Drafting the Top College Football QBs since 2000

On3 decided to draft the top college football QBs since the year 2000 via Andy and Ari On3. Andy Staples, Ari Wasserman and producer River Bailey had five selections each in a snake draft.

Most of the guys on the list won a Heisman and there are some good NFL careers as well! But these were the best QBs in college football, per the draft, and going by their college careers.

So without further ado, let’s dive into the best QBs in college football since 2000. We’ll start with Wasserman’s picks as he had the No. 1 overall selection.

Ari Wasserman’s QB picks

Cam Newton, Auburn (Round 1, Pick 1)
Lamar Jackson, Louisville (Round 2, Pick 3)
Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M (Round 3, Pick 1)
Pat White, West Virginia (Round 4, Pick 3)
Braxton Miller, Ohio State (Round 5, Pick 1)

Wasserman came out strong with his QB picks by taking Newton with the first selection. The Heisman winner had arguably the greatest singular season ever, leading the Tigers to a national title and becoming a No. 1 overall pick. Newton’s a college football legend.

Jackson and Manziel also won Heisman Trophies during their time in college. Jackson became a better QB in the NFL while Manziel flamed out, but won an MMA fight! Still, Johnny Football was peak-college football and was unstoppable during his apex.

White and Miller were electric QBs. Interestingly though, following injuries and QB changes for Ohio State, Miller ended up becoming a wide receiver at the end of his college career with the Buckeyes.

River Bailey’s QB picks

Tim Tebow, Florida (Round 1, Pick 2)
Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma (Round 2, Pick 2)
Caleb Williams, USC (Round 3, Pick 2)
Jameis Winston, Florida State (Round 4, Pick 2)
Robert Griffin III, Baylor (Round 5, Pick 2)

Bailey started it out with Tebow, who some have argued is the greatest college football player of all-time. The Heisman winner is a Florida icon and a two-time national champ being a dual threat QB. Tough to argue with that selection.

His next two picks came in the form of Mayfield and Williams, who are still playing today as well. Both won a Heisman, but neither won a national title. Williams’ talent was undeniable, while Mayfield might be your prototypical gamer for a college quarterback. He was fun, talented, won a lot of games and put up some huge numbers.

Winston might not get the respect he deserves from a college perspective due to his NFL career being a rollercoaster. He’s known now for his entertaining personality as a backup QB and TV personality, but Winston was the best at his position, en route to a Heisman and national title. Don’t forget the electricity of RG3, who won a Heisman at Baylor before becoming the No. 2 overall pick.

Andy Staples’ QB picks

Vince Young, Texas (Round 1, Pick 3)
Joe Burrow, LSU (Round 2, Pick 1)
Andrew Luck, Stanford (Round 3, Pick 3)
Patrick Mahomes, Texas Tech (Round 4, Pick 1)
Kyler Murray, Oklahoma (Round 5, Pick 3)

Staples had a strong draft with his first three picks, getting Young and Burrow back to back. Burrow had the best season, statistically, for a QB and won the Heisman and national title in 2019 for LSU. Young is a Texas legend and holds one of the most iconic plays in college football history, leading Texas to a national title over USC back in 2006.

Luck was considered a generational prospect and was a very good college quarterback, who got better in the NFL. Injuries took their toll and forced him into an early retirement, but he is back at Stanford now as the GM.

Mahomes and Murray and interesting picks for Staples. Mahomes, as a pure QB, is a Hall of Famer in the NFL, but he was considered a project gunslinger in college. He was still awesome to watch and put up insane numbers. Murray won the Heisman at Oklahoma and turned into a No. 1 overall pick under the tutelage of Lincoln Riley.