This is the first installment of a series of positional rankings for this year’s draft prospects. Regardless of whom the Las Vegas Raiders draft, each ranking will have a brief analysis, followed by a draft round grade.
Las Vegas Raiders 2021 QB Draft Board
1. Trevor Lawrence, JR, Clemson
Lawrence is arguably the most surefire quarterback prospect since Peyton Manning. In fact, he looks a lot like a more athletic version of ’18’. He is clearly the number one overall pick in this year’s draft. Everyone knows this.
Grade: Consensus first overall pick
2. Justin Fields, JR, Ohio State
Fields is a great athlete with tons of arm talent. He kind of resembles Carson Wentz coming out of college. Like the Colts quarterback, the Ohio State product is a crazy talented prospect who looked great throughout his college career, partly due to being on teams with superior talent.
The question for Fields is whether or not he can adjust to the nuances of the NFL. This has also been an area where Wentz has struggled. One thing that Fields has going for him that is promising is the fact that he looked solid against elite college defenses like Alabama and Clemson.
Grade: Top 5 pick
3. Zach Wilson, JR, BYU
The first thing that jumps off the screen when you watch this guy is his ability to sling it all over the field. He is just a baller and takes over games the way Deshaun Watson does. He has been likened to Johnny Manziel without the character concerns. This comparison makes sense when you take into account Wilson’s penchant for risk-taking. Ultimately, he is more talented than Manziel. The only thing that keeps Wilson behind Fields is the lack of film against some of the elite defenses in college football.
Grade: Top 5 pick
4. Trey Lance, RS SO, NDSU
Lance’s potential is MASSIVE. He could become a superstar in the right situation. Two years as a starter on an FCS juggernaut is not a great sample though. This makes it hard to see how he will transition to the next level. It is going to be a huge jump for him. Not the same situation as Carson Wentz, who had more than double the number of attempts that Lance had in college. Lance will probably need to sit behind a veteran for at least a year. If a team tries to make him be the guy on day one, it could very easily become a ‘ Mitchell Trubisky’ situation.
Grade: Top 25 pick
[tps_title]The second tier[/tps_title]