FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, May 26th, 2022
ZACH WILSON, TREVOR LAWRENCE & JALEN HURTS HIGHLIGHT NUMBERS 21-25 ON CHRIS SIMMS’ TOP 40 QUARTERBACK COUNTDOWN, NOW ON “CHRIS SIMMS UNBUTTONED” AND “PRO FOOTBALL TALK”
Simms’ Top 40 QB Countdown Culminates with the Top Four on Monday, June 13; In-Depth Breakdowns for Each Ranking Weekly on Chris Simms Unbuttoned Podcast
Daniel Jones (No. 21), Zach Wilson (No. 22), Justin Fields (No. 23), Trevor Lawrence (No. 24), and Jalen Hurts (No. 25) Ranked #21-25 in the Simms Top 40 QB Countdown
“Arrow pointing up, big time… His arm is ‘some of the best quarterbacks in the league’-type talent.”– Simms on Wilson at No. 21
“He made me say ‘Wow’ maybe the least out of all the quarterbacks drafted last year.”– Simms on Lawrence at No. 24
STAMFORD, Conn. – May 26, 2022 – The first two overall picks of the 2021 NFL Draft, Zach Wilson (No. 2) of the New York Jets and Trevor Lawrence (No. 1) of the Jacksonville Jaguars, along with third-year signal caller Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles, highlight the latest installment of Chris Simms’ countdown of the top 40 quarterbacks in the NFL.
NBC Sports’ Simms continues his countdown of the best quarterbacks in the NFL on the Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast and on “PFT Live,” unveiling quarterbacks 21-25.
Simms’ quarterbacks ranked 21-40:
| 21. | Daniel Jones, New York Giants | 34. | Tyler Huntley, Baltimore |
| 22. | Zach Wilson, New York Jets | 35. | Davis Mills, Houston |
| 23. | Justin Fields, Chicago | 36. | Tyrod Taylor, New York Giants |
| 24. | Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville | 37. | Gardner Minshew, Philadelphia |
| 25. | Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia | 38. | Teddy Bridgewater, Miami |
| 26. | Jameis Winston, New Orleans | 39. | Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh |
| 27. | Mitchell Trubisky, Pittsburgh | 40. | Drew Lock, Seattle |
| 28. | Marcus Mariota, Atlanta | ||
| 29. | Tua Tagovailoa, Miami | ||
| 30. | Jared Goff, Detroit | ||
| 31. | Trey Lance, San Francisco | ||
| 32. | Sam Darnold, Carolina | ||
| 33. | Geno Smith, Seattle |
Beginning in May and culminating Monday, June 13 with his top four quarterbacks in the league, Simms will unveil four 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 has had recent success in projecting quarterbacks – including those coming out of college by naming Patrick Mahomes as his most exciting prospect in 2017, listing Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen as his top-two QBs in 2018, and having Justin Herbert as his No. 2 QB in 2020.
The rankings will continue Tuesday, May 31 with numbers 20-17 on the next episode of Chris Simms Unbuttoned.
The following are highlights from this week’s edition of Chris Simms Unbuttoned:
No. 25: Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
“Leadership, personality, effect on the football field – it is real. Decision-making, seeing the field, it’s pretty good. He can extend plays. Throwing the ball is below-average starting NFL quarterback quality. [The Eagles’] style of play and the way they’re built, it fits him. There’s not going to be a lot of excuses for Jalen Hurts with this football team. He’s a good deep ball thrower. He can get outside the pocket and run the ball pretty well. The problem is this: it’s the middle of the field throws that you need and that’s where he’s not as good. [There are] too many plays where he can’t get it out quick enough. I’m not sure some of the problems will be fixed.”
No. 24: Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
“He’s got all the tools. He’s big, he’s a good athlete, his arm is strong. He wasn’t in the greatest situation with [former Jaguars head coach] Urban Meyer. The throwing is too inconsistent. He made me say, ‘Wow’ maybe the least out of all the quarterbacks drafted last year. I do think he lost his way a little bit [last season]. [New head coach Doug Pederson and quarterbacks coach Mike McCoy] are going to give him more of a plan of attack. They’re going to call plays where the life of Trevor Lawrence is going to be easier. I expect a big jump here.”
No. 23: Justin Fields, Chicago Bears
“There’s a lot of ‘Wow’ with Justin Fields. He’s as athletic as anyone in this sport. He makes some ‘Wow’ throws every game. He puts himself in danger a little too much. Can he still stay on receivers a little too long sometimes? Yes. But as a whole, [his rookie season] was a positive. This is the year you see tremendous growth. I think the ability to play in the pocket and make throws is better than Jalen Hurts.”
No. 22: Zach Wilson, New York Jets
“Arrow pointing up, big time. He has the type of talent to be top 10-ish. The ball flies off his hand sometimes. His arm is some of the best quarterbacks in the league-type talent. He has a tremendously quick release and can throw it with great power from awkward positions. He was managed the least … [The Jets] ran a real NFL offense and asked him to read plays like a veteran quarterback. His ability to get out of the pocket and make plays is real. At times, he has some mechanical issues…but there are some real special talents here.”
No. 21: Daniel Jones, New York Giants
“When his team wasn’t totally overwhelmed, he played pretty good. He’s got a good arm. He’s one of the better running quarterbacks in football. We got to have more emotion … [he’s] too quiet. Pocket presence, it’s not that great … [but if] you give him a little time, he can make some really nice throws. He was behind the worst offensive line for two years in a row…don’t let that affect your thought of Daniel Jones. I think [new head coach] Brian Daboll has a little bit of ‘eye of quarterback’ mechanics where’s he’s going to help him just like Josh Allen.”
To listen to the full player breakdowns on Chris Simms Unbuttoned, click here.
-NBC SPORTS-
