Ranking all 32 starting QBs: Where does Deshaun Watson fall?
Any sort of connotation the Cleveland Browns have with quarterbacks has not been positive. With the infamous jersey, the fully guaranteed $230 million contract that continues to be an over-talked-about subject, multiple failed first rounders, and more, the Browns have enough tiles of quarterback cliches to play bingo with. But they are hoping Deshaun Watson changes the tides in Cleveland and becomes the quarterback they hoped they were getting when investing a great deal of money into (and built their roster around!).
With training camp still three weeks away, the talking points are minimal. So to kill time, I have ranked all 32 starting quarterbacks in the NFL. Where does Watson fall in this ranking?
Tank commander
32. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
He is on his fourth team in a calendar year, coming off two straight seasons of abysmal quarterback play. Tampa Bay is Mayfield’s last hope of remaining a starting quarterback in the NFL, and that is mainly due to his competition being a quarterback with a Ramen noodle for an arm in Kyle Trask.
Caleb Williams and Drake Maye better start preparing for the realistic possibility of landing with the Buccaneers at the top of the 2024 NFL draft.
Unproven: No career starts
31. Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts
The scheme fit between Anthony Richardson and new head coach Shane Steichen could set off fireworks in Indianapolis. Richardson already has some of the best tools in the league, and it may not be immediate between a first-year quarterback and first-year head coach, but there is not a pathway that does not include fun for the Colts.
30. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
There is real reason to buy into the hype surrounding DeMeco Ryans and the Texans. And if new offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik can even get Jimmy Garoppolo-level efficiency out of C.J. Stroud in his first season in the NFL, this Houston team has the talent to surprise some people in a lackluster AFC South.
Stroud has the arm, and the elite eyes, and has shown the ability to grow into a runner outside of structure as well down the stretch with the Buckeyes. The future is bright in Houston.
29. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
Frank Reich is a top-tier offensive mind and play-caller in the NFL. After years of recycling Jacoby Brissett, Phillip Rivers, Carson Wentz, and Matt Ryan, Reich finally has a young and talented quarterback to work with in Young.
The Panthers have a strong offensive line but lack positional playmakers. Young is used to carrying the load offensively, however, after having to consistently create lightning in a bottle in 2023 as he was supported by the worst offensive line and skill players Alabama has ever produced under Nick Saban.
Unproven: Sample size is too small
28. Sam Howell, Washington Commanders
I like Sam Howell. More than most. In a lackluster (or abysmal if we want to call it what it is) 2022 NFL draft class of quarterbacks, Howell was at the top of my board. And he showed glimpses in his one start a year ago.
However, one start is not enough to make a judgment.
He now has a great mentor in former Browns quarterback Jacoby Brissett and a new offensive coordinator in Eric Bieniemy. His leash will not be long, however, as Brissett has proven to be one of the NFL’s best spot starters, and a bad year in Washington will lead to another year of turnover for a franchise set for new ownership.
27. Desmond Ridder, Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons did not make a move for a quarterback this offseason, perhaps wanting a shot at Caleb Williams or Drake Maye more than facing another season that would put them out of reach of a franchise quarterback. Ridder has the leg and an above-average arm, but he was nothing more than just a facilitator in a four-game sample size a year ago.
Can he grow into a creator and shot-caller for the Falcons this season, or will he have continued guardrails around his game to contain any mistakes? For a team that needs to see what they have in Ridder, the Falcons would be best suited to give him opportunities to make mistakes and learn along the way.
26. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
There may not be a quarterback I am more excited to watch in 2023 than Jordan Love.
He has the elite arm talent and the mobility to create and extend outside of structure. However, can he run an NFL offense? We do not have a proven sample size to make that determination yet. He has had three seasons to learn under a first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterback, but now it is his turn to run the show with the Packers.
To this point, however, it would be irresponsible to rank Love any higher than 26th.
25. Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh fans are drinking the juice after a season with seven touchdowns and nine interceptions from their first round quarterback. However, he is far from proven as he enters year two for the Steelers. While Kenny Pickett played better down the stretch, there are reasons to doubt he has the arm talent or physical tools to make a dent in the scoreboard long-term.
24. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
I’m not ready to buy into the Brock Purdy hype after a six-game sample size with the NFL’s best play-caller. I’d still be willing to give the Week 1 start to Trey Lance. The 49ers did not move on from Jimmy Garoppolo to start Jimmy Garoppolo. If they want to make it to the Super Bowl, Kyle Shanahan should go with the big arm and elite legs they traded three first rounders for three years ago.
Extremely bad last season, but trying not to succumb to recency bias
23. Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos
Listen, I know Russell Wilson had an abysmal, terrible first season with the Denver Broncos. Part of that can be blamed on a cartoon character of a head coach who did not even make it through his first year with the team, and there is reason to believe Wilson could rebound under Sean Payton.
I will not succumb to recency bias just yet, but Wilson could sink rather quickly on this list (and the Broncos could be in a messy situation) if he plays as badly as he did a year ago.
Kirk Cousins clones
22. Mac Jones, New England Patriots
Perhaps letting a special teams coordinator and defensive-minded coach call plays a year ago wasn’t Bill Belichick’s best idea. However, Mac Jones may already be at his ceiling. His arm is not getting any stronger, he is not getting any faster, and he certainly is not getting any more likable.
Jones struggled to maintain the starting gig over Bailey Zappe a year ago, and there is reason to wonder if a similar tug-of-war could happen this year. Jones will never escape the Jimmy Garoppolo comparisons, I fear.
21. Jimmy Garoppolo, Las Vegas Raiders
Bringing in Garoppolo was a total job-saving move from Josh McDaniels. If he has another season like last year he will be out of a head coaching gig once again. Garoppolo is a walking 7-9 season if the rest around him is perfect (like his time in San Francisco).
However, with Josh Jacobs fighting back against his franchise tag, and with the load might be on Garoppolo to carry the offense. While the Raiders have Davante Adams and one of the more underrated wide receivers in the league in Jakoby Meyers, it is hard to find a pathway toward optimism about Las Vegas in 2023.
20. Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints
Derek Carr is boring.
19. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
Goff and Tannehill is a toss-up. However, Goff’s play-makers and success under offensive coordinator Ben Johnson a year ago separate the two. Goff is good! There is no taking away his ability to play point guard and distribute the football on time and accurately. However, the theme with Goff has always been that everything around him must be perfect for him to be successful.
Good for Goff for pulling himself up after getting cast off from the Rams, but he is what he is. And that is a player who will work within the confines of an unbothered structure and not much more than that.
18. Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans
The Titans’ roster is terrible. Their skill players are abysmal outside of running back Derrick Henry, and maybe second-year wide receiver Treylon Burks. But even that is still to be seen. While Tannehill’s numbers won’t hit that of Goff’s, his athletic ceiling pushes him above.
Tannehill though, like Goff, has proven only to be productive within a heavy playaction scheme. He can give you a bit more when the pocket breaks down, but there is reason to believe his best football is behind him.
Swap Goff and Tannehill if you want. I might later.
Have tools to take another step, but success has been scheme dependent thus far
17. Daniel Jones, New York Giants
I probably would not have paid Daniel Jones what the Giants did. But he did enough under Brian Daboll, and the head coach is creative enough offensively to make it work. I do think Jones is physically gifted enough to avoid the Cousins clone allegations, but after four years you have to wonder if Jones has arrived at his ceiling as a mid-tier quarterback.
16. Justin Fields, Chicago Bears
One of the more exciting quarterbacks with the ball in his hands, Justin Fields took a massive step forward as Luke Getsy has taken over as the offensive coordinator in Chicago. Now in year two of that system, Fields must take his game to a more efficient level, however.
There is no doubting his accuracy down the field when he lets it fly. There is no doubting his ability to break angles and make magic in the open field as a ball carrier. But the next step in Fields’ game will be his ability to diagnose more effectively pre-snap and work his eyes quicker after the snap.
If Fields can curb his tendency to take bad sacks and can decrease his turnover numbers this season, he may be looking at a big pay raise.
15. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
Another player who thrived, predominantly thanks to a play-caller who made his job of getting his eyes to the right spot post-snap easy, is former fifth overall pick Tua Tagovailoa. His arm is not overly impressive, but Tagovailoa is accurate and wise with the football, distributing it to absolute racehorses all over the field.
The Dolphins have added even more speed to their roster this offseason, but expect NFL defenses to force Mike McDaniel and Tagovailoa completely away from schemed-up shots. Can Tagovailoa adjust and create on his own?
This is the second-biggest question surrounding Tagovailoa, who enters this season off of two concussions a year ago.
Kirk Cousins
14. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings
Kirk Cousins.
Evidence of high-level production with tools built for future success
13. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
The biggest question surrounding Matthew Stafford right now is his health. Can he rebound after a serious, season-ending injury a year ago? On top of that, can he find any sort of success on a team with a decimated roster and 26 signed undrafted free agents?
The arm is still there to thread the eye of a needle, just as he did to win the Super Bowl just two years ago. However, Stafford faces a long and uphill battle to make a dent in the NFC West as the Rams have all but torn down their roster around him.
12. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
Murray never found his footing under former head coach Kliff Kingsbury. And now he will have to wait until 2024 to really find his footing with new play-caller Drew Petzing as well. However, Murray has the elite tools to make every throw and to create chunk plays with his legs as well.
Murray, however, also leaves room to question what his thought process is between the years with frequency as well. We will have to wait a long time to get some questions answered about Murray’s deficiencies, but his tools are among the best in the league.
11. Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks
There was not a quarterback more fun to watch a year ago than Geno Smith.
Finally getting the chance to start for the first time since leaving New York, Smith flew out of the gate and did not show much desire to slow up. Despite losing Wilson, the Seahawks marched back to the playoffs behind the arm of the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year.
The Seahawks put their full faith in him this offseason as well, signing him to a new deal and opting not to draft a quarterback early in the 2023 NFL draft. The question now remains: is Smith just a fun story or is he more than just a flash in the pan?
10. Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns
Sticking to strictly what has happened on the field for Deshaun Watson, a six-game sample size in an offensive system he has never played in before is not enough to remove a once top-five quarterback (who is still just 27 years old!) from the top-10. It is unreasonable to expect a play-caller to flip his entire offense on his head 12 weeks into the season, but now Stefanski and Watson have a full offseason.
While he is still listed as a top-10 quarterback here, there are no excuses for Stefanski and Watson to come out firing in 2023.
9. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
I’ll probably catch heat for having Hurts so low. Good for him for leading his team to a Super Bowl and great for him for getting paid. But there is no doubt the architecture of Shane Steichen’s offense played a massive role in Hurts’ success. Can he thrive outside of such a schemed system? If he was not in Philadelphia would he see the same type of success?
8. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Underrated year after year, Dak Prescott remains one of the smartest quarterbacks in the league who has no problem seeing and spraying the full field. Prescott’s issues over the last two seasons, however, has been staying on the field. There are reasons to question the direction the Cowboys are going under Mike McCarthy and Brian Schottenheimer, and this could limit the production of Prescott, but he is the best quarterback in the NFC right now.
7. Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets
He’s a walking meme off the field right now, but Rodgers and 4,000 yards passing have been a safe bet to make for the most part over the last decade. Now suiting up for the New York Jets with the skill players to continue to light up the stat sheet, it is on Rodgers to prove he is still an elite quarterback after a down year (which was still quite good).
The young guns
6. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
All aboard the pairing of one of the best arms in the league with one of the most creative play-callers in the NFL. 2022 was just the beginning for Trevor Lawrence and Doug Pederson in Jacksonville. Elite tools, and a massive step forward a year ago, Lawrence still has another step or two to take before he even begins to scratch his ceiling.
5. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Burrow is a top-five quarterback in the league, largely due to his wits and ability to create and extend when protection breaks down (which it largely has with the Bengals). However, there is no doubt having two receivers who can beat any defensive back above the rim allows for him to have the luxury to heave the ball up in the direction of either Ja’Marr Chase or Tee Higgins.
The arm talent is not there, and an offense largely based on shot plays is due for some regression in 2023.
4. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Give me Herbert over Burrow all day. Now without the clutches of Joe Lombardi and now with Kellen Moore as his offensive coordinator, the Chargers can now beat the spamming of sticks allegations. And this should allow for Herbert’s average depth of target to finally reflect the bazooka and arm talent he has.
Elite and explosive: Perennial MVP candidates
3. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Bookmark this: Lamar Jackson will win the MVP again in 2023. Now outside of the handicapped offense of Greg Roman and into the hands of new offensive coordinator Todd Monken, look for the Baltimore offense to act like grown-ups this year. And now with his contract taken care of, Jackson is back to business.
2. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Wild, reckless, and subpar at working the short game. And the Buffalo Bills would not have it any other way. Efficiency be damned, Allen is an explosive play waiting to strike as he is not afraid to rapidly fire down the field or lower his head and chunk out yards on the ground. The Madden athlete this season, Allen is a firecracker ready to light it up again this season.
Patrick Mahomes
1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
He could retire today and be a first-ballot Hall of Famer by the time he turns 32 years old.
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