It's official: 2021 NFL Draft quarterback class is a bust (after Zach Wilson trade)

All but one of the first-round quarterbacks selected in the 2021 NFL Draft have been moved to new teams, including recently traded Zach Wilson.

Perhaps this is a warning to quarterback-needy teams looking at adding a signal-caller early in the NFL Draft.

Notably the 2024 draft, which has up to six prospects at the position who could find themselves going to new teams on Thursday night.

Let's rewind back to the 2021 NFL Draft, the last time a draft class was supposed to be rich with quarterbacks. A total of five ended up being selected in the round, in this particular order:

1. Trevor Lawrence (Clemson) -- Jacksonville Jaguars
2. Zach Wilson (BYU) -- New York Jets
3. Trey Lance (North Dakota State) -- San Francisco 49ers
4. Justin Fields (Ohio State) -- Chicago Bears
5. Mac Jones (Alabama) -- New England Patriots

The Niners gave up on Lance after two failed seasons, made easier after the ascent of quarterback Brock Purdy, the final selection of the 2022 NFL Draft, dishing Lance off to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2024.

Turns out, that's the biggest return on any traded first-round QB from the 2021 draft.

A year later, both the Bears and Patriots traded Fields and Jones to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Jaguars, respectively, leaving only Lawrence and the embattled Wilson holding onto roster spots with the teams that originally drafted them.

Now, Wilson is reportedly on the move, according to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport:

The idea of Wilson being moved isn't a shocker. Once Gang Green landed former Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers a year ago, Wilson's days were numbered.

Heck, even San Francisco was rumored to be a plausible destination.

Now, though, Wilson caps off the fourth of five first-round quarterbacks selected in 2021 who didn't see their original contracts play out to the fullest.

Aside from Lawrence, who looks to be the long-term answer for the Jags, the rest of the quarterbacking class from that year is officially a bust.

Indeed, this can be a warning for those other teams in search of a quarterback early in this year's draft. Despite the draft pedigree and hype, there's a bigger chance of a prospective quarterback flaming out in Round 1 than there is of finding a franchise-elite signal-caller.

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