Who is the Dynasty QB2 in the 2021 NFL Draft?
The Draft is less than a week away, and there are more questions than answers in the fantasy community. One such question is, who is the fantasy QB2 in this upcoming NFL Draft? Is it Justin Fields? Zach Wilson? Kellen Mond??
I asked that question to the GoingFor2 Writers group and we had some pretty interesting answers. I linked their Twitter handles, so feel free to tweet at them and let them know how wrong they are.
Embed from Getty ImagesZach Wilson – BYU
Courtney Burrows @luvtractor3 – With everyone jumping on the Fields bandwagon, I am sticking with Wilson who I have been high on for months now. He has incredible arm strength in and out of the pocket and he keeps plays alive. He is smart, and at 6’3″ and 210 lbs, he isn’t the tallest QB out there, but he is in line with the average starting height in the league.
At BYU in 2020, he threw for 3,692 yards with a completion percentage rate of 73.5 which is 10% better than 2019, which shows his ability to learn, manage, and advance the game. Though he could improve his mechanics of throwing and footwork, the fact is the ball gets to where it needs to be and that is what matters, the other is fine-tuning which will happen at the elite NFL level with proper coaching. Wilson isn’t the fastest either, but he is aggressive and uses his wits to scramble and extend plays left and right. This is huge in today’s game, pocket passers are yesterday’s news.
QBs that can scramble effectively like Murray and Mahomes are what leads teams, and Wilson fits that mold. I fear Wilson lands with the Jets, and we have seen what the Jets organization has done to QBs in the past. I am hoping the Jets take Fields and that Wilson lands with the 49ers or Panthers, as he could be a starter day one and be successful with their offensive weapons like Kittle or DJ Moore respectively.
Nate Williams @NateWilliamsDFS – I just want to say one quick thing — I love Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields joining the NFL as rookies in 2021. I also love another kid though, and I think he gives Lawrence a run for his money for rookie of the year. That kid is Zach Wilson out of BYU.
Courtney did a great job above touching on his skill set and statistics produced during his time as a Cougar. I did film study on all five of the top prospects and Wilson’s was hands-down the most fun to watch. Will that translate over to fantasy success in the NFL though? I think it will. The kid is smooth. He makes tough throws look easy with his great arm strength, throwing motion, arm angles and footwork.
All of those lead to really solid anticipation, as Wilson releases the ball as the receiver is making his break on routes. Usually, he will then quickly find himself in a great rhythm and he runs an absolutely beautiful play-action pass too. I believe Wilson will be able to avoid the pass rush at the pro level and produce a consistent amount of rushing yards as a quarterback. For us fantasy owners, QB rushing upside makes all the difference!
Gabriel Miramontes @gmiramontesssss – Zach Wilson is my FAVORITE quarterback prospect in this draft class, PERIOD. Mainly because he is compared to my other favorite fantasy QB, Josh Allen. Wilson — along with Lawrence — find themselves as the two rookies likely to have their name called on opening day for their respective teams.
Wilson’s arm and bull-like rushing ability push him to the top of my rookie fantasy rankings. The New York Jets are in a full rebuild with new head coach Robert Saleh. I love the mental toughness culture that Saleh brings. Wilson brings that exact mentality as well which creates the perfect pairing.
Denzel Mims and Jamison Crowder, are by no means perfect but Mimms showed promise as a young talented rookie last year. Newly signed Corey Davis should pack more than a punch to get this new look offense up and running!
His first year may not be pretty, but in redraft leagues, Wilson has top 20 upside much like Allen in his rookie season (finished as the QB 18). In dynasty and super-flex leagues, Wilson is a must-own. Tides are changing in New York and I am changing my mindset about NY players because of it!
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Trey Lance – North Dakota State
Jared Good @TheYetiExpress – Zach Wilson had 11 TDs and 9 ints his sophomore season. He didn’t have his draft stock rise until his senior season, in which BYU played the 70th toughest schedule in the NCAA. The top opponent he faced was Coastal Carolina, in a game where he looked average at best.
Justin Fields I’m on the fence, one game versus Northwestern he was saved by Tre Sermon running for 295 yards, another game he lit up Clemson. Ohio state Qbs have failed in the NFL. I’ll take Trey Lance a proven winner. Lance only had his draft stock fall due to playing only 1 game due to Covid-19 issues.
Gary Zamarripa @garyzam01 – While I really like Justin Fields as a player and prospect, I’m going with Trey Lance as my pick. I concede he will need to learn behind a veteran for a year to gain some more experience. He has sound fundamentals, a big arm and quick feet.
At 6’3″ and 221 pounds he has the size and speed to be a capable runner. He also took good care of the ball in North Dakota State with 28 touchdowns and 0 interceptions last season. He has good mobility that can buy him time in the pocket and use his powerful arm to challenge defenses downfield.
If he’s drafted into the right situation and the team nurtures his talent, we could look back and wonder why he wasn’t the second QB off the board.
Embed from Getty ImagesKellen Mond – Texas A&M
Charlie Friar @CharlieFriar – I know, random. But Texas A&M senior Kellen Mond first intrigued me at the Senior Bowl, and since then his tape has really impressed me. Mond shined at the Senior Bowl, throwing for 173 yards and 2 TD’s in limited action. He also converted two 2-point conversions (1 pass, 1 rush) to put his team ahead in the 3rd quarter.
Mond showed good presence in the pocket and threw some impressive passes into really tight windows. Panthers HC Matt Rhule was even quoted after the game saying about Mond, “We’re talking about a really, really football-smart guy here… I think he’s got a bright future.” Smart is the keyword. Now, do I think Mond is the most talented?
No.
His mechanics are quirky, and he doesn’t have a ton of flash. However, he is athletic and has a quick release. Mond was also a 4-year starter at A&M, and always appeared calm and collected under pressure. The best part about Mond? Where he could end up.
There are several high-end teams that might be looking for a QB of the future, and Mond could be there waiting for them after the first round. The Steelers and the Washington Football Team come to mind first. The prospect of either of those teams grabbing Mond in the 2nd or 3rd round makes him my favorite QB of this draft.
Justin Fields – Ohio State
Gerson Aguirre @FantasyGDFS – Justin Fields 6’3 227 lbs is a size you look for in your franchise QB, what team he ends up on remains the question. I’ve seen it all and heard it all. “He’s a first read QB “, “Work ethic”, Ohio State doesn’t produce good QBs.”
I’ve heard it all — and it’s all BS. I believe the arm talent and his 4.4 forty speed will go a long way in the NFL. If he lands with the 49ers or Atlanta — the sky is the limit. HOT TAKE: Justin Fields is this year Justin Hebert.
Shawn Sullivan @shawn_sulli5 – For me, even with Trevor Lawrence included in this conversation, I believe Justin Fields is at the top of this class — but is being overlooked for the wrong reasons. Fields has been downplayed so much by analysts, but the same analysts fail to critique the other quarterbacks to the same standard.
Yes, he is a young quarterback with a limited amount of games. Yes, he makes mistakes by trying to force the ball. Yes, he had issues with pre-snap reads. But these are deficiencies that can be fixed with the right coaching. His strengths are unparalleled in this draft class. He has elite speed and great size for a quarterback at the next level.
He throws a tremendous deep ball and throws with pinpoint accuracy in the intermediate range. If he somehow slips out of the top-5 in the draft, he becomes an absolute steal and for fantasy football, he offers the highest upside with the ability to finish as a QB1 in his rookie year as long as he earns the starting job.
Wayne Brady @socratictheory – Field’s ability to throw the deep ball with accuracy combined with his natural inclination to extend plays to throw rather than run makes him a dynamic prospect. Fields is a QB who threatens every blade of grass. He might be the best QB in this draft INCLUDING Lawrence.
Devin Deal @DevinDeal – It’s easy to get lost in pro-day workouts and measurables this time of year. Those things definitely have their place in evaluations, but to me, the tape trumps all. And Justin Fields has some impressive tape. Don’t get me wrong he definitely has things he needs to improve on, but every prospect does.
Justin has a tendency to stare down his receiver and his internal clock can often lead to sacks as he tries to keep plays alive. All of these can be fixed at the next level with the right coaching, but overall Fields is an extremely dynamic player. Given his size, 6’3” and 227lbs, and natural ability to make plays, he has all the traits today’s NFL teams covet. He will be a very exciting player to watch at the next level.
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