If we had tried some miraculous move up in the 2021 Draft, we get Mac Jones, maybe? Since the 2000 NFL Draft, these are the lower half of the draft QB's that were taken and their draft position.
2021 Mac Jones (15) Unknown
2020 Jordan Love (26) Unknown
2019 Dwayne Haskins (15) Meh
2018 Lamar Jackson (32) Steal
2017 None
2016 Paxton Lynch (26) Bust
2015 None
2014 Teddy Bridgewater (32) Ok?
2013 E.J. Manuel (16) Bust
2012 Brandon Weeden (22) Bust
2011 None
2010 Time Tebow (25) Bust
2009 Josh Freeman (17) Bust
2008 Joe Flacco (18) Ok?
2007 Brady Quinn (22) Bust
2006 None
2005 Aaron Rodgers (24) Excellent
2004 J.P. Losman (22) Bust
2003 Kyle Boller (19) Bust
2003 Rex Grossman (22) Bust
2002 Patrick Ramsey (32) Bust
2001 None
2000 Chad Pennington (18) Ok?
So according to my complex grading system since 2000, the NFL has produced two excellent QB's, three Ok QB's, one Meh QB, eleven QB Busts, two Unknown QB's, and five years where the pickings were so slim that no team chose a QB from 15-32 in the first round.
Yeah, the overwhelming chance was that we would get stuck with the next Kyle Boller instead of the next Aaron Rodgers. Aaron Rodger's is an oulier here because he could very well have been picked at #1 overall over Alex Smith that year and 23 team GM's sucked so hard at evaluation that they bypassed him. So screw those lower first round picks we gave up to get Matthew Stafford, he was worth everything to get him.