{"id":24016,"date":"2023-06-20T18:46:12","date_gmt":"2023-06-20T22:46:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/?p=24016"},"modified":"2023-06-20T18:46:16","modified_gmt":"2023-06-20T22:46:16","slug":"ranking-the-nfc-quarterbacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/nfl\/ranking-the-nfc-quarterbacks\/","title":{"rendered":"RANKING THE NFC QUARTERBACKS"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

BY ADAM GREENE<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll notice that the NFC list looks very different from the AFC list, as pretty much all the best quarterbacks, with the exception of the top three here, currently reside outside this particular conference. That\u2019s not to say one of the younger guys might make a jump this season. There\u2019s certainly some contenders. But, a lot of these guys, we\u2019ve seen plenty of at this point. We know what they can do and if they\u2019re ranked high here, it\u2019s just because the rest of the field is wanting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As crazy as it, considering only three of these QBs are worth significant debate, there\u2019ll still be some. It is June and this is what we in the NFL media do, but I\u2019ll do my best to explain why I\u2019ve ranked each man at his particular spot. If you\u2019d like to talk about it, my Twitter link is at the bottom of the article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I did with the AFC list, I had to expand this one past the 16 franchises in the NFC as multiple teams currently have open quarterback competitions. Which, honestly, just goes to show the mess that the NFC is in as a conference at the moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. MATTHEW STAFFORD, LOS ANGELES RAMS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Age:<\/strong> 35<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Size:<\/strong> 6-3, 220 pounds<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2022:<\/strong> 68.0 completion percentage, 2,087 yards, 10 touchdowns, eight interceptions, nine rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, 87.4 QB Rating<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PFF Grade:<\/strong> 67.0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NFL MVP Odds:<\/strong> +6600<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comeback Player of the Year Odds:<\/strong> +2500<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alright, here we go. Let the hate flow through you. It will make you powerful. Here\u2019s the deal, Matthew Stafford played in just nine games a season ago after being hurt all offseason. He had shoulder surgery after the Super Bowl and never got to work with the team. He also, we\u2019ve since learned, wasn\u2019t fully recovered and the Los Angeles back up quarterback situation was so bad there was no chance he could hold off until he was truly ready. Stafford is too tough for his own good sometimes and 2022 exemplifies that. The team, rightly, shut him down and I expect the Rams, and Stafford, to benefit from that this season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why is he No. 1? Because, healthy, he\u2019s easily the best QB in the NFC. He\u2019s the only one with a Super Bowl ring and that ring came just two seasons ago, a season where he completed 67.2 percent of his passes for 4,886 yards, 41 touchdowns (the second highest total in the NFL, behind only Tom Brady) and 17 interceptions. In the playoffs, he played at another level, completing 70 percent of his passes for 1,188 yards, nine touchdowns and just three picks. He won three consecutive games, the NFC Divisional Round at the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, hosting the San Francisco 49ers who had beaten the Rams in six consecutive regular season games and the Cincinnati Bengals, when his roster was down to one receiver and a handful of offensive lineman, and took every victory with a game-winning scoring drive in the final minutes. Stafford\u2019s no-look throw to Cooper Kupp<\/a> on that go-ahead scoring drive in the Super Bowl, is unquestionably one of the three best throws in Super Bowl history and might be No. 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re keeping track, that\u2019s 50 touchdowns, an NFC Championship and a Super Bowl Championship. Only two other quarterbacks in the NFC have even started Super Bowls and they both lost. He\u2019s the best in the NFC and the fourth best in the NFL, barring an injury, coming into this season. And no one currently playing in the NFL has more fourth quarter comebacks (34) than Stafford. He\u2019s currently ranked sixth in NFL history in that particular category, with only Drew Brees, Matt Ryan, Ben Roethlisberger, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady ahead of him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like Lamar Jackson in the AFC, I don\u2019t like his odds for Comeback Player of the Year, considering he did appear in nine games a season ago. But he\u2019s a better bet to win it than Jackson, who played in 12 and helped his team make the playoffs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. DAK PRESCOTT, DALLAS COWBOYS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Age:<\/strong> 29<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Size:<\/strong> 6-2, 238 pounds<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2022:<\/strong> 66.2 completion percentage, 2,860 yards, 23 touchdowns, 15 interceptions, 182 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, 91.1 QB Rating<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PFF Grade:<\/strong> 72.0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NFL MVP Odds:<\/strong> +2800<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again, I see you swelling out there, like a crocodile about to charge at a wildebeest at the side of a river. But, I am here to tell you, Dak Prescott is perhaps the most undeservedly maligned quarterback in the NFL and, if I had to rank him overall, he\u2019d be the seventh best quarterback in the league. All he has done, since his rookie season, is put up elite numbers and win games like no Dallas Cowboys quarterback has done since Troy Aikman, who is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He\u2019s done this in spite of being hamstrung by two of the worst head coaches in the NFL, Jason Garrett and now Mike McCarthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tossing out the season where he was injured (2020), he\u2019s taken the Cowboys to the playoffs in four of the six seasons in which he played 12 or more games. He\u2019s won two playoff games and never played poorly in the postseason. As a rookie, Dallas, with Prescott, fell 34-31 to the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card Round. In the 2018 playoffs, they lost 30-22 to the Los Angeles Rams, who went on to the Super Bowl, in the Divisional Round. They fell 23-17 in 2021 to the San Francisco 49ers in the Wild Card Round, who would make it all the way to the NFC Championship and last year, lost to those same 49ers, who again made it to the conference title game, 19-12. Those are all one-score losses that came right down to the wire against very good, elite teams. Prescott isn\u2019t stumbling against squads like the Seattle Seahawks or Minnesota Vikings. The better team won those match ups. Prescott wasn\u2019t on the better team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Cowboys are good, though, and if the Eagles weren\u2019t loaded, top to bottom, they\u2019d be a safe bet to win the NFC East, even with McCarthy burping up his breakfast burrito on the sideline. The best thing that can happen for Prescott this season, is for this team to miss the playoffs or make a quick exit, prompting Jerry Jones to rectify just the latest of many disastrous mistakes he\u2019s made, not counting what he\u2019s done to his face \u2014 by firing McCarthy. Because if a real head coach came to Dallas while Prescott is in his prime, they could be real trouble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. JALEN HURTS, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Age:<\/strong> 24<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Size:<\/strong> 6-1, 223 pounds<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2022:<\/strong> 66.5 completion percentage, 3,701 yards, 22 touchdowns, six interceptions, 760  rushing yards, 13 rushing touchdowns, 101.4 QB Rating<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PFF Grade:<\/strong> 85.9<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NFL MVP Odds:<\/strong> +1000<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jalen Hurts sits atop most of these lists you\u2019ll see for good reason. He had an All-Universe campaign in 2022 and was a stupid, cartoonishly bad fumble away from winning a Super Bowl. But, he still committed said stupid, cartoonish fumble. It was on him. The reason I rank him third is that, as good a year as he had last season, it\u2019s just one season. Stafford and Prescott have performed at a high level for years. Hurts did it once. Now, do I believe he can do it again? Absolutely. Will I rank him higher if he unleashes a repeat performance in 2023? Again, absolutely. Especially if he hoists a Vince Lombardi Trophy at the end of it. And, believe me, it could happen. The Eagles are the favorites to win the NFC and should be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ranking Hurts third after his third season is no insult. He\u2019d be my No. 8 overall QB in the NFL right now, but he\u2019s absolutely trending up. And I can\u2019t pretend I\u2019m surprised that Hurts is playing so well in the NFL. I had him as one of my top ranked QB prospects coming out in the draft in 2020 and even had him ranked above Justin Herbert.  And I\u2019ll admit that I was wrong about Herbert then as being a potential bust, but would still rank Hurts above him now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. KIRK COUSINS, MINNESOTA VIKINGS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Age:<\/strong> 34<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Size:<\/strong> 6-3, 205 pounds<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2022:<\/strong> 65.9 completion percentage, 4,547 yards, 29 touchdowns, 14 interceptions, 97 yards, two touchdowns, 92.5 QB Rating<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PFF Grade:<\/strong> 77.4<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NFL MVP Odds:<\/strong> +10000<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yeah. This is where we are in the NFC. We all, everyone putting any of these lists together, must put Kirk Cousins as a Top Five quarterback and shake our heads while we do it. Why is the AFC, overall, so much better right now? Cousins is one of the reasons why. He\u2019s very much like a Tony Romo, where he\u2019s not good enough to win you anything, but not bad enough to tank your team and lead to a rebuild with a high draft choice. The worst any team will do with Cousins under center is hover around .500 and that\u2019s not going to get you anywhere near the top of the draft order and the top QB prospects. The Cowboys escaped that purgatory by accidentally drafting Prescott in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft when, if any team had actually listened to me, they would have known he was the best QB in that class. Yes, I will never drop that I was the only national NFL media writer to publicly state, in multiple articles, that Prescott was better than Jared Goff and Carson Wentz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minnesota really only had one potential shot at nabbing a replacement for Cousins in this draft, but they didn\u2019t pull the trigger on Hendon Hooker in the first or second round and now have to hope they can, somehow, find a diamond in the rough like that in 2024. I\u2019m looking at you, former top overall prospect Spencer Rattler. Cousins has made the Pro Bowl four times and led the NFL in completion percentage in 2015 (69.8). He also won a playoff game in 2019 and only eight quarterbacks on this 19-man list can even make that claim. The Vikings are probably going to win 11-13 games this season. We might as well prepare ourselves for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. DEREK CARR, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Age:<\/strong> 32<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Size:<\/strong> 6-3, 210 pounds<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2022:<\/strong> 60.8 completion percentage, 3,522 yards, 24 touchdowns, 14 interceptions, 102 rushing yards, 86.3 QB Rating<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PFF Grade:<\/strong> 66.6<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NFL MVP Odds:<\/strong> +5000<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh yeah. If you thought it was ridiculous that Kirk Cousins made the Top Five, I hope the spit take you performed when seeing Carr next didn\u2019t mess up your laptop or mobile device. Carr is probably more talented than Cousins, but it\u2019s not shown up on the stat sheet or in the playoffs. Of course, Carr helped the Las Vegas Raiders get to the playoffs twice, but didn\u2019t get to play in 2016-17 as he was injured. In 2021, he was a play away from knocking off the eventual AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals in the Wild Card round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think the Saints coast to the playoffs with Carr at quarterback this season. Now, will they win their game? I don\u2019t know, considering they\u2019d likely be playing the Cowboys, Los Angeles Rams or San Francisco 49ers. It doesn\u2019t look good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. JARED GOFF, DETROIT LIONS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Age:<\/strong> 28<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Size:<\/strong> 6-4, 217 pounds<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2022:<\/strong> 65.1 completion percentage, 4,438 yards, 29 touchdowns, seven interceptions, 73 rushing yards, 99.3 QB Rating<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PFF Grade:<\/strong> 72.4<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NFL MVP Odds:<\/strong> +3300<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You could make an argument that I\u2019ve ranked Goff too low. After all, only three quarterbacks in the NFC have even made it to a Super Bowl and Goff is one of them. Still, I feel like he\u2019s topped out at what he can be. Considering he\u2019s led a team to nine wins max in three of his last four seasons and two of those were with a loaded Los Angeles Rams roster (John Wolford won the 10th<\/sup> game for the Rams in 2020), I think the jury is in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Dan Campbell thinks Goff played his best football last year for the Lions, the record does not show that. His 2018 with the Rams was elite, as he completed 64.9 percent of his passes for 4,688 yards, a career high 32 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions. If Goff had stayed that guy, he would have never been traded out of Los Angeles. But he didn\u2019t. He\u2019s this guy, an above average NFL starter who needs lots of help to get a team to the promised land. Luckily, Detroit has done nothing but draft guys to do that, including the Todd Gurley-like Jahmyr Gibbs, this year. It\u2019ll make a difference. The Lions are probably making the playoffs and Goff will get his chance to move back up the list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. KYLER MURRAY, ARIZONA CARDINALS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Age:<\/strong> 25<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Size:<\/strong> 5-10, 207 pounds<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2022:<\/strong> 66.4 completion percentage, 2,368 yards, 14 touchdowns, seven interceptions, 418 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns, 87.2 QB Rating<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PFF Grade:<\/strong> 67.1<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NFL MVP Odds:<\/strong> +6600<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comeback Player of the Year Odds:<\/strong> +2800<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Kyler Murray to get a shot at the comeback player of the year, he\u2019ll need to actually suit up for his team before Halloween and it\u2019s not looking good. Arizona appears to be in, if not tank mode, certainly in \u201ccoasting to a losing 5-7 win season\u201d mode with Murray out for a significant amount of time. Arizona only has itself to blame. They had him on a rookie deal and could have used their fifth-year option before giving him a giant contract, but they pulled the trigger early. And now they have to deal with it. For a team looking at possibly ending up with the No. 1 overall pick in 2024, that\u2019s quite a stinker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s plenty of issues with Murray. His work ethic has come into question, and it wasn\u2019t from outside the organization. The Cardinals demanded he study game film in his new contract, which means he obviously wasn\u2019t. When someone ran his numbers after new Call of Duty<\/em> updates came out<\/a>, there was a conspicuous drop. No one even thought about that until Arizona spilled the beans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Murray has a new head coach now in former Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon. Gannon brought in Drew Petzing to run the offense after three years as an offensive assistant with the Cleveland Browns. Now, Kliff Kingsbury designed an offense specifically for Murray. No one knows what Petzing\u2019s offense is going to look like and Murray won\u2019t even be able to practice in it for a while. You\u2019d think this would be a good time for the Cards to enforce that \u201cstudy\u201d requirement in Murray\u2019s contract, but they took it out after the deal was made public and embarrassed everyone involved. While I doubt Murray will make any move up on next year\u2019s list, he won\u2019t have the quality starts after being hurt, his 2024 will tell the tale of his future in the league.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. DANIEL JONES, NEW YORK GIANTS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Age:<\/strong> 26<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Size:<\/strong> 6-5, 221 pounds<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2022:<\/strong> 67.2 completion percentage, 3,205 yards, 15 touchdowns, five interceptions, 708 rushing yards, seven rushing touchdowns, 92.5 QB Rating<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PFF Grade:<\/strong> 76.0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NFL MVP Odds:<\/strong> +5000<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We need to all understand one thing \u2014 this narrative that Daniel Jones was trash is just wrong. Was he great? No. Was he OK? Yeah. Jones put up good numbers, consistently, on a bad team with two horrible head coaches, Pat Shurmer and Joe Judge. Judge, I would argue, was not only the worst head coach in the league over the 2020 and 2021 seasons, he was one of the worst head coaches in NFL history. Jones, even before Brian Daboll entered the picture, never completed less than 61.9 percent of his passes and always had a positive touchdown to interception ratio. He did fumble a lot, leading the league with 19 as a rookie, then 10 the following year. He then coughed it up seven times in 2021 and six times last year, so he\u2019s getting better at protecting the ball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That whole time he was doing a decent job, with subpar Giants receivers I might add, passing the ball. Jones was also dangerous with his legs. In fact, you could argue that after Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, Jones is the third best dual threat quarterback in the league and was even before Daboll took the whistle and clipboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m not shocked at all that Jones excelled the first chance he got to take the field with a competent head coach and play caller. Nor am I shocked that he led New York to its first playoff victory since Super Bowl XLVI. While I don\u2019t think Murray will move up this list next season, there\u2019s a good chance Jones will. Especially if he can get the Giants back into the playoffs. Which will be a much taller order in 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. JUSTIN FIELDS, CHICGAGO BEARS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Age:<\/strong> 24<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Size:<\/strong> 6-3, 228 pounds<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2022:<\/strong> 60.4 completion percentage, 2,242 yards, 17 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, 1,143 rushing yards, eight rushing touchdowns, 85.2 QB Rating<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PFF Grade:<\/strong> 70.2<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NFL MVP Odds:<\/strong> +1800<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chicago Bears fans are excited about what Justin Fields will do in his third season with better weapons around him and so am I. Do I think all these Bears faithful (and apparently the Madden game engine) are right about a playoff run in Chicago? Absolutely not. This team is not there yet. The roster is far too weak, but Fields, at least, is a budding superstar. And while I don\u2019t think he\u2019ll win any NFL championships this season, there\u2019s a good chance he\u2019ll nab a few fantasy football championships with the video game numbers he consistently puts up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I loved Fields coming out of Ohio State and my opinion hasn\u2019t changed. He was my No. 2 rated QB behind only Trevor Lawrence in that class.  I\u2019m feeling pretty comfortable with that call. I\u2019m glad the team is building around him and his strengths, much like the Eagles did with Jalen Hurts. It\u2019s a recipe for success, but one that will pay off in 2024, not 2023. I do think he\u2019ll be higher on next year\u2019s list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. GENO SMITH, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Age:<\/strong> 32<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Size:<\/strong> 6-3, 221 pounds<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2022:<\/strong> 69.8 completion percentage, 4,282 yards, 30 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, 366 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, 100.9 QB Rating<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PFF Grade:<\/strong> 79.8<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NFL MVP Odds:<\/strong> +3300<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Geno Smith didn\u2019t just have a career year last season. Smith had a great year for anybody. His 69.8 completion percentage led the NFL and his yardage, touchdown and interception numbers are all franchise quarterback caliber. So why isn\u2019t he ranked higher?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because it was one year. And while Geno can rightly feel vindicated by the season he put down, I\u2019m going to need to see it again before I believe it. It\u2019s not like Smith was given up on too soon in New York. He had four seasons there and was terrible, getting benched for good for Ryan Fitzpatrick. And, yes, I know Smith got his jaw broken and that\u2019s how Fitzpatrick got the job originally, but he never got it back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fitzpatrick, in that 2015 season, is a great example of why I need another good to great year from Smith to buy into him. Fitzmagic went 10-6 as a starter, got the New York Jets to the playoffs and threw for 3,905 yards, 31 touchdowns and 15 picks. His completion percentage was a tad too low, 59.6 percent, but, again, those are franchise QB numbers. The next year, he was good for 56.6 percent, 2.710 yards, 12 touchdowns, 17 picks and was benched for Geno once and Bryce Petty four times. I don\u2019t see the Seahawks making a return to the playoffs this season, regardless of how well Smith plays, but if he stumbles, it will not be unexpected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

11. SAM DARNOLD, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Age:<\/strong> 26<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Size:<\/strong> 6-3, 225 pounds<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2022:<\/strong> 58.6 completion percentage, 1,142 yards, seven touchdowns, three interceptions, 106 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, l02.6 QB Rating<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PFF Grade:<\/strong> 62.2<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NFL MVP Odds:<\/strong> +700<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comeback Player of the Year Odds:<\/strong> +1000<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Signing with the 49ers is the best move Sam Darnold has made since coming out of USC. It\u2019s not his fault that he went to the Jets, a place where NFL QB careers end before they\u2019re even started. It\u2019s also not his fault that they traded him to the Carolina Panthers and Matt Rhule, one of the worst head coaches and offensive minds in the league. What didn\u2019t surprise me is Darnold actually making a significant jump in offensive production once Rhule was shot out the nearest airlock. His six games in Carolina were easily the best stretch of his career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So why is he ranked above Brock Purdy? Because I think he\u2019s better than Brock Purdy. In fact, I think in any honest and open competition in San Francisco, Darndol will win the job outright over both Purdy and Trey Lance, who will go down as one of the most wasted NFL daft picks in all of history. We\u2019ll talk about that some later down the list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Darnold isn\u2019t as physically gifted as Lance, but he\u2019s better. He\u2019s not as good as Jimmy Garoppolo was, but he\u2019s more physically gifted. The last guy Kyle Shanahan coached with Darnold\u2019s general tools was Matt Ryan as offensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons and we all know how that ended \u2014 with Shanahan calling a championship game that saw his team surrender a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter. It\u2019s kind of his thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don\u2019t think the 49ers will win 13 games this season, but it won\u2019t be on Darnold. The landscape of the NFC West will be different to say the least. I do think that Darnold can lead them to the playoffs. I don\u2019t think the same about Purdy or Lance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, you know, look hard at those Comeback Player of the Year odds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

12. BROCK PURDY, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Age:<\/strong> 23<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Size:<\/strong> 6-1, 220 pounds<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2022:<\/strong> 67.1 completion percentage, 1,374 yards, 13 touchdowns, four interceptions, 13 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, 107.3 QB Rating<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PFF Grade:<\/strong> 76.6<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NFL MVP Odds:<\/strong> +6600<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make no mistake, Brock Purdy played at the highest level for his five regular season and three playoff starts until he nearly got his arm torn off in the NFC Championship game against the Eagles. I just don\u2019t think he\u2019ll keep it up and I definitely don\u2019t think he\u2019ll be ready to play when the season starts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If Darnold opens the year strong, Purdy may never see the field again. And if Darnold stumbles and Purdy gets called in, there\u2019s some solid film on him now. I don\u2019t think that the Niners could have beaten the Eagles in the NFC Championship if Purdy had been healthy and I don\u2019t think he would keep the job this season if he\u2019d come in as the presumptive starter. Again, I have to see it to believe it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And there\u2019s every chance that I\u2019m wrong and I would love to be. The NFL needs more good quarterbacks. I write it out all the time and it remains true every time I do \u2014 there are 32 franchises in the NFL, but there are not 32 NFL franchise quarterbacks on Planet Earth. If Purdy is one, it\u2019s good for the game and good for San Francisco. Maybe they won\u2019t hate him like they did the winning quarterback he replaced last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

13. BAKER MAYFIELD, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Age:<\/strong> 28<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Size:<\/strong> 6-1, 215 pounds<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2022:<\/strong> 60.0 completion percentage, 2,163 yards, 10 touchdowns, eight interceptions, 134 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, 79.0 QB Rating<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PFF Grade:<\/strong> 50.6<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NFL MVP Odds:<\/strong> +700<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comeback Player of the Year Odds:<\/strong> +3300<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baker Mayfield is and has been the bare minimum you should expect out of an NFL starting quarterback. And all that means is he probably shouldn\u2019t be a starting NFL quarterback. The days where you could win a title with a guy like Mayfield pulling the trigger with an elite running game and all-time defense has passed. The 2001 Baltimore Ravens could probably never exist again. No one is paying middle linebackers and safeties that much money anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mayfield isn\u2019t terrible and will probably win the job in Tampa Bay this season, setting them up for a Top 5 Draft pick and the opportunity to trade multiple first rounders to get up to No. 1 and draft Caleb Williams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mayfield has won a playoff game and, I firmly believe, if he\u2019d been the Rams\u2019 back up all last season, LA would have sneaked into the playoffs as a seventh seed. He\u2019d definitely good enough to make the starter cut, but only if losing in the Wild Card or Divisional Round is good enough for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

14. BRYCE YOUNG, CAROLINA PANTHERS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Age:<\/strong> 21<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Size:<\/strong> 6-0, 194 pounds<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2022:<\/strong> N\/A<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PFF Grade:<\/strong> N\/A<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NFL MVP Odds:<\/strong> +1500<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Offensive Rookie of the Year Odds<\/strong>: +400<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, I have rookie Bryce Young ranked above four players who\u2019ve started games in the NFL and I don\u2019t have the slightest doubt it\u2019s correct. In fact, I\u2019m thinking that if I were to make this list at the end of the upcoming season and ranked Young here, I\u2019d get many a controversial Tweet sent my way. He\u2019s that good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, I like CJ Stroud better. I feel like, talent wise, there\u2019s not a gap at all between Young and Stroud. I simply trust Stroud to be healthier and play more consecutive games without injury than Young. Guys Young\u2019s size, like Kyler Murray and Tua Tagovailoa, have struggled in that regard and Young himself was banged up most of last season. I\u2019m not sure he\u2019s fully healthy right now, even though all the reports out of Panthers OTAs are that he\u2019s tearing it up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m glad. Like I said, the NFL needs more quarterbacks and as long as Young can stay off the injury report, I fully expect him to be one. In his two full seasons (and some mop up duty in 2020) starting for Alabama, he completed 65.8 percent of his passes for 8,356 yards and 80 touchdowns with just 12 interceptions. And that was playing in the College Football Playoff for a season and facing future NFL players in the SEC every single week. The kid\u2019s good and, barring injury, will be good in the NFL. I do not expect him to be ranked 14th<\/sup> on next year\u2019s list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

15. DESMOND RIDDER, ATLANTA FALCONS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Age:<\/strong> 23<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Size:<\/strong> 6-4, 215 pounds<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2022:<\/strong> 63.5 completion percentage 708 yards, two touchdowns, zero interceptions, 16 rushing yards, 86.4 QB Rating<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PFF Grade:<\/strong> 55.9<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NFL MVP Odds:<\/strong> +15000<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Desmond Ridder made four starts for the Falcons last season, going 2-2 in the process. What he didn\u2019t do was look terribly impressive in those games. He threw for just 708 yards over his four starts, that\u2019s a USFL\/XFL QB-like 177 yards per game. He tossed just two touchdowns and no picks, so at least he wasn\u2019t sloppy with the ball. But you can\u2019t exactly call him a playmaker either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I didn\u2019t hate Ridder as a prospect coming out of college and he always looked like a solid potential back up to me with some real upside. There\u2019s a chance with a full offseason as the presumptive starter he could show something. He\u2019ll get every opportunity to. Atlanta has put some solid offensive pieces around him and the NFC South is there for the taking. But, last year? I didn\u2019t see much to make me believe it could happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

16. KYLE TRASK, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Age:<\/strong> 25<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Size:<\/strong> 6-5, 236 pounds<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2022:<\/strong> 33.3 completion percentage, 23 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions, 42.4 QB Rating<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PFF Grade:<\/strong> 43.1<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NFL MVP Odds:<\/strong> N\/A<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kyle Trask has been a real disappointment for me as a pro quarterback. Not that I expected him to beat out Tom Brady in his two seasons as a backup for the future first ballot Pro Football Hall of Fame QB, but I expected him to generate some excitement with his arm and talent in camp. That didn\u2019t happen and it\u2019s still not happening. He\u2019s obviously not shined in OTAs this year. In fact, the videos released from Bucs OTAs are laughably bad<\/a>, for both him and Mayfield.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a guy is impressing in camp, you hear about it. There\u2019s a buzz. There\u2019s never been a buzz about Trask. Not this year and not last year and not his rookie year. And the fact the team brought in Mayfield is a bad look for his future NFL prospects. But, as a college quarterback, this guy absolutely looked the part. His senior season at Florida, against SEC competition who are almost all playing in the NFL right now, he completed 68.9 percent of his passes for 4,283 yards, 43 touchdowns and just eight interceptions. That is an elite performance against elite competition. That was the COVID-19 year where the SEC teams only played other SEC teams. His film looked fantastic and I thought he\u2019d, for sure, be a good NFL quarterback. Which just goes to show you, at the end of the day, I\u2019m like every other QB evaluator on the planet. I don\u2019t know anything about anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

17. JORDAN LOVE, GREEN BAY PACKERS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Age:<\/strong> 24<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Size:<\/strong> 6-4, 219 pounds<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2022:<\/strong> 66.7 completion percentage, 195 yards, one touchdown, zero interceptions, 82.0 QB Rating<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PFF Grade:<\/strong> 78.7<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NFL MVP Odds:<\/strong> +4000<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s the deal. I didn\u2019t like Jordan Love coming out of Utah State and I\u2019ve not seen anything when he\u2019s on the field as a professional football player to make me feel differently. Like Trask, the telling issue is no one out of Packers OTAs is talking up how good Love looks. I\u2019ve not heard it from any coaches, any general manager or any media attending practices. The only positive words have been from Jair Alexander, who said Love is \u201cthe best quarterback in the league<\/a>.\u201d That\u2019s fine. He\u2019s hyping his boy up and hoping for the best, because nobody outside of Love\u2019s mom believes that right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the Packers had taken Love in the second or third round, this wouldn\u2019t be an issue. And he probably wouldn\u2019t have this weight on his shoulders. His final season at Utah State was nothing spectacular. He completed 61.9 percent of his passes for 3,402 yards, 20 touchdowns and a ridiculous 17 interceptions. And that\u2019s against an Aggies schedule that probably didn\u2019t have him going against a lot of NFL talent in the Mountain West. If you can\u2019t do better than that against future Fudrucker\u2019s Grillmasters, Subway Sandwich Artists and XFL\/USFL all-stars, how could anyone think you could perform at an NFL level? I said the same thing when the Jets drafted Zach Wilson out of BYU and it appears I was right about that too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m not a hater. I hope Love makes it happen. The NFL is better when the Packers are good. They\u2019re a crown jewel franchise of the NFL, it\u2019s first and second ever Super Bowl champions. Their head coach then, Vince Lombardi, is the guy they named the Super Bowl trophy after. I just don\u2019t see anything positive happening for Green Bay this season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

18. TREY LANCE, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Age:<\/strong> 23<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Size:<\/strong> 6-4, 224 pounds<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2022:<\/strong> 48.4 completion percentage, 194 yards, zero touchdowns, one interception, 67 yards, 34.9 QB Rating<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PFF Grade:<\/strong> 53.1<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NFL MVP Odds:<\/strong> +6600<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comeback Player of the Year Odds:<\/strong> +2800<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of a guy that never faced an NFL defender, Trey Lance will go down as one of the dumbest picks in the history of the 49ers organization. San Francisco probably has the most loaded roster in the NFL and did when they traded three first rounders and third to move up and take Lance, out of FCS North Dakota State, in 2021. And, let me tell you, as a Rams fan I was thrilled because this was going to be a disaster from the start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Imagine, if you will, a universe in which the Niners did not make that stupid trade and, instead, with their original selection in the 2021 draft, took Micah Parsons, who went to the Dallas Cowboys. Add him to that already elite, star studded defense. With the 29th<\/sup> pick of the 2022 Draft, they could have taken Christian Watson, George Pickens or Alec Pierce at wide receiver. They could have nabbed Breece Hall or Kenneth Walker, III at running back, which would have kept them from spending even more precious draft capital on Christian McCaffrey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With their third rounder in 2021, No. 102, they could have taken running back Dameon Pierce. And considering they probably still needed a back up quarterback to Jimmy Garoppolo, that would have given them the excuse to take Bailey Zappe at No. 105 instead of flushing that pick right down the toilet by selecting Danny Gray out of SMU who has caught exactly one pass for 10 yards in two seasons with San Francisco. He\u2019ll probably be cut in training camp in August.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, with the No. 29 pick in this past year\u2019s draft, they could have a plethora of potential star players \u2014 Bryan Breese, Nolan Smith, Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Joey Porter, Jr., Sam LaPorta or Michael Mayer (imagine either of them lining up opposite George Kittle in a 12 formation. Sheesh!), Steve Avila, Isaiah Foskey, BJ Ojulari and I could go on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, here\u2019s the thing. The 49ers should not have used that No. 29 pick this past April. It should have been one of the two first rounders it would have required to sign Lamar Jackson to a monster contract while he was on the unexclusive franchise tag. Yeah. The Niners could have added Lamar Jackson this offseason to their insanely loaded roster. Can you imagine, for even a moment, what this team would look like with Jackson at quarterback?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now put Micah Parsons, Breece Hall amd Dameon Pierce on that same team. Hell, you could still make the McCaffrey trade. Those picks would not have been affected. Dynasty is not the word for what would have been built in the Bay Area there. San Francisco would probably win the next four Super Bowls and maybe not lose a game in the process. It would be like a Madden franchise set on rookie mode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is what the stupid Trey Lance trade cost the 49ers. And he might not take a snap for the team ever again. It\u2019s just farcical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

19. SAM HOWELL, WASHINGTON COMMANDERS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Age:<\/strong> 22<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Size:<\/strong> 6-1, 220 pounds<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2022:<\/strong> 57.9 completion percentage, 169 yards, one touchdown, one interception, 35 yards, one touchdown, 46.4 QB Rating<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PFF Grade:<\/strong> 68.5<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NFL MVP Odds:<\/strong> +15000<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As much as I don\u2019t like Jordan Love and Trey Lance and as much as I\u2019m disappointed with Kyle Trask, make no mistake, I would take any of them in a heartbeat over Sam Howell. Not only is he the worst starting quarterback in the NFC, he\u2019s the worst in the entire league. To make it more ridiculous, I would absolutely start the XFL\u2019s AJ McCarron or Ben DiNucci over him tomorrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, the reason you plug in Howell as your starting quarterback is simple. You want a significantly better quarterback by landing the No. 1 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Commanders are tanking, but they\u2019re doing it in such a way that they can claim they aren\u2019t. Those 2022 stats up there are from Howell\u2019s only start. He didn\u2019t complete even 60 percent of his passes, which should be the bare minimum for an NFL quarterback. He threw for 169 yards, which are USFL numbers and why that league is in real trouble. Washington won his start, 16-6 over the Dallas Cowboys which shows that they\u2019re a decent team if they had a quarterback. Of course, considering they\u2019re about to change ownership, they stayed out of any real free agent acquisitions or a Lamar Jackson trade (which would have been fantastic and changed the whole NFC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, this is probably Caleb Williams\u2019 next team is what I\u2019m saying. And Howell will be his backup for the first two years of the Heisman Trophy winner\u2019s career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Follow Adam Greene on Twitter <\/em>@TheFirstMan<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connect with us our socials on <\/em>Twitter<\/em><\/a> and <\/em>Instagram<\/em><\/a> for the latest sports news, viral moments, betting odds and the occasional memes.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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