Chris Simms' Quarterback Rankings for the 2021 NFL Draft
Chris Simms probably is the best quarterback scout in media today.
He used to play quarterback, he's Phil Simms' son and he's smart. And he doesn't follow the crowd. In 2018, he said Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen were better than Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold, and was right.
Here's how Simms ranks the top quarterbacks in the 2021 draft.
Take note, 49ers.
1. Zach Wilson, BYU
Simms: "My baseline for Wilson is Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes. That's where it starts. It is an unbelievably quick release. It's the ability to throw the ball any which way he wants -- side arm, over the top, jumping in air, two feet off the ground, throwing between a guard and a tackle 25 yards down the middle. The arm strength is phenomenal. He can throw 40-yard lasers into a Cover 2 hole. He can throw 60-, 70-yard-bomb posts down the middle and he doesn't need to get his hole body into it. I was blown away."
2. Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
Simms: "He does have a very strong arm -- there's no doubt about that. His mechanics are a little flawed. The ball can be a little bit all over the place at times, along with his feet. He just gets it done with God-given natural ability. And size is a skill. He has the ability to throw over people with people around him, and I think there is room for him to grow as a thrower. He's a big, strong athlete. But as a pure thrower, he's not as good as Justin Herbert was last year. I was more blown away by what I saw from Herbert."
3. Mac Jones, Alabama
Simms: "He's a lot better than I thought. He's just an absolute machine throwing the football. His arm isn't as powerful as Trevor Lawrence's or Zach Wilson's, but his arm is more powerful than Joe Burrow's. Now, he's not the athlete and can't make the plays Burrow did avoiding blitzes and running, but Jones has unbelievable feet, really quick in the pocket. I think he is a top-10 pick. I have no doubt about that. His ability to go through reads and process information and get onto the next guy is as good as I've seen the last few years. It's up there with Joe Burrow."
4. Kellen Mond, Texas A&M
Simms: "Why is nobody talking about this guy? He lost one game in the SEC, threw 19 touchdowns and three interceptions. That merits more talk and hype. But forget that -- his throwing is special. Wilson is the king of the throwing. Jones is extremely consistent. Kellen Mond is the next guy. As pure throwers, guys who can throw perfect strikes every time, Wilson, Jones and Mond are more machines than Trevor Lawrence is at this point. Mond has a really quick release, he keeps the ball up tight. I wish he would relax and loosen up, but that's the way they're taught in college at times. Every throw he makes is bullseye. It's a rocket arm. He doesn't need space in the pocket. He can throw with pressure. The only negative is I wish he'd play a little bit more backyard football. He's a really good athlete, but I think he's trying to do the right thing in the Jimbo Fisher system and go through the reads, and he's a great decision maker, he can go 1 to 2 to 3 seamlessly, he makes very little mistakes, when people aren't open he doesn't compound those mistakes. And I'm not going to lie, I'm not blown away by Jimbo Fisher's offense. It's a little predictable. Defenses are all over their concepts, and he still throws strikes in there."
5. Justin Fields, Ohio State
Simms: "He has big talent -- there's no doubt -- it's just very raw at this point. He has room to grow. His running is real, better than I thought it was. He is a real threat, and the athletic ability will help him early in his career as he grows into being a better passer. He has an incredibly strong arm, but it can fall apart, and that's what scares me. I know people talk about the Clemson game. I would challenge people to go back and watch it. I know there are some good throws, but there are a handful of throws in that game where I would expect a high school quarterback to hit them 10 out of 10. I believe he's a one-read thrower. If the first read is not wide open, he's going to run or panic and he can do some bad things when he does that, can be a little careless with the football. He is not a good short-ball thrower. I look at Cardale Jones, Dwayne Haskins, Justin Fields, I don't know if they're teaching it this way at Ohio State but the arm can get too floppy. It just doesn't connect all the time. His body is locked and the arm just flops everywhere."
6. Trey Lance, North Dakota State.
Simms: "Lack of play -- that's what would scare me. He has a big time arm and he can fly. In a lot of ways, I like his technique with how he throws the ball more than I like Justin Fields. But the offense was a one-read offense. And it's lack of throws and lack of playing that would scare me. If you draft him, you're going to have a play a certain way early in his career to let that come along. A little too raw."
Watch Simms' full comments below.
