03-22-2023, 09:59 AM -
With the 2023 NFL Draft coming up in a few weeks, I thought it would be interesting to take a look back and all of the first round quarterbacks since 2010 and see how they panned out.
https://247sports.com/LongFormArticle/NF...161684511/
2011:
CAM NEWTON (PANTHERS), JAKE LOCKER (TITANS), BLAINE GABBERT (JAGUARS), CHRISTIAN PONDER (VIKINGS)
Newton burst onto the scene at Auburn and shined in the NFL throughout his Panthers career, culminating in an MVP season in 2015 and a Super Bowl appearance. Since then, Newton unfortunately suffered from the injury bug and was eventually released by the Panthers after the 2019 season. In his lone season with the New England Patriots in 2020, Newton showed flashes of his old self, but struggled as a passer and New England missed the postseason.
Locker struggled when on the field and suffered from injuries throughout his career, eventually retiring from football after the 2014 season. Gabbert was another miss for the Jaguars at quarterback as the 10th overall pick, lasting just three seasons with Jacksonville. However, Gabbert stuck around and remains with the Tampa Bay Bucs as a backup to Tom Brady. Ponder played three pedestrian seasons with the Vikings until 2014 and then bounced between the then Oakland Raiders, Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers until after the 2016 season. He has not played in the NFL since.
2012:
ANDREW LUCK (COLTS), ROBERT GRIFFIN III (REDSKINS), RYAN TANNEHILL (DOLPHINS), BRANDON WEEDEN (BROWNS) - 2012
Andrew Luck had some success, as did RGIII for a bit. The others? Nah. Not much there.
A historic NFL Draft class and Russell Wilson was not even selected in the first round. Luck was dubbed the best prospect since Peyton Manning and John Elway and at times, he was one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Luck never made a Super Bowl, coming up one game short in the AFC Championship to the Patriots in 2014, and he took a beating throughout his career. Luck shocked the sports world by announcing his retirement during the preseason prior to the 2019 season.
Griffin III took the world by storm as a rookie but knee injuries derailed his career and the Redskins eventually turned to Kirk Cousins. The former Heisman trophy winner ended up with the Browns for one season before becoming a backup in Baltimore in 2018 behind sensation Lamar Jackson. Tannehill went from decent starting quarterback in Miami, to reinvented starter with the Titans in 2019. He filled in for Marcus Mariota and led the Titans to the AFC Championship in 2019 and followed it up with another solid season and playoff appearance in 2020.
Weeden, despite never thriving as a starter with the Browns, bounced around the league as a quality backup with the Cowboys, Texans, Titans and back to the Texans but has not suited up since 2018.
2013:
EJ MANUEL (BILLS) - 2013
Manuel was the lone quarterback selected in 2013 and was thought to be the lone star in a very thin class. The Bills traded down and still selected Manuel and he lasted four seasons with the Bills. He started 10 games as a rookie but never broke through as a reliable starter with Buffalo and he signed a free agent deal with the Raiders as a backup in 2017. He started just one game and was out of the league the very next year. He had another chance in 2019 by signing with the Kansas City Chiefs but did not make the final roster and he announced his retirement in May of 2019. The former Florida State star eventually joined the ACC Network as a college football analyst.
2014:
BLAKE BORTLES (JAGUARS), JOHNNY MANZIEL (BROWNS), TEDDY BRIDGEWATER (VIKINGS) - 2014
Bortles spent his time with the Jaguars until eventually latching on with the Los Angeles Rams as a backup to Jared Goff and now Matthew Stafford. He led the Jaguars to the AFC Championship game in 2017 but other than one magical season, he was subpar in his time with Jacksonville.
Manziel famously flamed out of the league after starring in college at Texas A&M and had very brief stints in the Canadian Football League. He recently appeared in the new indoor football league the Fan Controlled Football League.
Bridgewater seemed to be the long term solution for the Vikings but a devastating knee injury ended his time in Minnesota. He bounced from the New York Jets to the New Orleans Saints, where he became a top flight backup. Because of his performance, he was rewarded with a three-year deal with the Carolina Panthers prior to 2020. However, the Panthers could select a quarterback in the Top-10 of the NFL Draft in 2021.
2015:
JAMEIS WINSTON (BUCCANEERS), MARCUS MARIOTA (TITANS) - 2015
Both of these quarterbacks had their share of success, but never really became "elite".
Winston and Mariota were the cream of the crop in a thin quarterback class at the time. Both quarterbacks lasted until after the 2019 season with their respective franchises as Winston signed as a backup with the New Orleans Saints but could be in line to be the starter in 2021 with the impending retirement of Drew Brees. Mariota signed as a backup to Derek Carr with the Las Vegas Raiders but showcased his old self in a relief appearance late in the season due to a minor injury to Carr.
Winston flashed brilliance in his time but was far too costly with turnovers throughout his career, including throwing 33 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in 2019. Mariota had a few playoff appearances in his Titans career but never made it past the divisional round as a starter. He gave way to Ryan Tannehill in 2019, who led the Titans to the AFC Championship. Both have starting potential and can be successful in the right system but are both on a wait and see approach for their futures.
2016:
JARED GOFF (RAMS), CARSON WENTZ (EAGLES), PAXTON LYNCH (BRONCOS) - 2016
Goff went No. 1 overall, Wentz followed and Lynch went No. 26 overall. Wentz was the most successful of the bunch early on, becoming an MVP front-runner prior to his injury in 2017, but does have a Super Bowl ring for that season. Aside from his rookie season, Wentz led the Eagles to the playoffs three straight seasons but made his debut in 2019 after injuries prevented his previous two appearances. But, a career-worst 2020 season led the Eagles trading him to the Indianapolis Colts.
Goff flourished under head coach Sean McVay after a down rookie season under Jeff Fisher and led the Rams to Super Bowl LIII. But, failure of continued development, the Rams made a blockbuster move, trading Goff to the Detroit Lions for veteran Matthew Stafford.
Lynch lasted two seasons with Denver before signing with the Seahawks in 2018. He was cut in 2019 and joined the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad but is currently a free agent ahead of the 2021 season.
2017:
MITCHELL TRUBISKY (BEARS), PATRICK MAHOMES (CHIEFS), DESHAUN WATSON (TEXANS) - 2017
The Bears went all in and traded up for Trubisky at the No. 2 overall pick but the two behind him are creating headlines with their stellar play. The Bears made the playoffs in 2018 but took a step back in 2019 and just squeaked in during 2020. Trubisky’s future is very uncertain as Chicago is seemingly involved in the quarterback trade market with Watson and Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.
Mahomes was seen as a project, but he sat one season behind Alex Smith and then became the most electric player in the league. He led the Chiefs to a Super Bowl LIV victory and back to Super Bowl LV in a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Watson was nothing but productive for the Texans in four seasons but a down 2020 season for the team and friction between Watson and the front office could lead to his departure via trade, perhaps to the Bears or elsewhere such as the Miami Dolphins or New York Jets.
2018:
BAKER MAYFIELD (BROWNS), SAM DARNOLD (JETS), JOSH ALLEN (BILLS), JOSH ROSEN (CARDINALS), LAMAR JACKSON (RAVENS) - 2018
Mayfield looked good as a rookie but took a step back in 2019, putting pressure on the former No. 1 overall pick. In 2020, Mayfield had arguably his best season as an effective quarterback, leading the Browns to the playoffs for the first time since 2002 and even won a game in the Wild Card round.
Darnold struggled pretty much every season so far with the Jets, headlined by coaching changes and poor personnel around him. He could be on the trading block or the hot seat as the Jets could trade for or draft a new quarterback this year.
Allen led the Bills to the playoffs and developed a little more as a passer each season. In 2020, Allen led Buffalo to the AFC Championship but a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs prevented their fifth Super Bowl appearance. Rosen was traded to the Miami Dolphins after one season in Arizona and served as the backup in 2019. In 2020, Rosen was a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice squad before being signed to the active roster with the San Francisco 49ers.
Jackson was the NFL MVP in 2019 and led the Ravens to the No. 1 seed in the AFC by dazzling with his arm talent and he broke Michael Vick’s single season rushing record for a quarterback. Last year, Jackson led Baltimore over Tennessee in the Wild Card round but fell short to the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round.
2019:
KYLER MURRAY (CARDINALS), DANIEL JONES (GIANTS), DWAYNE HASKINS (WASHINGTON) - 2019
Murray won Offensive Rookie of the Year, despite a pedestrian record for the Cardinals. He was able to showcase his arm talent and tremendous athletic ability to run. Murray decided to enter the NFL Draft instead of playing in the MLB with the Oakland Athletics and so far, it’s paid off after playing two seasons as the No. 1 overall pick. A lackluster end to the 2020 season prevented the Cardinals from making the playoffs.
Jones eventually replaced longtime Giants quarterback Eli Manning and showed flashes of his potential but the Giants continued to struggle in 2019. Jones showed flashes again in 2020, but continued to excel and the Giants missed the playoffs once again.
Haskins struggled when playing in 2019, showing raw talent but needing a lot of polishing. In 2020, it got worse as Haskins struggled, was benched, ridiculed in the media after breaking COVID-19 protocols and was eventually released during the year. He’s currently signed as a backup quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
2020:
JOE BURROW (BENGALS), TUA TAGOVAILOA (DOLPHINS), JUSTIN HERBERT (CHARGERS), JORDAN LOVE (PACKERS) - 2020
Burrow capped off a Heisman trophy and national championship season with the No. 1 overall pick and certainly looked the part more than halfway through the 2020 season. However, a torn ACL prematurely ended his year despite solid numbers. If the Bengals address the offensive line in 2021, Burrow could be in line for a breakout second year.
It took time for Tagovailoa to earn the starting gig but he replaced veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick after the bye week, despite success from Fitzpatrick and the team. The Dolphins finished 10-6 and missed the playoffs and Tagovailoa showed flashes, but also struggled to push the ball down the field.
Herbert was the best out of the group, despite going No. 6 overall. He started 15 games for the Chargers and threw for over 4,000 yards and had 31 touchdowns, setting the rookie touchdown record. He looks like a bonafide star for the next decade.
Love was a controversial pick since the Packers have Aaron Rodgers and now seemingly don’t be in a hurry to move on from him after back to back NFC Championship appearances. Love did not suit up for a single snap in 2020.
2021:
Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars)
He has done well, but time will tell.
2022:
Kenny Picket (Steelers)
https://247sports.com/LongFormArticle/NF...161684511/
2011:
CAM NEWTON (PANTHERS), JAKE LOCKER (TITANS), BLAINE GABBERT (JAGUARS), CHRISTIAN PONDER (VIKINGS)
Newton burst onto the scene at Auburn and shined in the NFL throughout his Panthers career, culminating in an MVP season in 2015 and a Super Bowl appearance. Since then, Newton unfortunately suffered from the injury bug and was eventually released by the Panthers after the 2019 season. In his lone season with the New England Patriots in 2020, Newton showed flashes of his old self, but struggled as a passer and New England missed the postseason.
Locker struggled when on the field and suffered from injuries throughout his career, eventually retiring from football after the 2014 season. Gabbert was another miss for the Jaguars at quarterback as the 10th overall pick, lasting just three seasons with Jacksonville. However, Gabbert stuck around and remains with the Tampa Bay Bucs as a backup to Tom Brady. Ponder played three pedestrian seasons with the Vikings until 2014 and then bounced between the then Oakland Raiders, Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers until after the 2016 season. He has not played in the NFL since.
2012:
ANDREW LUCK (COLTS), ROBERT GRIFFIN III (REDSKINS), RYAN TANNEHILL (DOLPHINS), BRANDON WEEDEN (BROWNS) - 2012
Andrew Luck had some success, as did RGIII for a bit. The others? Nah. Not much there.
A historic NFL Draft class and Russell Wilson was not even selected in the first round. Luck was dubbed the best prospect since Peyton Manning and John Elway and at times, he was one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Luck never made a Super Bowl, coming up one game short in the AFC Championship to the Patriots in 2014, and he took a beating throughout his career. Luck shocked the sports world by announcing his retirement during the preseason prior to the 2019 season.
Griffin III took the world by storm as a rookie but knee injuries derailed his career and the Redskins eventually turned to Kirk Cousins. The former Heisman trophy winner ended up with the Browns for one season before becoming a backup in Baltimore in 2018 behind sensation Lamar Jackson. Tannehill went from decent starting quarterback in Miami, to reinvented starter with the Titans in 2019. He filled in for Marcus Mariota and led the Titans to the AFC Championship in 2019 and followed it up with another solid season and playoff appearance in 2020.
Weeden, despite never thriving as a starter with the Browns, bounced around the league as a quality backup with the Cowboys, Texans, Titans and back to the Texans but has not suited up since 2018.
2013:
EJ MANUEL (BILLS) - 2013
Manuel was the lone quarterback selected in 2013 and was thought to be the lone star in a very thin class. The Bills traded down and still selected Manuel and he lasted four seasons with the Bills. He started 10 games as a rookie but never broke through as a reliable starter with Buffalo and he signed a free agent deal with the Raiders as a backup in 2017. He started just one game and was out of the league the very next year. He had another chance in 2019 by signing with the Kansas City Chiefs but did not make the final roster and he announced his retirement in May of 2019. The former Florida State star eventually joined the ACC Network as a college football analyst.
2014:
BLAKE BORTLES (JAGUARS), JOHNNY MANZIEL (BROWNS), TEDDY BRIDGEWATER (VIKINGS) - 2014
Bortles spent his time with the Jaguars until eventually latching on with the Los Angeles Rams as a backup to Jared Goff and now Matthew Stafford. He led the Jaguars to the AFC Championship game in 2017 but other than one magical season, he was subpar in his time with Jacksonville.
Manziel famously flamed out of the league after starring in college at Texas A&M and had very brief stints in the Canadian Football League. He recently appeared in the new indoor football league the Fan Controlled Football League.
Bridgewater seemed to be the long term solution for the Vikings but a devastating knee injury ended his time in Minnesota. He bounced from the New York Jets to the New Orleans Saints, where he became a top flight backup. Because of his performance, he was rewarded with a three-year deal with the Carolina Panthers prior to 2020. However, the Panthers could select a quarterback in the Top-10 of the NFL Draft in 2021.
2015:
JAMEIS WINSTON (BUCCANEERS), MARCUS MARIOTA (TITANS) - 2015
Both of these quarterbacks had their share of success, but never really became "elite".
Winston and Mariota were the cream of the crop in a thin quarterback class at the time. Both quarterbacks lasted until after the 2019 season with their respective franchises as Winston signed as a backup with the New Orleans Saints but could be in line to be the starter in 2021 with the impending retirement of Drew Brees. Mariota signed as a backup to Derek Carr with the Las Vegas Raiders but showcased his old self in a relief appearance late in the season due to a minor injury to Carr.
Winston flashed brilliance in his time but was far too costly with turnovers throughout his career, including throwing 33 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in 2019. Mariota had a few playoff appearances in his Titans career but never made it past the divisional round as a starter. He gave way to Ryan Tannehill in 2019, who led the Titans to the AFC Championship. Both have starting potential and can be successful in the right system but are both on a wait and see approach for their futures.
2016:
JARED GOFF (RAMS), CARSON WENTZ (EAGLES), PAXTON LYNCH (BRONCOS) - 2016
Goff went No. 1 overall, Wentz followed and Lynch went No. 26 overall. Wentz was the most successful of the bunch early on, becoming an MVP front-runner prior to his injury in 2017, but does have a Super Bowl ring for that season. Aside from his rookie season, Wentz led the Eagles to the playoffs three straight seasons but made his debut in 2019 after injuries prevented his previous two appearances. But, a career-worst 2020 season led the Eagles trading him to the Indianapolis Colts.
Goff flourished under head coach Sean McVay after a down rookie season under Jeff Fisher and led the Rams to Super Bowl LIII. But, failure of continued development, the Rams made a blockbuster move, trading Goff to the Detroit Lions for veteran Matthew Stafford.
Lynch lasted two seasons with Denver before signing with the Seahawks in 2018. He was cut in 2019 and joined the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad but is currently a free agent ahead of the 2021 season.
2017:
MITCHELL TRUBISKY (BEARS), PATRICK MAHOMES (CHIEFS), DESHAUN WATSON (TEXANS) - 2017
The Bears went all in and traded up for Trubisky at the No. 2 overall pick but the two behind him are creating headlines with their stellar play. The Bears made the playoffs in 2018 but took a step back in 2019 and just squeaked in during 2020. Trubisky’s future is very uncertain as Chicago is seemingly involved in the quarterback trade market with Watson and Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.
Mahomes was seen as a project, but he sat one season behind Alex Smith and then became the most electric player in the league. He led the Chiefs to a Super Bowl LIV victory and back to Super Bowl LV in a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Watson was nothing but productive for the Texans in four seasons but a down 2020 season for the team and friction between Watson and the front office could lead to his departure via trade, perhaps to the Bears or elsewhere such as the Miami Dolphins or New York Jets.
2018:
BAKER MAYFIELD (BROWNS), SAM DARNOLD (JETS), JOSH ALLEN (BILLS), JOSH ROSEN (CARDINALS), LAMAR JACKSON (RAVENS) - 2018
Mayfield looked good as a rookie but took a step back in 2019, putting pressure on the former No. 1 overall pick. In 2020, Mayfield had arguably his best season as an effective quarterback, leading the Browns to the playoffs for the first time since 2002 and even won a game in the Wild Card round.
Darnold struggled pretty much every season so far with the Jets, headlined by coaching changes and poor personnel around him. He could be on the trading block or the hot seat as the Jets could trade for or draft a new quarterback this year.
Allen led the Bills to the playoffs and developed a little more as a passer each season. In 2020, Allen led Buffalo to the AFC Championship but a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs prevented their fifth Super Bowl appearance. Rosen was traded to the Miami Dolphins after one season in Arizona and served as the backup in 2019. In 2020, Rosen was a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice squad before being signed to the active roster with the San Francisco 49ers.
Jackson was the NFL MVP in 2019 and led the Ravens to the No. 1 seed in the AFC by dazzling with his arm talent and he broke Michael Vick’s single season rushing record for a quarterback. Last year, Jackson led Baltimore over Tennessee in the Wild Card round but fell short to the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round.
2019:
KYLER MURRAY (CARDINALS), DANIEL JONES (GIANTS), DWAYNE HASKINS (WASHINGTON) - 2019
Murray won Offensive Rookie of the Year, despite a pedestrian record for the Cardinals. He was able to showcase his arm talent and tremendous athletic ability to run. Murray decided to enter the NFL Draft instead of playing in the MLB with the Oakland Athletics and so far, it’s paid off after playing two seasons as the No. 1 overall pick. A lackluster end to the 2020 season prevented the Cardinals from making the playoffs.
Jones eventually replaced longtime Giants quarterback Eli Manning and showed flashes of his potential but the Giants continued to struggle in 2019. Jones showed flashes again in 2020, but continued to excel and the Giants missed the playoffs once again.
Haskins struggled when playing in 2019, showing raw talent but needing a lot of polishing. In 2020, it got worse as Haskins struggled, was benched, ridiculed in the media after breaking COVID-19 protocols and was eventually released during the year. He’s currently signed as a backup quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
2020:
JOE BURROW (BENGALS), TUA TAGOVAILOA (DOLPHINS), JUSTIN HERBERT (CHARGERS), JORDAN LOVE (PACKERS) - 2020
Burrow capped off a Heisman trophy and national championship season with the No. 1 overall pick and certainly looked the part more than halfway through the 2020 season. However, a torn ACL prematurely ended his year despite solid numbers. If the Bengals address the offensive line in 2021, Burrow could be in line for a breakout second year.
It took time for Tagovailoa to earn the starting gig but he replaced veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick after the bye week, despite success from Fitzpatrick and the team. The Dolphins finished 10-6 and missed the playoffs and Tagovailoa showed flashes, but also struggled to push the ball down the field.
Herbert was the best out of the group, despite going No. 6 overall. He started 15 games for the Chargers and threw for over 4,000 yards and had 31 touchdowns, setting the rookie touchdown record. He looks like a bonafide star for the next decade.
Love was a controversial pick since the Packers have Aaron Rodgers and now seemingly don’t be in a hurry to move on from him after back to back NFC Championship appearances. Love did not suit up for a single snap in 2020.
2021:
Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars)
He has done well, but time will tell.
2022:
Kenny Picket (Steelers)
This post was last modified: 03-22-2023, 10:20 AM by PantherFan007.
