NFL Rookie quarterbacks who could unexpectedly start in 2021

Day Three Quarterbacks

There were two quarterbacks selected on day 3 of the draft. The Notre Dame signal-caller, Ian Book, who was selected by the Saints towards the end of the 4th round, and the longtime starting Texas quarterback, Sam Ehlinger, who was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the 6th round.

Ian Book is entering an interesting situation with the Saints. This will be the first year since 2005 that Drew Brees will not begin the season as the New Orleans Saints’ starter. A team that selects a quarterback with a pick that has some amount of value (a 4th rounder) that is transitioning at the position, in theory, should generate some interest.

Even with that backdrop, I still think it is highly unlikely Book will ever be a full-time starter with the Saints. The starting quarterback for 2021 was already on the roster before the draft. Over the offseason, Jameis Winston re-signed with the team with a new 3-year deal, and presumably, Winston will compete for the starting job with Taysom Hill who started after Brees’ rib injury last year.

Ian Book did leave Notre Dame as the program’s winningest quarterback. and played against some of the top competition in big games. Book has some ability to develop and play within the system, as he had success working through a heavy RPO offense that Notre Dame ran. Unfortunately, Book is undersized at just 6’0 and 211 pounds and lacks the arm strength and ability to hit tight windows to be a long-term starter in the NFL. Apart from Winston’s other issues, arm talent alone should not make Book disrupt the existing structure at the position.

It is a similar story with Texas Longhorns’ quarterback, Sam Ehlinger, except even more clear-cut. Similar to Book, Ehlinger was a longtime starter raking up over 11,000 career passing yards and 94 touchdowns, according to Sports Reference, and demonstrated superior leadership abilities during his time at Texas. But similarly to Book, Ehlinger lacks the arm tools to be a starter in the NFL and struggles with his accuracy at times. As a 6th round pick with those limitations, it will be hard to envision Ehlinger solidifying himself as a starter in the NFL.