Ranking The 37 Best QBs In the NFL (Part Two)

Ranking Quarterbacks is among the most popular and exciting things in the football community. Quarterbacks are, bar none, the most critical position on the field. Therefore, casual fans need to have a good grasp on where each QB ranks and what their strengths and weaknesses are. There are many misconceptions due to the usage of stats, and I’ve watched countless hours of film on these QBs to relay the most accurate rankings possible. This is part two of a three-part series. I suggest reading part one if you haven’t already.

My rankings will drastically differ from the consensus opinion on this topic. That is because I have a unique perspective on how I view them and consider multiple nuanced factors for their evaluation, and most casual fans are unaware of these factors. This list is intended to relay the most accurate and realistic rankings of the overall talent and value each relevant QB possesses heading into the 2023 season.

It may be confusing to look at the variable scheme grades. That is because every NFL playbook has differences, and it is only feasible to include three schemes that each have different variations. These scheme grades aren’t here to necessarily say which exact scheme fits him best, but rather to say what kind of general skillset they have.

The order was assembled considering the QB’s on-field performance (from ‘all-22-film’) in relation to their surrounding circumstances while reconciling their film with multiple forms of advanced analytics. Performances and stats from the past three seasons are considered, and younger QBs will have their college evaluation taken into account.

QBs with the plus sign (+) are players expected to improve this season. QBs with the (!) sign are injury risks. It is important to note that whatever impact a QB has on their team’s culture is not factored into their grade. Rookies from 2023 are omitted, as it isn’t exactly fair to compare them to current NFL starters when none of them have NFL film to go off of. My QB rankings for the 2023 NFL draft can be found here.

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QB Formula key

Grading scale: 1-7

OVR Scale: 15-100

24. Kenny Pickett

Kenny Pickett was surprisingly the only first-round pick at QB in the 2022 draft and showed he was a suitable starter in year one. I was lower on Pickett coming out due to his lack of upside and prevailing issues. He would constantly bail from clean pockets in college, but this issue no longer holds him back. Additionally, he has developed a slightly faster processor and makes fewer mistakes.
His tiny hands haven’t made for a significant issue like I thought would happen. There isn’t much else to nitpick about who he is now, but his chances of becoming a top-12 starter are slim. While he isn’t an ideal franchise QB, he can win a Super Bowl with the proper surrounding core.

23. Justin Fields

Justin Fields is one of the most exhilarating players in football right now. Fields is still a project as a passer, but the enate traits that can’t be taught are undeniable. Chicago bought into his playstyle, allowing him to flourish as a runner and playmaker. When he gets into space, he is an absolute menace.
Fields excels running bootlegs and play-action deep shots, which were heavily prevalent in this offense last year. His arm talent and deep ball placement are a thing of beauty. He only must get more consistent and develop a quicker processor. In 2022, Fields was dead last in time to throw. He must get the ball out sooner if he wants to become a more refined passer. However, his ridiculous running ability and arm talent compensate for what’s an unfinished project. It’s exciting to see what he can potentially do with better help.

22. Jimmy Garoppolo

Very few QBs in the league are as unique as Jimmy Garoppolo. For someone with a weak arm, his throwing release is world-class. He has some mobility but not enough to make for a severe threat. What’s so unique about Garoppolo is how well he senses pressure. He is one of the best pocket manipulators and has ideal decision-making. His processor isn’t a strength, but he can run a Play-Action offense in a serviceable fashion. You wouldn’t want him as a long-term guy, but he’s arguably the best bridge QB in the league.

21. Mac Jones

Mac Jones is coming off an underwhelming season, but it’s unfair to asses him with the circumstances he had. New England’s offensive play-caller was a former defensive coach who ran out of quality plays a third way into the season. While the playcalling was serviceable to start the year, it quickly became a disaster later in the year. Mac Jones’s play suffered as a result, and it didn’t help not having great weapons. Jones still managed to keep his head above water despite having abysmal circumstances.
He noticeably regressed when throwing under pressure, an area of concern heading into next year. With that being said, that was an area he excelled in during his rookie year. He was also put in a lot of situations with no hot reads. It was hard to assess his processor and decision-making as he was under many broken plays. However, he looked beyond his years in that regard in his first season. He’s still an accurate QB who limits his mistakes, and it’s exciting to see him paired with a legit play-caller again.

20. Derek Carr

Derek Carr had a rather underwhelming season, but he still ultimately played fine and just couldn’t close finishes to the tight games. You would’ve expected Carr to come out and light up the stat book with Davante Adams and Darren Waller, but instead looked middling. While the failures of the Raiders last season could be pinned on Carr, many things didn’t work out for Las Vegas, and it’s unfair to put all the blame on him.
There were actually areas of improvement in the 2022 season. He threw much better under pressure and gave up fewer sacks than he usually would’ve. On the other hand, his accuracy became more sporadic in 2022, and he didn’t get through reads quickly enough. If he gets back some confidence and develops better timing, he could partially live up to the contract they gave him. Regardless, he will help the Saint’s offense be competent, which is fantastic for their fans.

19. Daniel Jones

Daniel Jones is a guy who gets slightly overrated by the media. That is because he happened to get paired with an elite play-caller who made his job dramatically more manageable. Daniel Jones can look excellent in structure but doesn’t improvise well when the play breaks down. While he’s relatively accurate, he rarely took shots deep. With that being said, he throws a pretty deep ball, but how often do you even see it?
He does an exceptional job of getting through reads and getting the ball out quickly; however, he leaves a lot to be desired. His pocket presence has improved but is still an area of concern. With clever and innovative play calling paired with a dominant run game to rely on, it’s easy for Jones to excel. He isn’t winning a Super Bowl without the perfect circumstances unless dramatic improvement is seen.

18. Jared Goff

Many Lions fans stand by the idea that Jared Goff is adequate enough to win a Super Bowl. While this is true, it will take perfect circumstances for that to happen. Goff is excellent at playing in rhythm and getting the ball out on time. Additionally, his accuracy, while not elite, is plenty sufficient. However, he lacks the enate traits needed to be a genuine X-factor at QB.
He flashed the ability to sense pressure well, but way too many sacks fell on him for it to be graded higher. His decision-making is solid, but he isn’t going to give you more than one big-time throw a game. Goff is the ideal QB to game-manage a run-heavy offense with creative passing concepts but doesn’t offer much beyond that. On a highly talented and well-coached team, it’s easy for Goff to look for to look stellar, but don’t ever expect him to carry his teams to victories.

17. Geno Smith

The story behind Geno Smith is one of the most fascinating ones in recent memory of the league. As we all know, he went from backup to leading the Hawks to the playoffs all in one season. How far he’s come over the years without getting a shot at the field is remarkable. He has the essential core traits needed to excel at QB. The combination of arm talent and athleticism he has is exceptional. It allows him to improvise and give his guys a shot when the play breaks down.
Moreover, he does an adequate job of sensing pressure and manipulating the pocket. He also throws a beautiful deep ball. His only genuine weakness is his processor, as he tends not to read the middle of the field very well. If you want to nitpick his game, he could be more accurate on intermediate passes, but Smith makes up for it with his deep balls. Smith is easily one of the best vets at QB, and it’ll be fun to see what he can do with their new draft additions.

16. Ryan Tannehill

Ryan Tannehill may be past his best days, but he is still an acceptable option to depend on at QB. There’s a reason Tennessee has been actively trying to replace him; however, he can still play at a high level. Tannehill is one of the most accurate QBs in the league and doesn’t turn the ball over much. While he has limitations, his skillset can still thrive under the right circumstances. He’d likely have much better stats if it weren’t for his poor receivers.
The one area you worry about is his pocket presence and inability to use his legs. If Tannehill has a clean pocket, though, you can expect him to execute 90% of the time. He’ll only regress from here, but you can still feel confident about him as your current starter.

15. Tua Tagovailoa

Tua Tagovailoa undoubtedly proved me wrong last year and had a stellar season. However, some of the hype about him has gone off the rails. While he looked like an immaculate passer for portions of the season, his inconsistencies eventually caught up to him. He is limited to playing perfectly to succeed due to his lack of arm strength. When he plays perfectly, he can persist with a weaker arm.
When he is on, he arguably has the best short-intermediate accuracy in the league, but bouts of inaccuracy showed up in two or so games last year. His processor was hit or miss as he flashed the ability to get through reads rapidly but occasionally got tunnel vision and missed open reads. If he can capitalize on consistency, he can potentially turn into a Drew-Breese-esque player. The other concern with Tua is his health, as he missed four starts due to concussions last year. He also had injury risks before that, but he is undeniably one of the most efficient QBs in the league when he’s out there. I’ll just say I’m selfishly glad he didn’t retire because he can run an extraordinarily entering offense.

14. Kirk Cousins

Kirk Cousins was arguably the best system QB in the league last year. He is one of those QBs that will succeed when they’re surrounded by talent and high-level playcalling. However, if you put them under poor circumstances, they will likely look ugly. Cousins, luckily, is surrounded by a phenomenal core and takes advantage of it.
One area Cousins has looked much better is how he handles pressure. Both the film and stats back this up, giving him an edge over many of the other system QBs. His accuracy is exceptional in all areas of the field, and he plays in rhythm while getting the ball out on time. There isn’t much to dislike about him; he just has no genuinely elite traits.

13. Russell Wilson

Russell Wilson had one of the most bizarre downfalls we’ve ever seen. He went from league superstar to playing like a subpar NFL starter in a matter of one season. While some blame could undoubtedly be put on the coaching staff, much falls on Wilson. His ability to sense blitzes and know how to navigate the pocket regressed significantly. Additionally, accuracy concerns popped up, and he wasn’t making the right reads most of the time.
It would’ve been assumed that it would’ve all gone to plan since he got with a play-caller who fit his style. Something didn’t seem to be there with Wilson last year, whether it was his confidence, poor relationship with Hackett, or old age. Whatever it was, Sean Peyton could maybe fix it, and that’s one of the many exciting narratives to look forward to this year.

Part Three (1-12) – Coming Soon