Sometimes, it isn't enough for a player to be talented. If there isn't an opportunity to play or enough talent around to help out, the best rookie quarterback in the league could have a tough time putting up solid fantasy production. Our staff looks at this year's crop and urges caution with some rookie signal callers.
Jason Wood
I would categorize Kyler Murray this way. Yes, I know he's tailor-fit for Kliff Kingsbury's offensive scheme, but the Cardinals remain a team that ranked at or near the bottom of most offensive and defensive categories last year. A lot has to fall right, including the new make-shift line playing well, and Kingsbury being a better NFL coach than he was a college coach, and Murray's own durability, for me to think his obvious talents can translate into consistent success at the professional level.
Daniel Simpkins
Will Grier, though talented enough to become an eventual starter, is stuck behind Cam Newton for the time being. Grier is very different in terms of playing style. If he were to become the starter, the offense would need to be tailored to include fewer designed run and improvisational elements and focus more on timing and anticipatory concepts. The good thing for Grier is that the surrounding talent is great and Newton’s health struggles and contract situation could play out in such a way that he could be the starter in two years’ time.
Andy Hicks
All rookie quarterbacks drafted this year that have any pretentions of being quality NFL starters have bad situations. There is no sure thing here.
- Kyler Murray has the skills to be a game changer, but what is the offensive line in front of him going to allow to happen? Will Kliff Kingsbury be another in a long line of college coaches who cannot adapt to the NFL? Murray is just as the question posed, great talent in a bad situation.
- Daniel Jones has lost his prime receiving weapon, a genuine star in the NFL in Odell Beckham and will eventually be replacing a two time super bowl champion. Add in the uncertainty at GM and head coach and he has an uphill battle.
- Dwayne Haskins has a poor group of wide receivers to play with, as well as a coach who may be gone if the team has a poor season.
- Drew Lock has inexperienced receivers and a team that has had a lot of quarterback change since their super bowl winning season.
- Will Grier, Ryan Finley, and Jarrett Stidham are all drafted in the clear backup territory of the draft. Their road to even starting is difficult enough. If a team is serious about getting a franchise quarterback they don’t leave it until the late third or fourth round. In 2020, if Carolina, Cincinnati or New England are serious about a quarterback expect them to take one in the first or second round. For every Dak Prescott, there are multitudes of Connor Cooks, Cardale Joneses, and Cody Kesslers.
Sigmund Bloom
Will Grier would have been as (or more) exciting for the Giants or Broncos as their draft picks, but he won't see the field unless Cam Newton's shoulder is worse than they are telling us.
Dan Hindery
I don’t see any quarterbacks who fit this description. I have a hard time getting on board with the Will Grier hype and don’t personally view him as a great talent. Daniel Jones and Dwayne Haskins probably qualify as good talents but both fell into solid situations. Jones will benefit from being able to learn behind Eli Manning for a year and, even without Odell Beckham, the Giants still have some good pass catchers with Saquon Barkley, Evan Engram, Sterling Shepard, and Golden Tate. Barkley will be the face of the franchise, which should help relieve some of the pressure on Jones. The lack of weapons for Haskins in Washington is a bit of a concern but the situation overall isn’t bad. This should be a run-heavy offense with good backs and a strong offensive line, which should take some pressure off of Haskins to carry the offense. Jay Gruden has a solid reputation as a quarterback developer and helped lead the Bengals to the playoffs as the offensive coordinator when Andy Dalton was a rookie.
Chad Parsons
I liked, but did not love, Will Grier during his college career and pre-draft process. While landing behind Cam Newton tempers his starting potential beyond an injury to Newton, the slide in the NFL Draft is more concerning than the landing spot. Day 2 plummets in the long-term probability of being an NFL starter and Grier slips to the bucket of 'maybe, sorta, kind of' backup quarterbacks which are a dime a dozen rather than priority hold-stash over the next few seasons.
