WHERE ARE THEY NOW? The 7 quarterbacks drafted before Dak Prescott
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Maybe the most surprising storyline of the 2016 NFL season has been the emergence of Dak Prescott. The young quarterback went from a third-string rookie taken in the fourth round to the starter on arguably the best team in the NFL, the Dallas Cowboys.
Prescott was not even the Cowboys' first choice in the draft as Jerry Jones twice tried to trade up for other quarterbacks but was unable to get the deals done.
In all, seven quarterbacks were taken in the 2016 NFL Draft before Prescott's name was called with the 135th pick. Here is how those other QBs performed in their rookie seasons.
Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams — First round (No. 1 overall)
Christian Petersen/Getty ImagesGames started: 7
Key stats: The Rams went 0-7 in games started by Goff. He completed just 54.6% of his passes with 5 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. His 5.3 yards per attempt ranked last among the 32 quarterbacks who started at least seven games.
Pro Football Focus grade: 39.7 (35th)
Total Quarterback Rating (QBR): 22.1 (would have ranked last among the 30 qualified quarterbacks)
What draft experts said at the time: "Goff took Cal football to a different level, and the Rams hope he does the same in L.A. He's a little bit like Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco, who both started from Day 1. Goff can do the same with the run game and defense the Rams possess." — Mike Mayock of NFL.com.
Where he is now: Goff did not even dress to start the season. He eventually served as a backup to Case Keenum before taking over as starter in Week 11. Initially the Rams appeared to be intent on letting Goff sit his entire rookie season, however, ownership eventually forced Jeff Fisher's hand leading to the change.
Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles — First round (No. 2 overall)
Ronald Martinez/Getty ImagesGames started: 16
Key stats: 62.4% completions (18th in NFL), 16 touchdowns (tied-25th), 14 interceptions (tied-9th), 6.23 yards per attempts (29th)
Pro Football Focus grade: 76.8 (No. 22 overall)
Total Quarterback Rating (QBR): 53.3 (No. 25 overall)
What draft experts said at the time: "Wentz comes with great intangibles and is a naturally accurate thrower. Pairing him with QB guru Doug Pederson would aid Wentz's steep learning curve as he transitions from the FCS." — Todd McShay of ESPN.com.
Where he is now: The Rams traded Sam Bradford just before the season started, elevating Wentz to starter a lot sooner than many expected. He rewarded the Eagles early by putting on an impressive display in the first four games with 7 touchdowns and just 1 interception. However, an easy early-season schedule may have masked some issues. Over the last 12 games of the season, Wentz threw 9 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
Paxton Lynch, Denver Broncos — First round (No. 26 overall)
Brian Blanco/GettyGames started: 2
Key stats: 59.0% completions, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception, 6.0 yards per attempts
Pro Football Focus grade: 40.5 (unranked)
Total Quarterback Rating (QBR): 28.6 (would have ranked last among the 30 qualified quarterbacks)
What draft experts said at the time: "Lynch is a lot like Joe Flacco, but is more athletic. Lynch can be special." — Mike Mayock of NFL.com.
Where he is now: Lynch impressed in the preseason, enough to justify the use of a late-first-round pick. While there was a call to make Lynch a starter right away, the Broncos seemed content to let Lynch backup Trevor Siemian for the season. Lynch did get rushed into action in Week 4 and started the Broncos' Week 5 loss and Week 13 win when Siemian went down with injuries.
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