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Quarterback class of 2016: Where are they now?

Roar Guru
29th December, 2017
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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Roar Guru
29th December, 2017
1

The NFL draft class of 2016 was quarterback heavy from the start, with a number of rookies lining up as the first choice for their clubs.

Kids and adults alike would be donning their jerseys with pride. Some have grown to be leaders at their respective franchises, others we will never hear from again.

Here’s a look at how the quarterback class of 2016 has faired, two years into their professional careers.

Jared Goff – Los Angeles Rams (1st overall pick)
After sitting on the bench for the first nine games of his rookie season watching veteran quarterback Case Keenum guide the team around the park, Goff was given the starting role in week 10.

He went on to start the remaining seven games of the 2016 season. He didn’t win a game, but it was the experience that mattered most.

2017 has been a different story. The Rams have already booked a spot in the playoffs by winning the NFC West title, thanks to a stellar season from the second year quarterback out of the University of California.

A record of 11-4 with one game left in the season is an impressive performance from anyone.

He has thrown for nearly 4,000 yards and 28 touchdowns through 15 games.

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He has been everything the Rams wanted him to be and more. This could be the leader they have been looking for. The team around him has also improved, as has their ability to win the tight games. Look for this young kid to be a star of the future.

My rating – 8/10

Carson Wentz – Philadelphia Eagles (second overall pick)
The Philadelphia Eagles moved heaven and earth to climb up the pecking order to take Wentz with the second overall pick of the 2016 draft. Wentz is a very accurate thrower of the football and isn’t afraid to run the ball and seize the moment.

In his rookie season, he started all 16 games for a record of 7-9, just missing a wildcard berth into the playoffs. He had a completion rate of 62.4 per cent for 3,782 yards. Not bad for a bloke from the little known North Dakota State University.

2017 has been a standout year for Wentz. He led his team to a record of 11-2 through 13 games with a three-game lead in the NFC East.

He had thrown for 3,300 yards and 33 touchdowns. But in week 14 against the LA Rams, Wentz went down with a knee injury. MRI scan would later show he had torn his ACL and would be out for the remainer for the season.

Nick Foles would be the lucky man to take charge of Philadelphia. They are currently 13-2 and have secured top spot in the NFC going into the playoffs. Not bad for a second year quarterback. He is surely the pick of the 2016 class.

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My rating – 8.5/10

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz

(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Paxton Lynch – Denver Broncos (26th overall pick)
Lynch was bought into the Broncos side as back up to Trevor Siemian. During his rookie season, he played just three games, starting two. During those games he completed 49 passes for 500 yards and two touchdowns.

The Broncos quarterback merry-go-round continued in 2017, when Lynch was made third-string quarterback to Siemian and Brock Osweiler. He made his first start of the season in week 12 against the Oakland Raiders.

Lynch threw an intercept in the endzone late in the second quarter and was replaced by Osweiler at halftime. Reports were he had an ankle injury. He is set to miss the rest of the regular season. The Broncos are currently 5-10.

My rating – 3/10

Christian Hackenburg – New York Jets (51st overall pick)
Is the fourth-string Quarterback in New York and has yet to play a game in the NFL regular season.

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My rating – 0/10

Jacoby Brissett – New England Patriots (91st overall pick)
Brissett was picked up by the Patriots as cover for Tom Brady who was suspended for ‘Deflatgate’ to start the 2016 season. He played three games and started in two. He went down with a thumb injury in the third game of the season and was replaced by Jimmy Garoppolo.

In the preseason of 2017, Brissett was traded to the Indianapolis Colts. Since that time, he has played 15 games, starting 14. With regular quarterback Andrew Luck injured for the season, Brissett has guided the team on the field to a record of 3-12.

He is an average quarterback at best. He could be better if he had a decent line around him. He has thrown for 3,000 yards and 12 touchdowns for the season, which is nothing to shirk at. But he will need to improve to be a force in the NFL.

My rating – 4.5/10

American football generic

(Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)

Cody Kessler – Cleveland Browns (93rd overall pick)
Kessler played nine games in his rookie season. Passing for 1,400 yards with six touchdowns despite not winning a game, he showed some promise.

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He started the 2017 season as the third-string quarterback. Injuries worked in his favour and he played in week seven. He has since become the starting quarterback for the winless Browns. With 1,400 yards, six touchdowns and a quarterback rating of 98.5, he had the ability to be more than he is.

He is probably in the wrong system to be getting any better.

My rating – 4.5/10

Connor Cook – Oakland Raiders (100th overall pick)
Cook was drafted as a third-string quarterback behind Derek Carr and Matt McGloin. He didn’t play his first game until the week 17 clash on the 2016 season, when Carr went down injured.

He would later become the first quarterback in history to have his first starting game as a playoff match when the Raiders played the Houston Texans in the wildcard round. Cook threw three intercepts in that game and has not played since. Losing 27-14 and bowing out of the playoffs at the first hurdle.

My rating – 2/10

Dak Prescott – Dallas Cowboys (135th overall pick)
The Cowboys were looking for a young quarterback to sit behind veteran Tony Romo for a few years, before giving him the green light to take the franchise into the future. That moment came sooner than anyone thought, when Romo went down in preseason and Prescott was given the starting spot for week one of his rookie year.

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Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) and Tony Romo (9) warm up

(AP Photo/Bill Kostroun, File)

That season will be one he will never forget. The Cowboys went 13-3 and marched into the playoffs, only to lose to a hail-mary from Green Bays Aaron Rodgers in week two.

Prescott would finish the 2016 season with 3,667 yards for 23 touchdowns and a quarterback rating of 104.9. He was only named offensive rookie of the year. He forged a formidable partnership with fellow rookie, running back Zeke Elliott.

2017 wasn’t as kind to Prescott, he would lose his partner in crime Elliott to suspension. He never seemed to find the same groove that got him through his rookie year.

The Cowboys are set to finish the season well outside of playoff contention.

Prescott seems to be a one-trick pony. If things aren’t going his way, he tries and tries again. Usually to no avail. He needs to trust the men around him more. He has quality players off the ball and can take the Cowboys to new heights if he trusts his team.

My rating – 5.5/10

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