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The annual NFL Draft is where some teams pick future Pro Bowl talent and others end up with a rookie bust. History has shown us that nothing is guaranteed in the draft. In the past, number one picks have flamed out, while a sixth-round pick has become the NFL GOAT.
The 2021 NFL Draft will be no different. Now that we’ve had time to reflect on all 32 teams’ selections, let’s look at the NFL franchises that drafted the wrong rookies.
New York Jets
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The New York Jets used the second overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft on BYU quarterback Zach Wilson. It was common knowledge that the Jets were going to select the rookie QB, but was he the best rookie signal-caller available?
Many NFL scouts and draft experts believe that Ohio State’s Justin Fields was the second-best quarterback in the draft behind Trevor Lawrence. Wilson, however, rode a breakout 2020 college season to rocket up the draft list.
Wilson has the big arm but there are concerns about the level of competition he’s faced. He only had one great year as a starting QB and played against very weak opponents, often struggling when faced with quality opposition.
Fields, on the other hand, faced elite opposition like Alabama and Clemson, where he proved he was a premier QB talent. While Wilson could be a flash in the pan, Fields has shown during his college career a string of top-class performances.
Who will be the better NFL QB? Only time will tell.
San Francisco 49ers
Just like the Jets, the 49ers might also have signed the wrong quarterback.
San Francisco moved up nine places to select the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. They did this while still having starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo under contract.
Ignoring the Jimmy G situation, the Niners obviously wanted a QB for the future. They selected North Dakota’s Trey Lance with their first-round pick. As mentioned earlier in the article, Justin Fields was the consensus number two rated QB on most people’s draft boards.
Rumors were flying before the draft that the Niners were picking Alabama’s Mac Jones but that proved to be incorrect.
Fields played twice as many college games as Lance and against much stiffer competition. Just like the Jets, the Niners picked the QB without much experience or a proven track record at the highest level in college.
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers' 2021 NFL Draft was thrown into chaos moments before it began when word leaked that Aaron Rodgers wanted out of the franchise.
The Packers management seemed to take this in their stride as they went ahead and selected Georgia cornerback Eric Stokes with their first-round pick. This should not have come as a surprise to Packers fans, as Green Bay has not selected a wide receiver in the first round since 2002.
If ever there was an opportunity to help mend fences with Rodgers, it was by picking an offensive weapon in the first round for the reigning MVP. Mississippi slot receiver Elijah Moore was available, as was LSU’s Terrance Marshall Jr.
The Packers did pick a WR in the third round, but they lost a prime opportunity to heal some of the hurt feelings between Rodgers and the franchise.
New York Giants
The New York Giants were lauded during the 2021 NFL Draft. General manager Dave Gettleman traded back in the first round to eventually pick wide receiver Kadarius Toney.
Now, Toney is an explosive rookie with the potential to make an immediate impact, but did the Giants really need another wide receiver?
In free agency, Gettleman signed former Lions star wideout Kenny Golladay, Bengals WR John Ross III and Vikings veteran TE Kyle Rudolph. The new acquisitions join a receiving core of Darius Slayton and Sterling Shepard.
The Giants were already stacked at wide receiver, which makes the Toney pick somewhat surprising. A first-round offensive lineman pick to protect QB Daniel Jones may have been the smarter decision.
Virginia Tech’s OT Christian Darrisaw and Oklahoma State’s Teven Jenkins were also available at number 20.
