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It may only be June, but monitoring the NFL Draft is a 365-day job. I watch tape year-round and have worked the NFL Draft since the year 2000, so I know it's never too soon to look ahead.
This is an early preliminary list of the top draft-eligible quarterbacks to look out for this year as we prepare for the upcoming college football season.
Get a leg up on your fantasy competition by knowing all about the potential incoming rookies as the talent door of the NFL continues to revolve. * Denotes Underclassman
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1. *Sam Howell - North Carolina (6-1, 225)
After a pair of seasons as the starter in Chapel Hill, Howell owns an impressive 68/14 TD/INT ratio. A 6-1 size is a bit of a concern but with the success of Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray in recent years, it is far from a showstopper. Speaking of Mayfield, Howell is called Mayfield 2.0 due to his size, build, and moxie. Nobody doubts the arm talent as Howell has shown he can make all the throws needed for the next level.
With his top two receivers drafted from a year ago (Dyami Brown - Washington and Dazz Newsome - Chicago) as well as his top two running backs (Javonte Williams - Denver and Michael Carter - New York Jets), does Howell have the ability to make the players around him better? If the answer turns out to be yes, Howell may soon have another comparable trait with Mayfield...top overall pick in the NFL Draft.
2. *Spencer Rattler - Oklahoma (6-1, 205)
Another Oklahoma quarterback getting ready to play in the NFL. Rattler will be a draft-eligible redshirt sophomore after the season and he is already on the NFL radar. Rattler has escapability but he isn't the polished runner coming out of the program like Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts. Rattler has amazing arm talent and stands in the pocket and hangs tough for someone of smaller stature at the position. What impressed NFL scouts was the fact that Rattler rallied his team to eight consecutive wins after starting the season 1-2.
Many young quarterbacks would have wilted under the pressure of coming to a storied program and losing two of their first three starts. Rattler and his small frame will need to make it through the season without a major injury to show he can withstand the rigors of life on Sunday in the NFL.
3. *Kedon Slovis - USC (6-3, 215)
Which Kedon Slovis shows up in 2021? Will it be the freshman that threw for 3,502 yards and 30 touchdowns or the inconsistent sophomore who saw his quarterback rating drop 23 points as bouts of erratic play became the norm? The answer needs to be freshman Slovis if he hopes to be a first-round pick and declare for 2022. Slovis has stated his elbow injury last season hindered his performance but his assertiveness needs to be consistent. Slovis looked hesitant going through his progressions and reads and got into some trouble.
As far as mechanics, Slovis is smooth and has an NFL physique. Slovis will have some targets returning and has an experienced line in front of him, so he could make the leap and have a huge season for the Trojans.
4. Desmond Ridder - Cincinnati (6-4, 220)
Cincinnati nearly crashed the BCS party last season and the Bearcats were the top team outside a Big 5 conference. Cincinnati will be back and may have an even better campaign in 2021 thanks to Desmond Ritter, regarded by many as the best senior quarterback in America. Ridder has shown the ability to improvise when the play breaks down and has shown elusiveness as a runner in the open field, making him a dual-threat quarterback.
Ridder has been plagued by nagging injuries at times and his deep ball needs to have better placement. What I like most about Ridder is he has shown he can be accurate on the run, a trait that is very underrated when players are coming into the league.
5. *Tyler Shough - Texas Tech (6-5, 220)
A popular theme we are seeing with top quarterbacks in recent years, here we see another quarterback who transferred from his original school (Oregon). Shough graduated from Oregon last season and will be going to Texas Tech as a graduate transfer. Anthony Brown started eating into Shough's time despite quarterbacking the Ducks to a Pac-12 Championship. Shough now goes to a school known for popularizing the air raid offense in an attempt to show Oregon may not have been the best fit.
It's hard to get a handle on where Shough could end up in the class but we have seen quarterbacks ascend the ranks throwing the ball around in Lubbock before (Baker Mayfield and Patrick Mahomes).
6. Malik Willis - Liberty (6-1, 215)
Malik Willis sat at Auburn for his first two seasons behind current Patriots quarterback Jarrett Stidham. When 2019 rolled around, Bo Nix won the job as a true freshman and Willis transferred to Liberty. After sitting out in 2019, Willis burst onto the scene with a 20/6 TD/INT ratio while getting into the end zone an additional 14 times on the ground. Willis is back for his senior season and his play could vault him into the first round of the upcoming draft.
What makes Willis so dangerous is he doesn't "sell" the play too early. There are plenty of dual-threat quarterbacks coming up the ranks. Willis does not tip his hand and does a fantastic job at keeping the defense guessing until the last possible moment. This is very impressive when you look at the arm talent that Willis possesses as he has remarkable touch on deep passes and good velocity on the intermediate routes. Willis will need to show he will scan the entire field vice just tucking and running the ball when his primary and secondary reads are not there.
7. *Phil Jurkovec - Boston College (6-5, 225)
If there is a true wildcard in this top-10, then Jurkovec is it. Jurkovec is yet another transfer as the highly touted quarterback left Notre Dame for life at Boston College and flourished in his first year as a starter. The Eagles will be a trendy team to be ranked this season and Jurkovec could wind up getting Heisman attention. Jurkovec is more a "feels pressure" type of quarterback who can elude or step up in the pocket. What Jurkovec won't do is get you consistent big gains with his feet. At 6-5, Jurkovec looks the part with the traditional NFL quarterback build. The arm talent is there and the zip and velocity are top-notch. Jurkovec might be guilty of trusting his arm a little too much and trying to fit passes into tight spaces more often than he should.
Jurkovec is in a quarterback-friendly system with a coach now in his second year who quarterbacks love. Jurovec might not be a top-of-the-board player, but if he does declare, he has the look of a "trade into the end of round one or round two" look while he is groomed in the right system.
8. Brock Purdy - Iowa State (6-4, 210)
My, how the mighty have fallen. Brock Purdy was thought to be a borderline first-round draft choice had he declared early in 2020. While Iowa State enjoyed success, making it to the Big 12 title game, the performance of Purdy was uneven at best. Purdy is usually accurate with the football but getting the ball in the best position for his receiver to make a catch or to do so in stride is an area where improvement is needed. Elite arm strength in throwing to the sideline is not apparent so Purdy will rely on working the middle of the field and making things happen with his legs.
Purdy is very elusive and while he does not possess top-end speed, he is shifty and hard to hit. Not sure he will have a huge fantasy impact as a rookie or early in his career.
9. *Jayden Daniels - Arizona State (6-2, 185)
Jayden Daniels puts the dual in dual-threat quarterback. Daniels started as a freshman in 2019 and put up 2,943 yards with a 17/2 TD/INT ratio. Last year with Arizona State, he put up 701 yards with a 5/1 TD/INT ratio while only playing four games. Daniels has added nearly 600 yards on the ground with an additional seven touchdowns. Daniels is capable of running for more yardage and an improved offensive line should cut down on sacks and yards lost in 2021. Daniels has a lively arm and plenty of strength to make the necessary throws. When running with the football or even eluding pressure, Daniels gets into trouble by being careless with the football and not protecting it properly.
Aside from Kedon Slovis at USC, nearly every team in the PAC-12 has turnover at the quarterback position so Arizona State and Daniels may be able to capitalize on the inexperience at the other schools. Daniels has nice depth around him and should have enough weapons to have a big year and possibly declare as a junior for the 2022 Draft.
10. *J.T. Daniels - Georgia (6-3, 210)
J.T. Daniels has as much natural talent as any prospect at quarterback that will be draft-eligible in 2022. The problem with Daniels is he is wildly inconsistent and infuriating to watch. The emergence of Kevon Slovis at USC opened up a competition for Daniels at quarterback and he took his talents to Athens, Georgia to become a Bulldog. Daniels had a great year statistically but there were a number of "what ifs." Sloppy footwork and inconsistency with his release led to a number of misses, somewhere the intended target was wide open. The 10/2 TD/INT ratio from last season doesn't tell the whole story as Daniels seemed to have a number of sure interceptions that were dropped.
Daniels feels pressure and steps up in the pocket and usually buys enough time to make a big play ala Ben Roethlisberger. Daniels is not fleet of foot and will not be intimidated. He can make all the throws but has a gunslinger and gambler mentality. Daniels will force the ball and try to become a one-man show. Coaches will love the confidence but he needs to display more self-awareness. Daniels seems to be a fit in Georgia but he did lose his best wide receiver to an ACL injury for the upcoming season. It will be interesting to see whether Daniels makes the jump after the 2021 season or feels like he needs more seasoning before becoming draft-eligible.
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