FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, June 1st, 2021

TREVOR LAWRENCE, ZACH WILSON & MAC JONES HIGHLIGHT NUMBERS 26-30 ON CHRIS SIMMS’ TOP 40 QUARTERBACK COUNTDOWN, NOW ON “CHRIS SIMMS UNBUTTONED” AND “PRO FOOTBALL TALK LIVE”

Daniel Jones (No. 26), Zach Wilson (No. 27), Trevor Lawrence (No. 28), Andy Dalton (No. 29) & Mac Jones (No. 30) Ranked #26-30 in the Simms Top 40 QB Countdown

“What can’t he do on a football field? … I think he brings everything to the table as far as what you want from a starting quarterback in the NFL.” – Simms on Trevor Lawrence

“His throwing is out-of-this-world special…He’s got (Aaron) Rodgers, (Patrick) Mahomes-ish type qualities.” – Simms on Zach Wilson

“He’s the most NFL, pro-ready quarterback to come out in this NFL Draft.” – Simms on Mac Jones

Simms’ Top 40 QB Countdown Culminates with the Top Four on Monday, June 21

STAMFORD, Conn. – June 1, 2021 – NBC Sports’ Chris Simms continues to unveil his list of the top 40 quarterbacks in the NFL on the Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast and “PFT Live” with the QBs ranked 26-30.

Beginning last week and culminating Monday, June 21 with his top five quarterbacks in the league, Simms will unveil five selections on each Chris Simms Unbuttoned episode and discuss his rankings on “PFT Live” with Mike Florio.

Simms, a third-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2003 NFL Draft who played eight NFL seasons, will also offer in-depth player breakdowns and rankings explanations throughout each week on Chris Simms Unbuttoned.

Simms’ quarterbacks ranked 26-40:

 

26. Daniel Jones, NY Giants 34. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami
27. Zach Wilson, NY Jets 35. Tyrod Taylor, Houston
28. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville 36. Marcus Mariota, Las Vegas
29. Andy Dalton, Chicago 37. Kellen Mond, Minnesota
30. Mac Jones, New England 38. Trey Lance, San Francisco
31. Jared Goff, Detroit 39. Justin Fields, Chicago
32. Teddy Bridgewater, Denver 40. Case Keenum, Cleveland
33. Drew Lock, Denver  

 

The rankings will continue Thursday, June 3 with numbers and 21-25 on the next episode of Chris Simms Unbuttoned.

The following are highlights from this week’s editions of Chris Simms Unbuttoned:

No. 30: Mac Jones, New England Patriots

Simms: “For me, he is one of the 32 best quarterbacks in football…He’s the most NFL, pro-ready quarterback to come out in this NFL Draft. One, I think he’s tailor-made to play quarterback in the NFL for his style and everything he does with his physical attributes, his ability to process and read coverage…Plus, I don’t look at him as a normal rookie. I don’t think he’s as talented as Trevor Lawrence or Zach Wilson, but I do think as far as NFL-ready is concerned, I think he is the most ready.”

No. 29: Andy Dalton, Chicago Bears

Simms: “Undervalued physical ability…Not that he’s going to wow you, but I don’t know if we always give Andy Dalton quite the credit that he deserves. He can make all the throws and he can make power throws too. Throws a pretty good deep ball. He’s a better athlete than we give him credit for, not that he’s going to turn the corner and run for 30-yard gains, but he can move around the pocket and scramble when he needs too…He’s a little bit more than a game manager to me…He can make a few more throws in a game with his right arm to swing the pendulum into his team’s favor than some of the other guys who are similar to him on this top 40 list.”

No. 28: Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

Simms: “I’m a huge fan. I know people think I’m a hater because I put Zach Wilson in front of him, but Trevor Lawrence? Come on. What can’t he do on a football field? He brings, to me, everything to the table. First off, on the field, he has skills for days. Big, can run, can scramble…Throws the ball well on the run, can throw under pressure, has a big-time arm that has room for improvement…There’s room to grow there. In a lot of ways, I like that…He brings something to his team with his presence and the way he acts…I think he brings everything to the table as far as what you want from a starting quarterback in the NFL.”

No. 27: Zach Wilson, New York Jets

Simms: “I’m all in on Zach Wilson. He’s my guy. Of course, I love Trevor Lawrence, but Zach Wilson, he’s just got an appeal to my eye that the other quarterbacks did not have in this draft. His talents are special, I think his throwing is out-of-this-world special…I think he’s one of those guys, if you talk to people who have seen him in person, it’s always, ‘Woah…the ball explodes’ … Incredible athlete, can really run…I love Zach Wilson’s talent, I like his moxie…He’s got (Aaron) Rodgers, (Patrick) Mahomes-ish type qualities that really pop out and I think it’s the perfect marriage with the Jets.”

No. 26: Daniel Jones, New York Giants

Simms: “This is a make-or-break year in Daniel Jones’ career if he wants to continue to be the unchallenged starting quarterback for the New York Giants. He’s got all the skills and attributes to be a really good franchise quarterback, but it’s got to come together…It’s as big of a year three for a quarterback as I can remember…When you break down Daniel Jones and why I say the potential is there, the guy has all the tools to be really, really good and do some special things and lead the Giants. He’s an elite passer…He can make every throw, he’s got every club in the bag. You’ve seen him run, his athleticism is real.”

To listen to the full player breakdowns on Chris Simms Unbuttoned, click here.

-NBC SPORTS-