My question is about this QB class, with the lack of top-end talent to go in the top 5-10 picks, will we see a back end of the first run on QBs? Teams like the Saints, Broncos, Steelers, Lions (Rams pick), and even the Colts or Bucs (will Brady ever retire lol) should/could be in the market for a QB, and the fifth-year option keeps it a team-friendly deal for that extra year. — Tom D.
Definitely a fair question and a realistic scenario. Quarterback desperation is a real thing. And the truth is, not every general manager has the job security to wait another year to draft a quarterback. So the easy answer is to wait another year, but some teams will see these quarterbacks as worth the value in the late first, which is rare.
Over the past 40 years, how many successful quarterbacks have been drafted in the back-half of round one? Three by my count: Aaron Rodgers, Lamar Jackson and Dan Marino. And only once in the past 17 years has there been more quarterbacks drafted in the back half of round one compared to the first half. That was in 2014 when Johnny Manziel and Teddy Bridgewater were drafted late (and Blake Bortles early).