The 2016 NFL Draft class took another hit Saturday as Jared Goff was traded to the Detroit Lions.
Five years after sending a package to the Tennessee Titans for the No. 1 overall pick which was used to select Goff, the Rams had to trade three picks — including two first-rounders — to get rid of his contract.
But Goff won’t even serve as the biggest blunder when reflecting on the 2016 quarterback class. It could very well go down as the least impressive class of signal-callers in recent memory.
Check out the QBs drafted in 2016:
1. Jared Goff — Rams
2. Carson Wentz — Eagles
26. Paxton Lynch — Broncos
51. Christian Hackenberg — Jets
91. Jacoby Brissett — Patriots
93. Cody Kessler — Browns
100. Connor Cook — Raiders
135. Dak Prescott — Cowboys
139. Cardale Jones — Bills
162. Kevin Hogan — Chiefs
187. Nate Sudfeld — Washington
191. Jake Rudock — Lions
201. Brandon Allen — Jaguars
207. Jeff Driskel — 49ers
223. Brandon Doughty — Dolphins
That is a brutal 15-man rundown. And while we’ll admit the Chiefs shouldn’t be graded on not hitting Kevin Hogan (who?), especially with how it’s played out in Kansas City, the point still stands.
Only Prescott, the eighth QB taken off the board after being selected in the fourth round, should provide confidence at this point. He could very well be the last starter standing when it’s all said and done. And even that could be just one or two years away.
We mean, would you feel confident in Goff? Sean McVay didn’t. The Rams head coach knew it was time to cut bait and bring in someone better in Matthew Stafford.
And how about Wentz? The Philadelphia signal-caller appeared to lose his job midway through the 2020 season. The Eagles have brought in a new head coach in hopes of fixing Wentz because, like Goff, they have too much money invested in him. Philadelphia would likely have to package something similar to what the Rams did to get Wentz’s contract off the books.
And they are two of the few who have actually played NFL snaps.
Lynch, Hackenberg, Cook, Jones, Hogan, Rudock and Doughty no longer are out of the league.
Brissett, as New England Patriots fans know, caught on with the Indianapolis Colts, but served more as a backup. Kesler, who was on the Patriots practice squad a few years back, hasn’t played a game since 2018. Sudfeld, Allen and Driskel have play minimally, as well.
It’s not like these are players who are seven, eight, nine years removed from the draft. Goff, Wentz, Prescott, among others just concluded their fifth season.
The 2016 class was thought to be a somewhat impressive group back then, but collectively, it has been anything but.
