Who has been the most disappointing rookie QB so far from the 2021 NFL Draft?
The 2021 NFL Draft featured three quarterbacks going off the board to start the annual event. Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, and Trey Lance went in that order and instantly assumed the expectations of entire NFL franchises.
The first round also saw Justin Fields and Mac Jones drafted relatively early. So far, it appears Jones is having the best year while Fields is not too far behind.
So who is the most disappointing of the group so far? That unfortunate honor falls to the player drafted by the New York Jets.
The most disappointing rookie QB from the 2021 NFL Draft
Wilson has not played like a No. 2 overall pick so far. To be fair, he has only appeared in six games and is currently working back from a knee injury. Still, he has not looked good, regardless of the circumstances.
The rookie has four touchdowns compared to nine interceptions in six games. Backup Mike White has five touchdowns in three games and veteran journeyman Josh Johnson added three of his own last week.
Mike White is the #Jets starting quarterback until he does something to change that — that’s how I read Saleh today. If he struggles, they’ll go back to Zach Wilson. Right now, Jets plan to ride hot hand. As they should
Wilson has also taken 19 sacks and continues to look like a long-term project. Others like Fields, Jones, and Lawrence have shown gradual improvement, while Lance has still not played enough to be judged.
But everyone in that group is a long-term project. The NFL just has a tendency to rush rookie quarterbacks into action right away, so teams can check in on their major investment. Yet that has the potential to backfire, as it did for the Jets with Sam Darnold.
That may be why head coach Robert Saleh has decided to start White again this week as Wilson returns from his injury. The rookie can learn and not have to worry about his job security at all. He is set in stone as the future of the franchise and is going to be given time to potentially reach that goal.
The #Jets are starting QB Mike White, source said, as the legendary backup will take the field against the #Bills. Zach Wilson will use the week to get healthier.
One rookie NFL quarterback not on this list is Davis Mills. The third-round pick out of Stanford had a rough go with the Houston Texans, but he was never supposed to play in the first place. Tyrod Taylor got hurt and, with Deshaun Watson staying away from the team, that left Mills to go fend for himself on a bad Texans team. It is tough to call someone disappointing when there were no expectations to begin with.