Several significant moves during the 2024 NFL offseason illustrated the downfall of two of the all-time worst quarterback draft classes. These two historically bad classes just so happened to come in back-to-back years.
With a generational prospect available, five first-round quarterbacks, and a record eight QBs taken in the first three rounds, the 2021 NFL Draft didn't look anything like the 2022 draft at first. The latter event had only one Round 1 passer at No. 20, the lowest for a draft's first QB since 1997. However, they'll likely be remembered together for the lack of success from their signal-callers.
In April, the New York Jets traded Zach Wilson - the 2021 second overall pick - to the Broncos, and the once promising passer is now expected to serve as Denver's third-stringer. Selected a pick after Wilson, Trey Lance is also facing questions about his future: He's now the Dallas Cowboys' QB3 following his inconsistent preseason performances, which included a five-interception outing. Justin Fields and Mac Jones - also first-rounders three years ago - were traded in 2024 and lost their starting roles. The same can be said for Kenny Pickett, 2022's lone Round 1 quarterback.
The 2022 class took more hits this week, with Malik Willis traded from the Tennessee Titans to the Green Bay Packers and Desmond Ridder cut by the Arizona Cardinals, who traded for him in March. Ridder and Willis were the second and third signal-callers off the board, respectively. The fourth QB taken was Matt Corral, who's out of the league at the moment, and the fifth was Bailey Zappe, recently cut by the New England Patriots and now a member of the Kansas City Chiefs' practice squad.
Here are some stunning stats and facts about the QB classes of 2021 and 2022:
0: No quarterback drafted in 2021 has more touchdown passes than interceptions in the playoffs, including No. 1 pick Trevor Lawrence, the most successful passer from that class.
1: Five QBs were taken in the top 15 in 2021, but only one (Lawrence) remains with his original team (Jacksonville Jaguars).
2: Only two QBs drafted in 2022 remain with the teams that selected them. Ironically, they're the last two quarterbacks taken that year: Miami Dolphins backup Skylar Thompson and San Francisco 49ers starter Brock Purdy.
4: All four teams from the South in the AFC and NFC drafted a quarterback in 2021 or 2022. The AFC West is the only division whose (lucky) members didn't select one.
7: Round 7 of the 2022 class somehow produced the most successful quarterbacks. Purdy is an established starter in San Francisco and Thompson backs up Tua Tagovailoa in Miami. Plus, Chris Oladokun is the only QB from that group with Super Bowl titles on his resume. That's right, the 241st overall pick has never attempted a regular-season pass but was on the practice squad of two Super Bowl-winning Chiefs teams.
8: That's how many trades involving 2021 or '22 quarterbacks have already taken place, with the Willis move being the more recent. Tennessee sent the former top-100 selection to Green Bay for a seventh-rounder Monday.
19: Nineteen QBs were selected between 2021 and 2022. Only six remain with the clubs that called their names on draft night.
24: Quarterbacks from these two classes have thrown a combined 24 pick-6s. Jones is responsible for six.
49: The 49ers are one of two teams to select a QB in both the 2021 and '22 drafts. (The Patriots are the other.) The results are stunning, as the team already traded away 2021 No. 3 pick Lance but reached the Super Bowl with Purdy - 2022's "Mr. Irrelevant" - this past season.
61: Excluding Purdy, QBs drafted in 2022 have thrown 65 interceptions to just 61 TDs.
111.4: Purdy's career passer rating is easily the highest among QBs from the 2021 and '22 classes. Jones ranks second at 85.6. Two passers have at least 20 NFL appearances but a passer rating under 80: Wilson and Pickett.
