Tag: Quarterback

Best Patriots Players to Suffer the Logan Mankins Curse

Most people are probably asking: “What is the Logan Mankins Curse?” The Logan Mankins Curse refers to a player who played for the Pats during the Brady-Belichick era, but did not win a ring. I call it the Logan Mankins Curse because he was drafted by the Pats in 2005 (right after they won 3 Super Bowls from 2001-2004) and was traded away weeks before the 2014 season (in which the Pats won the first of 3 Super Bowls from 2014-2018). I want to be clear: this is not named after him as a slight or because he was bad. Logan Mankins is a Hall of Fame worthy player and one of the best Pats of all time. His career with them just happened to be during the 9 season span they didn’t win (2005-2013).

I will be ranking players based on how good they were with the Pats, not how good their careers were overall.

1. Randy Moss, WR

One of the greatest wide receivers in NFL history and he was arguably at his best with the Pats. It’s such a shame they couldn’t get a ring for an all-time great player.

2. Logan Mankins, Guard

As talked about in the intro, this guy was a beast. He was a six time All-Pro with the Pats and he deserved a ring more than anyone else on this list.

3. Wes Welker, WR

A better regular season version of Julian Edelman, Welker was the perfect complement to Randy Moss and thrived while playing with Brady. He came up short twice with the Pats.

4. Aaron Hernandez, TE

He is now remembered for the awful things he did off the field more than anything else. On the field, he was super talented and along with Gronk gave the Pats a devastating TE combo.

5. Brandon Meriweather, Saftey

He was a very underrated player and could absolutely lay guys out. People don’t play the game like him anymore due to rule changes.

6. BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Running Back

An all-time nickname (Law Firm), hard running style, and lack of fumbling made him a great fit in New England. He brought that great hard-nosed running style before we had LeGarrette Blount.

7. Danny Woodhead, Running Back

He was such a gritty and talented pass catcher who complemented the Pats playing style so well.

8. Aqib Talib, Corner Back

He only played here a year, but was an All-Pro and Pro Bowler for us.

9. Brandin Cooks, WR

He also came in for just a year, but helped us get to a Super Bowl as our WR1 when Edelman was out in 2017.

10. Matt Cassell, QB

He was better after the Pats, but still managed to come in and lead the Pats to 11 wins after Brady went down in 2008.

Bonus Fun Fact: In doing the research for this blog, I realized that during the 2010 season, the Pats had Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Julian Edelman, Deion Branch, Kevin Faulk, Rob Gronkowski, and Aaron Hernandez all at the same time. I know that some players were early in the careers and some later, but to have all that talent on the same team is crazy. And it’s no surprise Brady won MVP that year.

Drake Maye vs Mac Jones

There are many reasons why most Patriots fans, including myself, believe Drake Maye will fair much better than Mac Jones. Below are my reasons, some obvious and some not so much.

Drake Maye has much more talent than Mac Jones. Physically he is slightly bigger at 6’4″, 230 lbs vs Mac at 6’3″ 220. He also is much more athletic and has such a better arm than Mac does.

Maye also produced in a much harder situation than Mac. Mac was aided by the greatest college football coach ever and maybe the greatest wide receiver room in college football history. Maye dealt with much more difficulty and still stood out.

Maye seems like intangibly he is also better than Mac. Mac had a tendency to pout and have poor body language, whereas Maye seems to have a better attitude, which I think is important. When the going gets tough, you want a QB who weathers the storm instead of complaining about the storm.

For all of Mac’s shortcomings, he really had no help offensively, as the Pats have had the worst offensive skill talent in the league since Brady left and their offensive line play was poor too. They are still very much a work in progress, but they did use significant draft capital on WRs and Oline this year. Hopefully, the Pats will continue to build the offense around Maye and give him viable options and protection.

Maye also benefits from not being the heir apparent franchise QB to Tom Brady. That is nearly an impossible role to live up to and Mac didn’t come close. Now that Pats fans have endured a couple shitty seasons, their expectations are not as high as the immediate Post-Brady era.

This will be the most controversial, but I think Maye will actually benefit from not having the greatest coach of all time lead the Patriots. The Bill vs Tom debate created lots of controversy and pressure for everyone in Foxboro. I believe it influenced Bill to go for broke in terms of winning and he simply tried a quick reload, instead of a full on rebuild that the Pats realistically needed. Now that he’s gone, they can focus on rebuilding correctly and getting back to winning championships.

Most Liked Teams in Sports

This is an odd list to make as opposed to my list on most hated teams in sports. Most fans really only like the teams that they root for, and anyone outside of that is either irrelevant or hated. This list is the teams that fans of other organizations like for various reasons.

Army Black Knights Football and Navy Midshipmen Football (tie)

This one speaks for itself. The fact all the people on these teams are joining the military to fight for our country, makes them so easy to root for. The legendary game they play each year is also one of the best events in sports.

Buffalo Bills

They are loveable for two reasons: their fans and the fact they keep coming up short. You can make the argument that Bills fans are the best in all of sports. Despite the terrible upstate New York weather, they come out to games in full force. The lack of success in big moments also leads fans of other teams to feel for the Bills

Boston Red Sox

For years they were the loveable losers, bound by the Curse of the Bambino. They have shaken off that curse this century, but still have fans all over the country and are a well-liked team. Having the most iconic stadium in sports in Fenway Park helps their mystique.

Green Bay Packers

Despite being a super successful franchise, they are not hated at all. The combination of being from a small city, being owned by shareholders rather than a billionaire, and the iconic Lambeau Field make the Packers easy to like.

Chicago Cubs

They have a lot of the same traits as the Red Sox with having overcome a long drought and having a legendary stadium.

UConn Huskies Basketball

They are the anti blue blood college basketball program. Whereas other successful CBB teams have an air of superiority, they have been spectacular the past 25 years, but still feel like a blue collar program

Detroit Lions

This is a team that has long suffered from not achieving despite having great players like Calvin Johnson and Barry Sanders. They are a legendary franchise that’s easy to root for.

St. Louis Cardinals

An iconic franchise with some of the best jerseys in sports makes them easy to like. The backdrop of their stadium and the surrounding area is also awesome.

Oregon Ducks Football

This is mainly due to their connection with Nike. Oregon is known for having such cool uniforms and going against the traditional teams like Michigan and Alabama, and it’s super interesting.

Most Hated Teams in Sports

Being a hated team in sports gets more of a bad rap than it should. It’s better to be hated as a sports team than to be irrelevant and not talked about (think Los Angeles Angels or Atlanta Falcons). Below are the most hated teams in American sports:

Dallas Cowboys

They are the most popular team in the most popular sport in America, the highest valued sports franchise in the world, and the most hated team in sports. The Cowboys get talked about so much despite not having accomplished anything notable in the past 30 years. That’s an easy team for fans to hate.

New York Yankees

The evil empire. The championships. The pinstripes. The Yankees are an iconic franchise. People all over the world wear their hat to the point that their logo is more so a fashion statement and representation of New York City than just a sports team. Even though they have underwhelmed the past decade plus, they will forever be near the top of this list.

Duke Blue Devils Basketball

Much like the teams above them, no matter how good or bad Duke is any given year, their reputation automatically makes people hate them. An elite university and elite basketball program that wins so much is the perfect villain college basketball needs.

Alabama Crimson Tide Football

They are an absolute juggernaut of a program, having dominated college football the past 15 years. Even with Nick Saban leaving, this is a team that everyone will circle on their schedules and fans will live to see them be mediocre.

New England Patriots

The Pats went 4-13 last year, and not a single person outside of New England felt bad after they dominated the most competitive league in sports for two decades. The success they’ve had combined with some “cheating,” has made them one of the most hated teams in America.

Houston Astros

They are newer to this list than most of the other teams on it. The sign stealing scandal is still fresh in so many minds, that they will be hated for years to come.

Texas Longhorns Football

They suffer from a similar “curse” that the Cowboys do. Texas Football is such a big brand, despite not winning a national championship for almost 20 years and people can’t stand it.

Michigan Wolverines Football

Before this year, Michigan was similar to Texas in that they hadn’t won a title in a long time, but were still talked about so much. This year, their cheating scandal combined with their dominating season gives football fans more fire to fuel their hate.

Philadelphia Eagles

This is a rare one, where people mainly hate this team because of how terrible their fans are. Philly easily has the worst fans in sports and it’s on full display at Eagles games.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs are starting to suffer from what the Pats have, where their success is breeding hate. That combined with all of the complaining they do every time the refs don’t bend the rules in their favor, makes them easy to hate.

Positional Tiers

In the NFL, some positions are of the upmost importance and others are not. Below, I broke down different positions into four separate tiers based on how critical they are to team success:

First Tier Positions: All or most of these must be filled with capable players or it’s unlikely your team will have success. The great ones should be paid a premium and held onto as long as possible:

  • Quarterback: The sky is blue, grass is green, QB is the most important position. Even people who aren’t football fans know this is the most important position in football and probably all sports. You get the most glory for winning and the most hate for losing and deservedly so. If you have Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes you can have a dynasty that lasts for 20 years. If you’re the Browns and you’ve had 38 QBs start from 1999-2023, then you’re in trouble.
  • Receivers (TE/WR): I’m going to group all pass catchers into one here which may be controversial. All you have to do is look at Rob Gronkowski and Travis Kelce, who are the two greatest TE of all time, and were either the main or one of the main weapons on 7 of the past 10 Super Bowl winners. What makes TE so sneakily amazing is they can put up the production of a WR, while also being able to block in the run game, and being paid much less than WRs are. WRs are still immensely important though. Having a guy like Tyreek Hill or Justin Jefferson is an absolute nightmare for opposing defenses.
  • Offensive Tackle: Protecting your quarterback is one of the most important jobs a team has and the person mainly responsible for that tends to be the left tackle. However, a great right tackle is a massive asset too, because star edge rushers can lineup on either side of the ball. With so many great edge rushers in the league now and fewer great tackles this position is even more important.
  • Edge Rusher/Interior Defensive Lineman: I once again group these positions together because while Edge Rushers are typically the guys who put up sacks, great interior defenders like Aaron Donald, Chris Jones, and Justin Madubuike are just as dangerous. These positions are the main weapon against stopping a great QB and offense.

Second Tier: Important positions, but not required to have studs at. It’s okay to let them walk if the price is too high:

  • Cornerback: With so many great receivers in the league today, having great cornerbacks to shut them down is extremely important. However, a solid overall secondary and a good defensive play caller can also help to slow great players down. This is a position one could argue is in the 1st tier, but I’m comfortable having it at the very top of the 2nd tier.
  • Off ball Linebacker: This is by no means a necessity for a team to have great players at this position, but it helps. The impact guys like Fred Warner and Roquan Smith have is huge, but it doesn’t stack up to the positions above it.
  • Interior Offensive Lineman (G/C): Once again, its great to have studs at this position, especially with guys like Chris Jones and Justin Madubuike reeking havoc nowadays. But, a solid bunch is better than a single elite player here.

Third Tier: Positions you should not splurge on.

  • Running Back: With the rare exception of guys like Christian McCaffrey and Derrick Henry, teams should not spend big at this position. It’s better to have a group of 3 guys who all compliment each other than one star who may get hurt.
  • Safety: This is not a position worth spending a lot of money on as it does not have a major impact like the ones in tiers above do.
  • Kicker: A great luxury, but a solid guy can get the job done. The Ravens have the greatest kicker ever in Justin Tucker, but have done very little recently in the postseason.

Fourth Tier: Really not important. No explanations needed.

  • Return Man
  • Fullback
  • Punter
  • Long Snapper

NFL Schedule Release

The NFL schedule release being bigger news than the NHL or NBA playoffs shows the popularity of the shield. Some highlights for the Pats and league as a whole:

Patriots

The Pats are tied for the 8th hardest strength of schedule and this will probably be a tough season record wise. The good news is they are starting at rock bottom so they can only go up.

The Pats only “unique” games of the year are a Thursday Night game vs the Jets Week 3 and a London game vs Jags. It makes sense that they aren’t on primetime a lot, but shows how far they have fallen.

Other Highlights

I love that the NFL is now scheduling games whenever they want to. There are two Friday games, including a Week 1 matchup in Brazil and a game on Black Friday. They are also playing two Christmas Day games on Netflix, even though it’s a Wednesday.

The NFL is the most popular league in America and they know it. No matter what day they show a game, people are going to watch.

One thing I don’t get about the NFL schedule is the Monday Night doubleheaders that overlap. I’d understand if they separated them so fans could watch both, but as they are now, fans must choose one or the other, which makes no sense. It’s happening 4 times this year.

Streaming Delimna

The massive news about Netflix showing Christmas Day games emphasizes an annoying trend in sports and streaming in general that is only going to get worse: There are too many streaming platforms people need to pay for. Below are all the streaming services and their prices needed to watch every NFL game next year.

That is crazy. I’ll pay for Sunday Ticket, I have Prime, and I also pay for NFL Plus (another $7 a month to stream games on your phone). For the steaming only games, I’ll have to rely on family, friends, or a local bar- as I’m sure a lot of other people will too.

This all highlights the awkward phase we are in with people moving from cable to streaming. No one under 40 wants to pay for cable, but there are too many streaming services to potentially pay for.

There’s a lot of news about companies bundling services together, especially for sports, and this makes sense. People don’t want to pay for all of these, but if you could somehow bundle all the NFL steamers together, that would be a hot ticket. One day, all the games will probably be streamed, so this will only continue to be a bigger issue.

Post Draft Thoughts

So much success in the NFL is based on where you play, especially at quarterback. No matter how much talent you have, a terrible organization, coach, and team can derail a career. Now that we know where the top 6 QBs and a couple other top prospects are playing, below I predict how their careers will turn out.

Caleb Williams:

Going to Chicago has historically been where careers go to die for QBs. However, if one QB can buck that trend, it’s Williams. He is so talented and the fact that his pro comparisons are Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes tells you how good he is. Unlike with Justin Fields, the Bears have actually done a great job of surrounding him with amazing weapons and a solid Oline. How great he will be will come down to how well the coaching staff develops him. Regardless, the Bears history of never having a QB throw for 4,000 yards or 30 TDs will end soon.

I think he will be a really good to great QB in the NFL. He will make multiple Pro Bowls and help the Bears compete in a really tough division. My main apprehension with him is he seems like a diva type player. That’s fine with wide receivers like TO and OBJ, but when it comes to quarterback, that type of personality tends to not work out. Look at guys in the league who are star QBs: Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, etc. They are not controversial and outspoken personalities. They always say the right things and are tremendous leaders. I just get the vibe that Caleb will not be a great leader and might causes some issues off the field similar to Kyler Murray and Aaron Rodgers. Once again, I think he’ll be really good to great, but will definitely cause some headaches for the Bears.

Jayden Daniels:

It’s great to see another LSU QB have a massive progression, win the Heisman, and be a top pick in the draft. That shows how great his work ethic is. His athleticism is off the charts and he will be one of the most athletic QBs in the league right away. It’s also reassuring that Daniels put up the numbers he did while playing in the best conference in college. He will be able to make an immediate impact and having an OC like Kliff Kingsbury is also a plus.

My one apprehension with him is that he is not super well built. This is something that can be fixed, but with a terrible Oline and being a guy that runs so much, it could be an issue.

Overall, he has a pretty good group of weapons around him with Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson at WR and Austin Ekeler and Brian Robinson Jr at RB. I think he has an average to solid career as a starter, but is not anything special.

Drake Maye:

I have super high hopes for Maye. He was my favorite QB in this draft, so the fact the Pats got him at #3 is a steal in my opinion. He reminds me a lot of Andrew Luck and Justin Herbert in terms of his combination of size, athleticism, and arm talent. He will just have turned 22 at the start of next season and will have time to develop under Jacoby Brissett. He is extremely tough, is a great kid, and played well through some perseverance and tough situations last year.

The biggest question with Maye has nothing to do with him, but the Patriots. First off, they have the worst roster in the league, especially when it comes to Oline and WR. They drafted some wide receivers and offensive lineman after Maye, but they still need to surround him with weapons and guys who can block. Also, how will the coaches develop him? Jerrod Mayo is a defensive coach so it will mainly be the responsibility of Alex Van Pelt, who is relatively unproven.

I believe he will develop into the Patriots franchise quarterback. He has the tools to succeed in New England, with a big frame and big arm that will serve him well in the terrible Foxboro weather. He obviously won’t be Tom Brady, but I think he can be a better version of Drew Bledsoe. He should be a multiple time Pro Bowler and lead the Pats back to contention for years to come.

Michael Penix Jr:

Easily the biggest shocker of the draft. I was initially shocked by what they did, but the Falcons explaining why they did it helped me make more sense of it. I just don’t agree with their reasoning.

Penix is going to be 24 before the season starts and is maybe the most “pro-ready” QB prospect in the draft. But they drafted him to be the developmental, eventual starter. He should have some good weapons around him when he does start, but when will that be?

They owe Kirk Cousins a ton of money and realistically can’t get out of the contact until 2026 when Penix with be 26 himself. Cousins isn’t amazing but he’s a good enough starter who probably won’t play himself out of the position. With all the uncertainty and an odd situation, I think Penix doesn’t end up being a long-term starter in the league.

J.J. McCarthy:

I like McCarthy, but easily think he was the most overrated player this draft. Compared to the other 5 QBs taken, I think he easily was the worst prospect and was benefited by his team more than any of them. With that being said, he is going to basically the perfect situation. He has a really good offensive coach in Kevin O’Connell, the best WR in the league in Justin Jefferson, a top 3 TE in TJ Hockenson, one of the best young WRs in the league in Jordan Addison, and new RB Aaron Jones. They even have a good offensive line. Furthermore, McCarthy can develop behind Sam Darnold if needed.

I think McCarthy will have a career similar to the man he is replacing – Kirk Cousins. His situation is just too good to be a complete bust. I see him putting up solid numbers but not being a guy who can win his team big games and take them far in the playoffs.

Bo Nix:

Nix lands in a spot with a good head coach, but a team that really lacks weapons. He’s accurate and has a ton of experience, but I just don’t think he has that high of a ceiling. Sean Payton has also been very impatient and critical of his QB and team since taking over and I don’t think that’s a great situation for any rookie QB. I think Nix ends up playing a good bit as a rookie, but I don’t think his career will mount to much and he won’t be a long-term starter.

Marvin Harrison Jr.

I think he is the best player in this class and the most exciting by far. Getting to play for a good QB in Kyler is also huge for him. He’ll be a Day 1 starter and should be an absolute stud for years to come.

Brock Bowers:

I think Bowers fits into the Raiders mold well. The biggest question is who is gonna be the QB throwing him the ball and how good will they be. However, he’s so talented that he should make an immediate impact and he has other weapons around him so defenses can’t just key in on him. He should be a long-term starter and make a handful of Pro Bowls.

Other Quick Points

With 6 QBs taken in the first round and all these other amazing offensive players at marquee positions like WR and OT, I think this draft will go down in history as one of the best ever.

The fact that round 1 of the NFL draft had a higher average viewership than last year’s NBA finals once again shows why football is the king of sports in the US.

Xavier Worthy should be a great pick for Chiefs. He fits in so well with Mahomes and that offense. The Chiefs have rebuilt their WR corps into one of the better ones in the league in just one year, showing why they are the dynasty that they are.

It’s still so early, but the Bears – Panthers trade from last year might go down as the worst trade in NFL history. If Bryce Young ends up being a bust, while Caleb is a stud that’s bad enough. But on top of that, the Bears got one of the best WRs in the league, a starting tackle, a starting CB, and still have another 2nd round pick next year. This is something to keep an eye on.

Best Players in the 2020 CFP

The 2020 College Football Playoff probably had the most talent we have ever seen in the CFP era. Take a look below at how loaded these teams were:

LSU

  • Joe Burrow, QB: 2019 All-American and Heisman Trophy Winner, 2020 1st Round Pick (1st), NFL Pro Bowler
  • Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB: 2020 1st round pick (32nd), 2x Super Bowl Champion
  • Ja’Marr Chase, WR: 2019 All-American and Fred Biletnikoff Award Winner, 2021 1st Round Pick (5th), NFL All-Pro
  • Justin Jefferson, WR: 2020 1st Round Pick (22nd), 3x NFL All-Pro, 2022 NFL OPOY, Most receiving yards by a player in their first 4 seasons
  • K’Lavon Chaisson, DE: 2020 1st Round Pick (20th)
  • Patrick Queen, LB: 2020 1st Round Pick (28th), NFL All-Pro
  • Grant Delpit, S: 2x All-American, 2019 Jim Thorpe Award Winner, 2020 2nd Round Pick (44th)
  • Derek Stingley Jr, CB: 2019 All-American, 2022 1st Round Pick (3rd)

Clemson

  • Trevor Lawrence, QB: 2020 ACC POY, 2021 1st Round Pick (1st), NFL Pro Bowler
  • Travis Etienne, RB: 2020 All-American, 2x ACC POY, 2021 1st Round Pick (25th), 2x 1,000 yard rusher in NFL
  • Tee Higgins, WR: 2020 2nd Round Pick (33rd), 2x 1,000 yard receiver in NFL
  • Justyn Ross, WR: 1,000 yard receiver in college, 2x Super Bowl Champion
  • Isaiah Simmons, LB: 2019 All American and Dick Butkus Award Winner, 2020 1st Round Pick (8th)
  • AJ Terrell Jr, CB: 2020 1st Round Pick (16th), NFL All-Pro

Ohio State

  • Justin Fields, QB: 2x Big Ten OPOY, 2021 1st round Draft Pick (11th)
  • JK Dobbins, RB: 6th in Heisman voting in 2019, 2,000 yard rusher in college, 2020 2nd Round Pick (55th)
  • Garrett Wilson, WR: 2022 1st round pick (10th), 2x 1,000 yard receiver in NFL, 2022 NFL OROY
  • Chris Olave, WR: 2022 1st Round Pick (11th), 2x 1,000 yard receiver in NFL
  • Jameson Williams, WR: 2022 1st Round Pick (12th)
  • Wyatt Davis, G: 2x All-American, 2021 3rd Round Pick (86th)
  • Jonah Jackson, G: 2020 3rd Round Pick (75th), NFL Pro Bowler
  • Chase Young, DE: 2019 All-American, 2019 Bronko Nagurski and Chuck Bednarik Award Winner, 2020 1st Round Pick (2nd), NFL Pro Bowler, 2020 NFL DROY
  • Damon Arnette, CB: 2020 1st Round Pick (19th)
  • Jeff Okudah, CB: 2019 All-American, 2020 1st Round Pick (3rd)

Oklahoma

  • Jalen Hurts, QB: 2016 SEC OPOY, 2019 Heisman Runner-up, 2020 2nd Round Pick (53rd), NFL All-Pro
  • Rhamondre Stevenson, RB: 2021 4th round Pick (120th), 1,000 yard rusher in the NFL
  • CeeDee Lamb, WR: 2019 All-American, 2020 1st Round Pick (17th), 2x NFL All-Pro
  • Creed Humphrey, C: 2021 2nd Round Pick (63rd), NFL All-Pro, 2x Super Bowl Champ
  • Kenneth Murray, LB: 2020 1st Round Pick (23rd)

As a bonus, check out how good the 2019 Alabama team was who finished ranked EIGHTH in the AP Poll:

  • Tua Tagovailoa, QB: 2018 All-American and Maxwell Award Winner, 2020 1st Round Pick (5th), led NFL in Passer Rating in 2022, NFL Pro Bowler
  • Mac Jones, QB: 2020 All-American and Davey O’Brien Award Winner, 2021 1st Round Pick (15th), NFL Pro Bowler
  • Najee Harris, RB: 2020 All-American and Doak Walker Award Winner, 2021 1st Round Pick (24th), NFL Pro Bowler
  • Henry Ruggs III, WR: 2020 1st Round Pick (12th)
  • Jerry Jeudy, WR: 2018 Fred Biletnikoff Award Winner and All-American, 2020 1st round pick (15th)
  • Jaylen Waddle, WR: 2021 1st Round Pick (6th), 3x 1,000 yard receiver in the NFL
  • DeVonta Smith, WR: 2020 Heisman Award Winner, 2021 1st Round Pick (10th), 2x 1,000 yard receiver in NFL
  • John Metchie, WR: 2022 2nd Round Pick (44th)
  • Landon Dickerson, G: 2020 All-American and Dave Rimington Trophy Winner, 2021 2nd Round Pick (37th), 2x NFL Pro Bowler
  • Alex Leatherwood, T: 2020 All-American and Outland Trophy Winner, 2021 1st Round Pick (17th)
  • Evan Neal, T: 2021 All-American, 2022 1st Round Pick (7th), 
  • Jedrick Wills Jr, T: 2020 1st Round Pick (10th)
  • Trevon Diggs: 2020 2nd Round Pick (51st), NFL All-Pro
  • Patrick Surtain II: 2020 All-American and SEC DPOY, 2021 1st Round Pick (9th), NFL All-Pro

The five teams above provided a whopping 31 first round picks in the 2020-2022 NFL Drafts. An absolute crazy amount of talent on those five squads. If your looking for something to do just pull up some highlights from these teams 2019 seasons and you’ll be entertained for hours.

Current Quaterbacks Going to the Hall Of Fame

No Doubt

Aaron Rodgers: A four time MVP who throws the prettiest ball of all time. He’ll be a first ballot HOF and no one will bat an eye.

Patrick Mahomes: He is putting up numbers and accolades at a faster pace than any QB ever. It pains me to say, but he will make a run at the NFL GOAT and at minimum should be on the Mt. Rushmore for QBs if he stays healthy.

Lamar Jackson: Every player who has won the MVP award multiple times has or is guaranteed to go to the Hall of Fame. For that reason, plus the fact that he is probably the best athlete and running QB ever, I think Lamar has punched his ticket to Canton and he still should have many productive years left.

Likely In

Russell Wilson: Forget the last two years. He’s a nine time Pro Bowler, a Super Bowl Champ, an All-Pro, and the QB of a legendary team. I do think he needs one more MVP/OPOY/All-Pro type season to guarantee himself a spot. The one thing that could keep him out is if his play continues to be this ugly moving forward.

Young, but will eventually make it

Justin Herbert: I think his floor is a Dan Marino type career where his team lets him down but he puts up all time numbers. If he can even win one Super Bowl, I think he goes down as a Top 10 QB ever. Getting Jim Harbaugh will only help him.

Joe Burrow: He is a gamer and a winner. I think the Bengals will win at least one Super Bowl and he’ll have many individual accolades. He’s also the only active QB who has shown he can consistently beat Mahomes.

Missing Out

Josh Allen: His play is absolutely amazing but playing like Superman has its consequences. I think he takes too many hits and it will lead to him having too short of a career to do what he needs to make the Hall.

Matthew Stafford: I don’t get the Hall buzz for Stafford. He has made two Pro Bowls, never been an All-Pro, never been considered a Top 5 QB, and never won a major award. It’s not even a question, he’s out.

Rookie QB Strategy

Every time a team drafts a potential franchise QB, the fanbase is pumped up but often gets let down. The truth is, that a huge determinate of a QB’s success is where they end up. Even a guy like Andrew Luck, who was one of the best QB prospects ever, played great for the Colts but had his career shut down due to his front office not being able to protect him. Below is what I think teams should down before/after drafting their future QB.

First, they need to build the team around him. With few exceptions (i.e. Luck) you can’t just draft a QB onto an awful team and expect things to turn around. It’s much smarter to draft a QB onto a team that has pieces around him. Start with a solid O-Line that can protect him. Then you want 1 or 2 good to great playmakers he can get the ball to and make him look good. Finally, an, at minimum, average defense that won’t lose him games in which he’s played well enough to win.

QBs should play as soon as possible. If a QB isn’t remotely ready or you have a capable guy ahead of him, then I get it. But if he is the best option you have, why not play him and let him get experience? The first year might suck, but if they are going to be a future star, then it should make them better. Trevor Lawrence had Urban Meyer his first year and has still developed into a good QB.

There are 3 types of exits for QBs after you have drafted them. If after one year they show complete ineptitude and are a bad locker room guy, then its time to move on. After year 2, if they have not shown flashes that they can be great, then its time to move on. Finally, by the end of year 3, if they have not developed into a good QB, it is time to move on. Devoting more than 3 years to a guy who isn’t the answer is unwise. Especially because every current star QB who has been drafted the last 10 years, has shown his talent by the end of year 3.