GiveMeSport has gone back into the archives and ranked the quarterbacks from the class of 2018 to see which teams made the right decision on the night.

The 2018 NFL Draft was certainly one that had a lot of headlines going into it, plenty of discussion whilst it was going on and a lot of talking points when it was done. As is the case with most drafts, that talk predominantly surrounded the quarterbacks, with a number of teams needing to bring in their man for the future and plenty of choices to choose from. 

And it just so happened that 2018 had a number of hot prospects, including two Heisman trophy winners (Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson) that were ready to make the next step in their lives and try to conquer the NFL.

It has now been four seasons since that draft, and as a result we’ve had plenty of time to see which players have made an impact on the league and which players failed to grasp the chance when it was presented to them. 

We have taken the first-round quarterbacks, as well as a couple of other big names that emerged from the draft that night, and put them in what we think is the correct order when it comes to their abilities and accomplishments in the NFL. 

Josh Allen - Taken at #7 by the Buffalo Bills

42-24 record, 15, 832 passing yards, 117 touchdowns, 47 interceptions, 2,696 rushing yards, 32 touchdowns

The man who many believe could take home the league’s MVP award this season. Having been made to wait for a little bit and showing some signs of rust in his early years, he has emerged as a top-tier quarterback in this league. 

Capable with both his arm and his legs, combined with the talent that he has around him at his disposal in Buffalo, it is no doubt that so many people are putting them as their favourites for the Super Bowl this season as they look to shake off their voodoo in the postseason. 

Lamar Jackson - Taken at #32 by the Baltimore Ravens

38-15 record, 10,867 passing yards, 87 touchdowns, 36 interceptions, 4,040 rushing yards, 22 touchdowns, 1x MVP

It really was a close-run thing to pick Jackson at #2 on this list, especially considering the fact he’s the only one on this list that has managed to pick up an award so far in their NFL careers when he took home the MVP in 2019. 

There is no doubting his talent overall in comparison to the rest, but in relation to Allen, with the Bills man slightly better as a thrower (which at the end of the day is the main calling card for a quarterback), we have to put Jackson ever-so-slightly behind him on this list. 

Baker Mayfield - Taken at #1 by the Cleveland Browns

29-30 record, 14,592 passing yards, 96 touchdowns, 57 interceptions, 585 rushing yards, 5 touchdowns

The number one pick in this draft, and someone who arguably did what he was asked to in the grand scheme of things in Cleveland. 

Took a team that was 1-31 in the two seasons before he arrived and took them to their first playoff win since the 1990s, all whilst dealing with a chaotic franchise above him (three head coaches and three offensive coordinators should be proof enough of that). 

Will hope that the move to Carolina might be more fruitful in a better-run organisation.

Sam Darnold - Taken at #3 by the New York Jets

17-32 record, 10,624 passing yards, 54 touchdowns, 52 interceptions, 639 rushing yards, 10 touchdowns

Another player that was taken on board by a chaotic organisation, and who once again did the best that he could considering the circumstances (like having Adam Gase as the head coach) and managed to make them somewhat competitive at times during his tenure.

What his future looks like now that Baker Mayfield has arrived in Carolina, with the high possibility of taking his starting job, will be interesting to see and will more than likely spend his career as a perennial backup. 

Mason Rudolph - Taken at #76 by the Pittsburgh Steelers

5-4-1 record, 2,366 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, 89 rushing yards, 0 touchdowns

Has established himself as a very capable backup, posting a winning record when he has been called upon for the Steelers, but with franchise QB Ben Roethlisberger ahead of him, he was never going to be able to become the starter in Pittsburgh.

Will more than likely remain that way moving forward following the team picking up Mitch Trubisky and Kenny Pickett and we wouldn’t be surprised if he is traded somewhere before the start of the season. 

Kyle Allen - Undrafted

7-10 record, 4,318 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, 17 interceptions, 162 rushing yards, 4 touchdowns

Arguably the surprise package of this draft class, starting off as a backup with the Carolina Panthers before taking over as the starter in 2019 following an injury to Cam Newton and going on a 5-0 stretch at one point. Was traded to Washington to be reunited with former head coach Ron Rivera but was once again demoted to backup. 

Now plying his trade with the Houston Texans, where he could very well get a new lease of life if Davis Mills doesn’t work out.

Josh Rosen - Taken at #10 by the Arizona Cardinals

3-13 record, 2,864 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, 21 interceptions, 151 rushing yards, 0 touchdowns

The man who claimed on draft night that there were ‘nine mistakes’ taken ahead of him ended up being arguably the biggest mistake of the draft. Had one season but following a change of head coach to Kliff Kingsbury was replaced with Kyler Murray who more suited his system.

Was given a second chance with the Miami Dolphins but that spot was taken up by Tua Tagovailoa. Has been a backup with the Buccaneers, 49ers and Falcons but is now a free agent where you wonder if he’ll ever get back into the league again. 

All stats are taken from ProFootballReference and refer to the player’s regular and postseason stats. 

Quite whether this class will go down in history in the way that the drafts of 1983 with John Elway, Jim Kelly and Dan Marino or 2004 with Eli Manning, Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger isn’t going to be decided for a good few years now.

But based on what they have already brought to the table, they have certainly given us a lot to talk about, and in the case of Allen and Jackson, have given their franchises plenty of hope for the future.