With the College Football Bowl Season kicking into high gear over the next week, there will be a lot of talk about the “elite” quarterback prospects in this upcoming draft class. There are a number of players who, throughout the season, have been discussed as either the “top Quarterback in the class” or as a “first round prospect.” Obviously, not all of these players will wind up being drafted in the first round (and some may even tumble into the late rounds of the draft. As a fun way to kick off Bowl Season and the start of familiarizing ourselves with the quarterback prospects for the 2018 NFL Draft, we pulled together our collective knowledge of pop culture and existing narratives to compare the quarterback prospects (who are all vying for the title of either the top QB or “QB1”) with their counterparts from Game of Thrones.
Sam Darnold (USC) is Robb Stark
He has the pedigree of coming from an elite institution (USC/the Stark family). He has made big-time plays in big games to pull out victories. But there are still questions about whether or not the young gun will even make a claim to the throne this year or if he will spend another year on the battlefield.
Josh Rosen (UCLA) is Jon Snow
Rosen has playing in big brothers shadow and not getting the hype he deserves as a legitimate contender for the title. Perhaps the upcoming season will provide an opportunity for him to break out on his own and be recognized as the rightful king of this class.
Josh Allen (Wyoming) is Stannis Baratheon
Has a claim to the QB1 throne but doesn’t show up in big situations. Lots of talk, but doesn’t back it up on the field of battle. He may “look the part” of a king (at least according to some accounts) but he got rocked any time he had to face a big opponent.
Lamar Jackson (Louisville) is Daenerys Targaryen
Has a rightful claim to the title and has weapons (dragons) that no one else has. People are always looking for a reason why he shouldn’t be QB1. His surrounding party may be a rag-tag bunch that seemingly got thrown together randomly, but they will only go as far as he will take them.
Luke Falk (Washington State) is Tommen Baratheon/Lannister
Basically just a product of the system and his claim to the throne relies on being in the right place at the right time.
Mason Rudolph (Oklahoma State) is Renly Baratheon
People fall in love with him when they see him, but is he really a contender for the throne? Does he have what it takes? Has he just been able to take advantage of weak defenses to put up big numbers?
Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma) is Tyrion Lannister
He likes to talk, he’s kind of a dick, but people still love watching him work. Could be a better role player in his current system and not sure if his talents are transferable. Makes something out of nothing. Is clever and witty.
Riley Ferguson (Memphis) is Tormund Giantsbane
Somewhat inexperienced but has some raw talent and abilities. Arguably is more fun to watch than he aught to be. Someone may be willing to take a shot at him based on his upside but he also got to take advantage of some subpar defenses.
Clayton Thorston (Northwestern) is Sam Tarly
He has no real claim to the throne, but is a big nerd.
Jarrett Stidham (Auburn) is Tywin Lannister
Battle-hardened by making his way through some of the toughest competition in the land. He pulled off a victory over his arch-rivals this season to put his team in position to claim the ultimate throne. At this point, he is also a product of the talent around him.
Jake Browning (Washington) is Balon Greyjoy
Just a dude hanging out on the west coast that no one really pays attention to or gives much creedance to as a viable candidate.
Ryan Finley (North Carolina State) is the Night King
He’s been a bit under-the-radar this season but has produced a good year on the battlefield. He had some of his best outings in his biggest games, including striking a big blow against Lamar Jackson (who as you will recall, is Danerys Targaryan).