to make the leap into stardom and take the Jets back to the playoffs.
3. Mac Jones, New England Patriots
Mac Jones has Bill Belichick as his head coach. That is enough to put any QB in a good situation.
Looking closer on the field, the Patriots may have slightly regressed this offseason. Losing Shaq Mason for next to nothing could be a big loss, but they do still have a strong OL. Having five solid guys up front is so crucial to helping a player like Jones develop.
The running back group is another area of strength for New England. Damien Harris is the lead running back who Mac Jones can always rely on. The rest of the group can plug and play at any time and still produce.
The area where the Pats are looking lacklustre is the receiving corps. Belichick splashed out on two TEs last off-season in Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry, combining for a cap hit of $28.5 million. This should lead to elite production, right? The TE duo only combined for 897 yards. If Bill wants Mac Jones to succeed at QB he needs more production from his big buck TEs.
The WR group is very average. DeVante Parker was the big signing of the spring, but there are no real star names at the position.
Of course, they is always hope when it comes to the Patriots system. The front office are hoping speedy 2022 second round pick Tyquan Thornton can become a favourite target for Jones in year two.
4. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars put Trevor Lawrence in the worst possible position to succeed last season. And this was largely down to having Urban Meyer as the head coach.
The Jags made a seemingly good move this offseason by hiring the experienced Doug Pederson. The new man at the helm won the Super Bowl with the Eagles just five years ago. It seems like Trevor Lawrence is a fan of him too.
But the supporting cast around the young QB is still very mediocre. The WR room was bolstered by signing Christian Kirk to a huge contract, yet the former Cardinal is yet to hit 1,000 yards in a season as a pro. Infact, the only receiver to achieve such a feat on the roster is veteran Marvin Jones.
Guard Brandon Scherff comes in to add so much needed protection for Lawrence, but expect the rest of the OL to have another difficult year in 2022.
The backfield in Jacksonville is intriguing. James Robinson was a stud in his rookie year but did not have the same opportunities in year two. Travis Etienne, who has not played a single snap yet in the NFL, will be looking for a breakout year. The former first round pick has heaps of potential.
5. Justin Fields, Chicago Bears
Sorry Bears fans, but Justin Fields is not in any better place to succeed than he was last year. Infact, year two might actually be even worse.
The Bears have potentially the least exciting WR group in the NFL, as well as one of the worst offensive lines. Is this really the situation a young QB wants to be in?
Matt Eberflus is the new head coach in Chicago, but he is defensive minded. That’s not really something Fields would have wanted to see.
One of the main reasons the Bears had some degree of success the past few years is from their defence. The defensive line was a nightmare to play against.
But that is now gone. Khalil Mack, Akiem Hicks, Eddie Goldman, Bilal Nichols are all gone.
A good defence would have provided so many more opportunities for Justin Fields to win games. It now seems like he will be behind in games more often than not.
This situation is the complete opposite to where Trey Lance finds himself.
