2018 class · 13 prospects

Quarterback QB

The hardest position to model. Tape, processing, and off-script play matter more than box-score numbers — we lean heavily on scout consensus and completion rate over expected.

Likeliest career, by the outcome model.

How many quarterbacks land in each career bucket as the model's single most likely finish. This is a different question from the board grades below — a prospect can be a Day 3 grade and still have “starter” as his likeliest outcome. The tails (elite, bust) are where the model separates; the middle two buckets sit close to a coin flip.

Elite
4
Pro-Bowl-caliber career
Starter
0
No plug-and-play grades yet
Role
3
Rotational / depth
Bust
6
Likeliest outcome is a bust
Likeliest career across the QB class
Elite
4
Starter
0
Role
3
Bust
6

The board.

All 13 quarterbacks with a draftable grade on Draftanomics's 2018 board, tier by tier.

Blue Chip1 player

Baker Mayfield out of Oklahoma is the blue-chip tier by himself, projected No. 3 overall. The drop to Josh Rosen is 10 projected picks: a step, not a cliff.

3
Baker Mayfield
Oklahoma· 6'1" · 215 lb· consensus #11
A blue-chip grade with the room in agreement — consensus No. 11.
Blue Chip
bust risk 4%
1st Round2 players

The first-round tier is a pair: Josh Rosen out of UCLA at No. 13, with Sam Darnold at No. 29 behind him. Then the board falls off a cliff — 24 projected picks between Darnold and Josh Allen, the next name down. One split worth knowing: consensus puts Sam Darnold at No. 10, 19 spots above our call.

13
Josh Rosen
UCLA· 6'4" · 226 lb· consensus #9
A first-round grade with the room in agreement — consensus No. 9.
1st Round
bust risk 28%
29
Sam Darnold
USC· 6'3" · 221 lb· consensus #10
A first-round grade, though the room is higher on him — consensus No. 10.
1st Round
bust risk 16%
Day 24 players

Josh Allen out of Wyoming fronts a four-man Day 2 tier at No. 53 overall, with Rudolph and Lauletta filling it out. The drop behind Lauletta is the story — Luke Falk does not come off the board for another 67 picks. Inside the tier, the model's fight is Kyle Lauletta: it says No. 84, the room says No. 155.

53
Josh Allen
Wyoming· 6'5" · 237 lb· consensus #31
A Day 2 grade, though the room is higher on him — consensus No. 31.
Day 2
bust risk 10%
55
Mason Rudolph
Oklahoma St.· 6'5" · 235 lb· consensus #55
A Day 2 grade with the room in agreement — consensus No. 55.
Day 2
bust risk 14%
60
Lamar Jackson
Louisville· 6'2" · 216 lb· consensus #26
A Day 2 grade, though the room is higher on him — consensus No. 26.
Day 2
bust risk 6%
84
Kyle Lauletta
Richmond· 6'3" · 222 lb· consensus #155
A Day 2 grade the room hasn't caught up to — consensus No. 155.
Day 2
bust risk 30%
Day 36 players

Luke Falk leads a 6-deep Day 3 group — the meat of the QB board — starting at a projected No. 151 overall. Tanner Lee carries the tier's risk, a 47 percent bust probability from a model with real signal at quarterback.

151
Luke Falk
Washington St.· 6'4" · 215 lb· consensus #141
A Day 3 grade with the room in agreement — consensus No. 141.
Day 3
bust risk 44%
171
Mike White
Western Kentucky· 6'5" · 224 lb· consensus #82
A Day 3 grade, though the room is higher on him — consensus No. 82.
Day 3
bust risk 31%
210
Alex McGough
Florida International
A Day 3 grade, No. 210 on our board.
Day 3
bust risk 28%