Account
Trevor Lawrence Tops Joe Burrow in ESPN's 2020, 2021 NFL Draft QB Rankings
May 11, 2020
In conjunction with Pro Football Focus, ESPN has ranked all of the quarterbacks in the combined 2020 and 2021 draft classes. But Cincinnati Bengals rookie quarterback Joe Burrow, the top overall pick 2020 NFL draft, didn't come out on top.
That distinction instead belonged to Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, primarily based on his age.
"It was a hotly contested debate for the top spot, as Burrow reached a height as a passer we've never seen before at the collegiate level," PFF's Mike Renner wrote. "The age ultimately was the deciding factor—Lawrence lighting up college football at 19 and 20 years old is different than Burrow doing it at 22 and 23."
Lawrence doesn't just top the list because he's younger, however—he's also very talented:
"One doesn't carve up a loaded Alabama defense on the biggest stage as a true freshman without being something special. No quarterback prospect since [Andrew] Luck has allowed his college team to open up the entire playbook in the way Lawrence has at Clemson. Manipulating the pocket, playing on the move, throwing the far-hash deep comeback, running options—you name it, Lawrence can do it."
In his first two seasons, Lawrence threw for 6,945 yards, 66 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions, completing 65.5 percent of his passes. He led the Tigers to consecutive berths in the College Football Playoff, winning the national championship in the 2018 season.
But LSU and Bengals fans shouldn't think Lawrence's placement in the top spot is in any way an indictment of Burrow. As Renner noted, he's "still the best quarterback prospect PFF has seen in the past six drafts, though. His accuracy is on another level from any quarterback we've ever charted."
Just consider that Lawrence's 66 touchdown passes in his college career is the same number Burrow threw last year alone. His 2019 season was arguably the greatest for a QB in college football history, as he also threw for 5,671 yards and just six interceptions, completing 76.3 percent of his throws on 527 attempts.
He also led LSU to a national championship and won just about every award, including the Heisman Trophy. Bengals fans should be thrilled with their pick.
Still, Lawrence's age does leave him with more upside. If he's this successful at 20, how good will he be by the time he's Burrow age (23)?
As for the other quarterbacks in the rankings, Ohio State's Justin Fields, Miami Dolphins rookie Tua Tagovailoa, North Dakota State's Trey Lance, Los Angeles Chargers rookie Justin Herbert, Philadelphia Eagles rookie Jalen Hurts, Buffalo Bills rookie Jake Fromm, Green Bay Packers rookie Jordan Love and Iowa State's Jake Purdy rounded out the top 10, in that order.