Welcome to the NFL, rooks.
The 2021 NFL Draft quarterback class is going to be one that will be talked about for years to come: Just two other times in NFL history have five quarterbacks been taken in the first round, and this next crop could be the best. "Could" is the operative term here.
In Week 1, Jacksonville's Trevor Lawrence, New York's Zach Wilson and New England's Mac Jones all made their first career starts with varying degrees of success, and San Francisco's Trey Lance and Chicago's Justin Fields got into the mix with a little action, as well.
While the three starters couldn't earn their first win just yet, there's enough there to say the Ws could be coming in future weeks, months and years. With all five first-rounders getting action after Sunday's Week 1 games, here's how they graded out in their debuts:
MORE: Worst overreactions from NFL Week 1 games
Trey Lance: Incomplete
Stats: 1/1 passing (100 percent), five yards, one touchdown, no interceptions
It's pretty fitting that Trey Lance's San Francisco debut was just a cup of coffee.
Drafted third behind Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson, Lance has a little bit harder path to NFL starter-dom, sitting behind Jimmy Garoppolo as the 49ers look to bounce back from an injury-riddled 2020 season and become a force in the NFC again.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan likely won't give the keys to Lance unless something goes very wrong with Garoppolo this year, but he'll work in with the team creatively, as needed.
Trey Lance's first pass in the NFL is a TD.
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 12, 2021
Off to a great start
(via @NFLBrasil)pic.twitter.com/k6g6JpN5ah
If Sunday's game was any indicator, Lance will have different situational packages in 2021, using both his legs and his arm to caffeinate the offense and add the dual-threat ability he's known for to San Fran's attack: That was indicative with Lance's red-zone score today, a touchdown to receiver Trent Sherfield.
Expect to see more Lance as the season goes on, but for now, he gets an "incomplete" for a small, small bit of action on Sunday.
MORE: A history of rookie QBs starting in Week 1
Justin Fields: Incomplete
States: 2/2 (100 percent), 10 yards, one rushing touchdown
Like Lance, Fields made a cameo appearance in his first game with the Bears. Expect more of the same as the weeks progress.
JUSTIN FIELDS RUNS IT IN ‼️‼️‼️‼️
— PFF (@PFF) September 13, 2021
pic.twitter.com/y2x6DY8WrT
Also like Lance, Fields offers something that hte QB above him on the depth chart doesn't: The ability to run, and run well. His touchdown run, though short, showcased that ability, and as the weeks wear on, it's going to get harder and harder to keep him glued to the bench.
Zach Wilson: C
Stats: 20/37 (54.1 percent), 258 yards, two touchdowns, one interception
Zach Wilson went through two preseason games playing against backups and impressed. The problem with that analysis: Wilson played in two preseason games and he was playing against backups. That's worth about as much as an arcade token in a vending machine.
Wilson's first NFL real action was largely OK-to-good, and the tape will tell you it was a tale of two halves: Wilson's first half was all sorts of nightmares, bad throws and just rookie mistakes that made the Week 1 overreactions look like reasonable assertions.
The second half was much, much more representative of the kind of player he could be long-term: He finished 14/21 passing in the second half for 174 yards and two touchdowns. He also showcased some of his signature escape-ability and improvisation that made him the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 draft:
First career TD pass for @ZachWilson 🙌
— New York Jets (@nyjets) September 12, 2021
📺 #NYJvsCAR on CBS pic.twitter.com/KzZVJm2iHt
The tape will also tell you that the Jets, the youngest team in the NFL, have a long way to go. The offensive line was putrid and his skill-position group, however much improved it was from the Sam Darnold era, will need some time to jell as the season goes on.
Still, it was Game 1 of Week 1 of Year 1 of the Robert Saleh-Zach Wilson era in New York. There's enough there to make you happy heading into Week 2 and beyond.
MORE: Why isn't Justin Fields starting for the Bears?
Trevor Lawrence: C+
Stats: 28/51 passing (54.9 percent), 332 yards, three touchdowns, three interceptions
Training wheels? What training wheels?
It's going to be a real baptism by fire for Trevor Lawrence, but hopefully it doesn't get too hot for him in 2021. That didn't look to be the case in Week 1, as he lost his first regular season football game in his life. Really.
While the rookie got fooled into some typical rookie mistake stuff, the Jaguars franchise passer is going to have to wade rough waters as Jacksonville goes through Year 2 of a total rebuild.
Expect more of the same that you saw in Week 1 all season as the Jags' defense is gashed and Lawrence and the offense will have to play from behind a lot, putting Lawrence and the offense in key passing situations.
Peyton had 3 picks in his debut.
— Justin Barney (@JustinBarneyTV) September 12, 2021
Andrew Luck had 3 picks in his debut.
And now, Trevor Lawrence has 3 picks in his debut.
Sunday's game vs. the Texans showed a lot of the pro-readiness that scouts and analysts love about Lawrence's game: He was decisive, he was accurate, he moved in the pocket well and he wasn't afraid to pull the trigger. He's going to have to continue to build on that as the Jaguars try and figure out the Urban Meyer way of things in Jacksonville.
Mac Jones: B+
Stats: 29/39 (74.3 percent), 281 yards, 1 touchdown, no interceptions
After a confusing first pass attempt…
Mac Jones 1st NFL pass attempt is a banger pic.twitter.com/sKgas33OkT
— Analytics Plant (@AnalyticsPlant) September 12, 2021
…Jones settled down and showcased the best start of any of the rookies who made their debuts on Sunday.
The Alabama product let it loose in his debut vs. Miami, faring better than his former Crimson Tide teammate in the Patriots loss on Sunday. Jones showed fearlessness in the pocket and made a wide array of throws. He was the Patriots' first rookie QB starter since Drew Bledsoe in 1993.
A key trait that Jones showcased: Take what the defense gives you. While there were times when Jones looked checkdown-heavy, Jones kept the Pats in the game. It's going to be a learning year for him, but the early returns are fairly positive.
