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NFL teams in 2020 are dealing with a weekly avalanche of COVID-19 scares, virtual meetings, contact tracing and growing injuries, all while trying to push for the playoffs.
Quarter-standings in the 2021 NFL Draft are not yet high on the agenda. “It’s too early for that,” said an NFL general manager.
But the drafting process will crystallize the needs and preferences of teams at the most important position in the game soon enough. And here’s where that process is right now: Scouting departments attend college games, poll their referral sources in schools, watch hours of tape and begin to form early opinions on players of all walks of life, from early players to undrafted free agents.
Teams like the state of Ohio are making Zoom calls with scouts to let teams know about their prospects.
And if you think you’re drafting in the top half of the first round, in part because of the quarterback’s choppy play, you’re probably doing a few hours of extra work.
To help project how some of the dominoes might fall, ESPN sat down with several executives and scouts to get some initial impressions of the top QBs in the class and what the teams might think.
Lawrence is not only considered the best quarterback since Andrew Luck, he is better than the former Colts star, according to a general manager.
The GM says Lawrence takes the lead with a “rare” and “special” skill set, with minimal blockages beyond the typical issues all rookies face.
Two other executives say they would give Luck a slight edge because of Lawrence’s 6-foot-4, 240-pound, 6-foot-6, 220-pound roster, as well as Luck’s success in making Stanford a winner. . But they agree it’s very close.
It might seem like a stretch for Lawrence to stay in school, but a few people in the league think he’s at least giving it some thought. Peyton and Eli Manning stayed in school through their later years, with Peyton in 1997 notorious for rejecting the very team that could select No.1 this year, the New York Jets. And Luck sidestepped a chance to make the 2011 draft to stay for his junior season in a red shirt at Stanford. So there is a precedent.
Most executives largely expect Lawrence to declare himself for the draft at the end. But the talk of keeping him in school is at least out there in NFL circles.
Some believe that the gap between Lawrence and the rest of the quarterback class is considerable. Others think Justin Fields tightened it up a bit.
Either way, there is a gap. ESPN project analyst Mel Kiper Jr. ranks Lawrence as his first global prospect in 2020.
“It seems as natural as anyone in recent years to throw the ball,” said an NFC official. “Decision making and overall precision might take some work.”
In 2019, Lawrence completed 268 of 407 passes (65.8%) for 3,665 yards, 30 touchdowns and eight interceptions, placing fifth in QBR (87.3). But he improved his accuracy by nearly 5 percentage points in 2020 (135 of 191, 70.7) and is on track for nearly 4,600 yards and 43 touchdowns on a 15-game slate he played in the past. last two seasons.
“It looks like he’s having more fun this year which has resulted in a better game,” said an NFL staff member. “Last year he might have felt the expectations, the weight, but now he looks looser.”
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