Chris Simms’ 2021 NFL Draft QB ranking is out; Trevor Lawrence isn’t No. 1 — and neither is Justin Fields

Trevor who?

Former NFL quarterback and current NFL analyst Chris Simms has made waves in the past for his yearly NFL draft quarterback rankings and breakdowns. This year’s edition was released on the March 3 edition of “PFT Live,” and featured several surprising picks — most notably, the “generational” talent of Trevor Lawrence isn’t No. 1, and neither is Ohio State’s Justin Fields. Rather, it’s BYU passer Zach Wilson.

Here’s Simms’ ranking for this year’s draft cycle:

Slipping outside of the top six is Florida quarterback Kyle Trask, who some consider to be a first-round talent, as well.

Simms classified Wilson as an elite passer, saying he is the best pure passer and a “superstar” in the draft with good athleticism and a plus release. Simms believes Lawrence has some things he needs to work on, namely in the mechanics department. Simms says that Wilson is “clearly the No. 1 quarterback in the draft,” with the only knock on him being his size.

At No. 3, Jones is also something of an intriguing selection. Simms believes that Jones’ arm might not be as strong as other counterparts in this draft, but is still physically talented, can make all the throws and moves well within the pocket. 

Surprisingly (shockingly?), Simms has Texas A&M QB Kellen Mond one spot ahead of Ohio State’s Justin Fields, with Fields falling all the way to No. 5. Simms pegs Mond as highly accurate and sound mechanically.

While Simms believes that Fields is a better prospect than former first-round pick Dwayne Haskins was coming out of Ohio State, mechanics issues and questions about his role in a single-read offense knock him down the ranking. He also cited several poor performances last season as the reason for the drop.

Fields has gone through the ringer in the pre-draft process, though many believe he is the de facto QB2 in this year’s draft behind Clemson’s Lawrence. Wilson’s exceptional 2020 season with BYU vaulted him directly into the QB2 discussion.

For comparison, Simms’ 2020 draft rankings:

The former NFL quarterback says that he believes all six of his quarterbacks are legitimate first-round talents, and he could see all of them taken in the first round this year.

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