NFL Network Analyst: Neither Lawrence, Fields Grade Out as Highest At Quarterback

Trevor Lawrence was always considered a can't miss prospect coming out of high school. Some analysts even went as far as pegging him as the top overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft before he had ever taken a collegiate snap.

He's big, strong, deceptively agile, has a cannon for an arm, and his coaches rave about his knowledge of the game. He is everything NFL teams are looking for in a quarterback.

While analysts continue to gush over Lawrence, it is starting to appear as if the 2021 quarterback class is going to be one of the better ones of the last several years, at least at the top of the board.

Outside of Lawrence, there's obviously Justin Fields at Ohio State. However, Trey Lance at North Dakota State is also now quickly moving up the boards.

On a recent episode of the Ryen Russillo Podcast, NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah went in-depth on the three quarterbacks, and how each grade out in his eyes. To say some of his findings were a little surprising would be putting mildly.

"If you're going off just grades, (Trey Lance would) be my clear number one quarterback in this draft class," Jeremiah said. "Over the summer I have a higher grade on Trey Lance than Trevor Lawrence. He's strong, he's sturdy. He operates that North Dakota State offense, and there are so many things that they do that translate."

Often times in the spread offenses seen in today's game, the quarterbacks only have to read half of the field. That isn't how the spread at North Dakota State works though, and Jeremiah thinks that can be a difference-maker for Lance in terms of his draft stock.

"You'll see him work the whole field," Jeremiah said. "A lot of times when we're talking about these spread offenses, a single-high safety or a two-high safety determines which side of the formation you're going to work. You're cutting the field in half. But you watch this kid, and you'll see full-field progression."

That isn't to say Jeremiah has soured on Lawrence in any way. Two years into his college career and Lawrence's play on the field has only strengthened the arguments for him going first overall.

While guys like Drew Brees, Russell Wilson, Kyler Murray and others have proven that quarterbacks don't have to stand over 6-feet tall to have success in today's NFL, at 6-foot-6, Lawrence possesses the kind of height that can without question prove to be beneficial at the next level.

"(Lawrence's) got rare qualities," Jeremiah said. "It's those elite-level qualities. Size. People can argue about it not being as important in the game today as it used to be, which is true, but it's still an advantage."

Lawrence also gives coaches something you don't typically find in quarterbacks his size. He is athletic and surprisingly quick, and as he showed last season against Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl, he can beat you with his legs.

"He's 6-foot-6, can move around, tremendous athlete," Jeremiah said. "You can use him in the designed quarterback run game, as well as just organically making plays with his athleticism. And he's got a big arm."

While there are a ton of things that Jeremiah loves about Lawrence, the Clemson quarterback isn't quite at the level he originally thought. After studying the film, he thinks there are still some areas in which Lawrence needs to improve.

"When you really dig in and study him, I was anticipating seeing kind of like a polished Andrew Luck type player," Jeremiah said. "He's not at that level right now. He's tremendously talented, but he's not the pristine prospect that maybe I thought I was going to get when I went into the process.

"He's got some accuracy stuff, where he's just not pinpoint accurate. Completes balls sometimes but the placement's not great. He's got these big, rangy receivers that can bail him out on some of that stuff. His eyes work really quick, but sometimes his feet aren't catching up to his eyes. So that leads to some of the accuracy stuff."

After his first season as Ohio State's starting quarterback, Fields has also become one of the favorites to hear his name called first in 2021, but there are some areas in which he still needs to improve.

“Between Fields and Lawrence, it would be Lawrence for me,” Jeremiah said. "Justin Fields is a tremendous talent, but it isn't all there yet. I know the numbers will say what they are, and they jump off the page, but just some of the vision stuff is going to get better. He just needs to play more."