How Mac Jones, Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson And Rest Of Rookie QB Class Compared In 2021 Season
BOSTON (CBS) -- For all but two of the NFL's rookie QB class, the 2021 season is over. And of the two remaining QBs, only Mac Jones will be starting games in the postseason.
Jones has of course been steady if unspectacular while leading the Patriots to a 10-7 record in his first professional season. Folks in New England know his story well, having followed the Patriots' season rather closely.
Yet now that the regular season is over and there's a full year of work to use for comparisons, it's worth checking in to see how Jones compared to his fellow rookies.
This was a crop that once involved just the five first-round quarterbacks, but Davis Mills has since been added to the group. (Kellen Mond, Kyle Trask, and Ian Book didn't exactly reach the big time just yet.)
Here's a look at all of the QB stats, listed by draft order.
Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars
3-14 record
359-for-602, 59.6%
3,641 yards, 6.0 Y/A, 214.2 Y/G
12 TDs, 17 INTs
71.9 passer rating
73 rush attempts, 334 yards, 2 TDs
Zach Wilson, Jets
3-10 record
213-for-383, 55.6%
2,334 yards, 6.1 Y/A, 179.5 Y/G
9 TDs, 11 INTs
69.7 rating
29 rushing attempts, 185 yards, 4 TDs
Trey Lance, 49ers
1-1 record
41-for-71, 57.7%
603 yards, 8.5 Y/A, 100.5 Y/G
5 TDs, 2 INTs
97.3 rating
38 rushing attempts, 168 yards, 1 TD
Justin Fields, Bears
2-8 record
159-for-270, 58.9%
1,870 yards, 6.9 Y/A, 155.8 Y/G
7 TDs, 10 INTs
73.2 rating
72 rushing attempts, 420 yards, 2 TDs
Mac Jones, Patriots
10-7 record
352-for-521, 67.6%
3,801 yards, 7.3 Y/A, 233.6 Y/G
22 TDs, 13 INTs
92.5 rating
44 rushing attempts, 129 yards, 0 TDs
Davis Mills, Texans
2-9 record
263-for-394, 66.8%
2,664 yards, 6.8 Y/A, 204.9 Y/G
16 TDs, 10 INTs
88.8 rating
18 rushing attempts, 44 yards, 0 TDs
Jones obviously had the best season of the group. He also obviously landed in the best situation, joining a team that went 7-9 last season and invested heavily in the offense -- with two tight ends and two wide receivers added in free agency -- this season. The stability in coaching from Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels was also a significant factor.
Still, Jones largely made the most of his opportunity. He finished with the second-best completion percentage by a rookie QB in history, mere percentage points behind Dak Prescott's 67.8. He also posted the fifth-most passing yards by a rookie in NFL history -- albeit with the 17th game -- behind Andrew Luck, Justin Herbert, Cam Newton, and Jameis Winston. Trevor Lawrence posted the 11th-most passing yards by a rookie QB.
Jones also tied for throwing the eighth-most touchdown passes by a rookie with 22. Herbert is the all-time leader in that department, having thrown 30 in just 15 games last year. Davis Mills throwing the second-most TDs among this year's rookie class -- in just 11 starts and 13 games, no less -- was certainly not expected by anybody.
While wins aren't necessarily a quarterback stat, it's nevertheless noteworthy that Jones went 10-7, while the other five QBs went 11-42.
Ultimately, the 2021 QB class can't be properly judged until several years down the line. But for now, the Patriots' young QB -- the fifth passer taken in the draft -- has gotten quite the head start on his peers.
