Week 3 of the 2021 NFL season is officially in the books, and all five of this year’s first-round quarterbacks have seen the field early this year, albeit in different capacities. That means it’s time to take stock of the top rookie signal-callers. Who improved their value after the third week of games? Who looks a little shakier, with 14 more to go?
We’re glad you asked. Here’s how we’d grade each of this year’s top first-year QBs based on their Week 3 performance:
Trevor Lawrence: D+
Stats: 22 of 34 (64.7%), 219 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs, 68.1 rating
Those numbers — bad on their own — don’t include two lost fumbles, which gave Lawrence four turnovers in what began as a winnable game against Arizona. It feels like every conversation regarding the No. 1 pick must be prefaced with a reminder that Jacksonville is rebuilding, and Lawrence did show some real NFL touch on his lone touchdown pass to Marvin Jones. But this Week 3 outing by itself was more concerning than promising. The Clemson product still looks pretty frantic, which is understandable but not a current winning formula.
Zach Wilson: D
Stats: 19 of 35 (54.3%), 160 yards, 0 TD, 2 INTs, 42.6 rating
Let’s start with this: The Jets are doing him absolutely zero favors. While Sam Darnold is cruising post-New York, Gang Green is busy undermining another young QB with shoddy protection and game-planning. And yet Wilson isn’t helping things. His natural athleticism is still apparent, but he’s holding the ball way too long and subsequently walking right into big plays for the opponent. Recklessness can work if the rest of the offense is clicking, but that’s not the case here, leaving him as a turnover waiting to happen.
Trey Lance: A
Stats: 1 rush, 1 yard, 1 TD
This is kind of a cheap “A” considering Lance saw all of three snaps in the 49ers‘ close loss to the Packers. But this is his role with San Francisco right now: Red-zone runner. There’s certainly an argument to be made that his athleticism would expand the 49ers’ offense under center, where some fans are eager to ride his upside over the safe, if unspectacular, resume of Jimmy Garoppolo. As purely a situational player, however, he’s doing his job on key downs.
Mac Jones: D+
Stats: 30 of 51 (58.8%), 270 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs, 55.2 rating
Jones has easily been the most impressive of the top QB picks this year, but Week 3 was a big reality check. Down early against the Saints, the Patriots decided to dial up all kinds of deep shots for a guy who’s thrived more as a short-area decision-maker, and the results were not pretty. The blame probably lies more with New England than Jones, who still had some sharp darts, but if we’re gonna dock Lawrence and Wilson for their bad situations, we have to do the same here. Not a great week for the rookies.
Justin Fields: D
Stats: 6 of 20 (30%), 68 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 41.2 rating
The only reason this isn’t worse is because the Bears clearly didn’t help the rookie up front, out wide or from the sidelines in what was already a tough matchup with the Browns defense. But let’s not sugarcoat things, either: Fields was dazed and confused from the jump, and this is the same dysfunctional offense in which Andy Dalton mustered at least a few points against the Rams and Bengals. His legs, often touted as a big reason to pivot from Dalton, were no factor. Does he deserve better? Yes. Was he good? No.
