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First off I want to thank all of you for your constant support of Pinewood Sports Network. Since our time here started back in August we’ve brought on new faces and grown here as a network. We’ve built new podcasts, live shows, given away many prizes, and built great relationships. So in honor of our first collective piece I’m going to give you our top 32 starting NFL quarterbacks.
Now this isn’t going to be your average quarterback rankings by any means possible. This is going to be different. We’re basing these rankings off of something else. Imagine the entire NFL goes full blown fantasy. Every single quarterback becomes available and all 32 NFL teams have to draft a new quarterback. Now this isn't fantasy rankings either. This is who we would draft in order based on talent, age, and durability. Our top 32 quarterbacks ranked in order and away… we… go!
32. Matt Ryan, 37, year 16.
Matt Ryan is the very first quarterback off of our board and our last pick of this fantasy world. There's really no point in taking the 37 year old QB. His numbers have slipped since his MVP season back in 2016. His age has really gotten up there I mean 37? Felt like just yesterday he was the new hot shot in Atlanta. His arm just isn't there anymore, and he's been turning the ball over more often than not. He might give you a solid season but I can't see his career going on much longer. It's really sad too because I love Matt Ryan and he was always a stud in Atlanta. He will give you everything he's got left. The thing is I don't think there's much left at all.
31. Marcus Mariota, 28, year 8.
Marcus Mariota is a big question mark. He's spent two seasons behind Derek Carr in Las Vegas. He hasn't been the full time starter in almost 3 years. And the Falcons took Desmond Ridder who I'm assuming they expect to be a starter in 1-2 years. Mariota is just a clear bridge QB here in Atlanta for Ridder or who ever is next man up. He had a really strong sophomore season but he drastically spiraled out of control. Went from 26/9 TD/INT to 13/15 in 2017 and 11/8 in 2018. Ryan Tannehill was brought in to bring on the pressure and Mariota was toast. I don't think Mariota can get back 6 years later to his weak peak. He might be a good bridge quarterback but I think we're looking at our next journeyman quarterback-up. In this fantasy world the only reason to make Mariota your quarterback is just because you're out of options and you don't want 37 year old Matt Ryan.
30. Daniels Jones, 25, year 4.
Daniel Jones maybe should be ranked higher with his age and lack of experience but his tape and numbers have been so rough to watch. He could be worth the risk this late in the fantasy draft but after three very rough seasons where he leads the league in turnovers over in that span. It's hard to go get a guy who is going to be this high of an offensive liability. He's got a very big arm that hasn't been accurate and he actually has some solid speed. Unfortunately he's going to need to go into a perfect situation with a top play caller to help him lead in the right direction. In a few years I fully expect Jones to be in a situation where you saw Jameis Winston end up. Go sit for a few years behind a future hall of famer, who has a top tier play caller to help him grow. Eventually someone will take a shot on him to be a starter again. The only reason Ryan and Mariota were behind him was because he's super young and raw. I don't think there's much left for either of those guys.
29. Ryan Tannehill, 33, year 10.
Ryan Tannehill might shock some here considering he's been on some good Titans teams the last few seasons especially after his really strong 2020 season. Unfortunately that seems like the clear peak of his career and he was just riding on the coat tails of Derrick Henry being a monster. After Henry went down Tannehill threw only 11 touchdowns and 9 interceptions through the final 9 weeks of the season. They were still winning games, but he wasn't quite performing up to par. He also failed to show up in the postseason as the one seed throwing 3 interceptions at home. If you take out his 2020 season he's never thrown for over 27 touchdowns and has many high interception seasons. I think you'll get some potentially solid football out of Tannehill, but with his age it's a risk. With his best behind him and his age growing rapidly he won't be a high ranked guy in an entire quarterback redraft.
28. Jared Goff, 27, year 7.
Jared Goff is our second of of nine quarterbacks who have started in a Super Bowl in their career. The lights were too bright for Goff as he and McVay fumbled the bag against Bill Belichick and only put up 3 points against the New England Patriots. Ever since a 2018 match up against the Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football, Goff's career has been on a downward spiral. People were talking MVP going into the 2018 seas but it was made clear at the end of 2018 he was nothing more than a glorified game manager for McVay. They would make the postseason once more but if the Rams wanted a ring they needed to move on. Goff will have a long career in the NFL and can be your bridge quarterback for a season or two but it will only be a matter of time to move on if you take Goff in our fantasy world. His overall play is decent but will collapse under pressure. He's a much worse Kirk Cousins.
27. Carson Wentz, 29, year 7.
Caron Wentz has is probably the most talented of the quarterbacks we've listed off so far. Had a special arm coming out of NDSU and showed it quick with Doug Pederson. In just year 2 he posted 33 touchdowns, 3200 yards, only 7 interceptions in 13 games. Before he tore his ACL everyone had him as an MVP lock. After the injury everything just seemed off for Carson. In his first season back after the ACL he was still an above average quarterback. Even in 2019, two years after his ACL injury, he posted 4,000 yards, 27 touchdowns, and still only 7 interceptions. 2020 is where things went really down hill for Carson. Tension was already growing between him Pederson and he had an awful year. He threw a league high 15 interceptions in 12 games with only 16 touchdowns. The Eagles went their separate ways and traded him to Frank Reich and the Colts. Once again Wentz wasn't bad, but he wasn't great. He didn't show up in their biggest games and costed them the postseason. Now he's with his 3rd team in 3 years trying to save his career. With his injury history and career path
26. Davis Mills, 23, year 2.
The first sophomore quarterback off the board is Davis Mills. No one on the planet earth really knows his potential. For a 3rd round pick he showed a lot of promise throwing 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions over 11 games as a starter. It's not like he was throwing to Deandre Hopkins either. Brandin Cooks isn't bad but he's not a premier wide receiver and the Texans weapons were extremely below average. He didn't have much going in his favor all season long. His talent doesn't compare to any of the other sophomore quarterbacks in the NFL by any means but he's still very young and shows he can sling the rock for some decent production. He's worth the risk this late in the rankings. One of these teams in the fantasy world might as well take the shot.
25. Jameis Winston, 28, year 8.
Famous Jameis Winston. A career revived in New Orleans after spending a year learning behind Drew Brees. Before his ACL injury he looked like a franchise QB and the Saints were winning games. Jameis Winston has a very strong arm and an affectionate personality that will build a great culture in your locker room. He performed decently in Bruce Arians and Sean Paytons system. Trust me it's really hard not to be good in those offenses. His best football may be yet to come and he can put up major numbers. The big issue is he might burn down the ship while doing it.
24. Jimmy Garoppollo, 30, year 9.
Jimmy Garoppolo isn't your average 30 year old quarterback. He didn't play more than 5 games in a season until 2019. In that season he and the 49ers went all the way to the Super Bowl in great part to their insane defense. Jimmy was really solid that season though and it seemed that in his first full season as a starter that the 49ers could be building something special. In 2020 he once again battled through injuries all season long and either Kyle Shanahan had seen enough of him on IR or he just didn't trust Jimmy anymore. They sent a haul to Miami for pick 3 and took Trey Lance. Jimmy is probably the best game manager in the NFL but it's shown you need a great amount around him to win. Two NFC championship game trips along with a Super Bowl appearance shows he can win in the right system. He only seems to fit in winning situations and won't be successful without one.
23. Baker Mayfield, 27, year 5.
Baker has had so many ups and downs in his short career you almost feel sorry for the outspoken quarterback. He came on to the scene in Cleveland and looked like the best thing to happen to the city since the return of LeBron. He set rookie passing records and was a finalist for offensive rookie of the year. Everyone felt as if the Browns had their guy. We can't really count his Freddie Kitchens season because that was just hell on earth. Finally a real coach in Kevin Stefanski comes in and looks like he is a savior. Baker tosses 26 touchdowns and only 8 interceptions and the Browns took the Cheifs deep in the divisional. In 2021 the Browns were being talked about in Super Bowl conversations. They were very far from it. Baker had a drastic decline and the rest is history. I'll give Baker this. He's got swagger and when he's hot, he's HOT. When he's not, it's bad and usually drama follows with it. A GM should take a risk on Baker because he's shown the talent, but he's got baggage.
22. Kenny Pickett, 24, year 1.
Although Kenny Pickett hasn't taken a single snap in the NFL he's made a somewhat high point already for our list. At number 22 we got the rookie out of Pittsburgh. The big question mark is what can Kenny Pickett do in the NFL? We don't know. Picketts talent is there considering he was QB1 in the 2022 NFL draft. It's just a matter of if the Pittsburgh Steelers can get him to the point where his talent translates smoothly to the NFL. Taking Pickett in our QB redraft is worth the risk. You know exactly what you're getting out of guys like Carson Wentz, Jared Goff, and Jimmy Garoppolo. Solid game managers but can't get you over that hump into being a full time franchise quarterback. So take the risk on Pickett and if it doesn't work you took a shot.
21. Tua Tagovailoa, 24, year 3.
Tua Tagovailoa will unfortunately probably have the Mitch Trubisky criticism through out his NFL career. No matter the ups or downs he has he was selected over Justin Herbert, who is much higher on this list than Tua. He went through a very tough first season where he was constantly in and out of the lineup. That will never fair well with a rookie quarterbacks head by any means. In year two he was the clear starter for Miami but I don't believe Miami was impressed with their top 5 pick. In 13 games he threw for 2600 yards, 16 touch downs, and 10 interceptions. When you look at Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert, Tua doesn't even qualify in their class. He doesn't have a strong arm and his deep ball accuracy through two seasons is pretty weak. Mike McDaniels now has the chance to turn that around and Miami's weapons are no joke. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle might be one of the best receiver duos in the league. They added Terron Armstead as well who does wonders for their offensive line. I usually give quarterbacks time to adjust to a new offense but with their weapons they should have immediate success. No excuses for Tua in year 3.
20. Jalen Hurts, 23, year 3.
Jalen Hurts had a strong 2021 season after many believed Nick Sirianni didn't believe in him. His legs are by far his best aspect of the game but his arm isn't that bad. It's also not that good either. In his first season as a full starter with a new system I don't think anyone was expecting Hurts to become one of the marquee quarterbacks in the league. He only threw 16 touchdowns on 430 attempts posting a 3.7% TD% which is well below league average. His legs add so much more to any offense though. 750 yards and 10 touchdowns is good numbers for a running back and great numbers for a QB. Hurts needs some mechanical work, but drafting him here as a good project is perfect for some teams in this fantasy land. The excuses start fading as the years pass so he's got a prove it season under way. No point in taking a player who could make or break his career in one season over anyone we have ahead of him.
19. Zach Wilson, 22, year 2.
Zach Wilson is the second sophomore quarterback to come off the list here. When ranking the top five quarterbacks from the 2021 draft class it's tough to rank the middle of the three. Wilson, Fields, and Lance. All either didn't play much, battled through injuries, or started as back ups. Wilson's arm is just as special as Fields and Lance but I think it's his mobility compared to the other two that holds him behind them. He's very mobile and can escape the pocket but it's hard to compare his legs to Lance and Fields who are very elite on their feet. He can fit the ball into extremely tight windows and has made many special throws at many different arm angles. Year two is a big year for Wilson now that the Jets have invested their draft picks into the offense. Wilson can elevate into that franchise quarterback.
18. Justin Fields, 23, year 2.
Justin Fields was one of the most highly touted rookies going into the 2021 NFL Draft before slipping heavily to pick 11 where the Bears made the move to come get him. In his rookie season he showed that he's one of, if not the best athlete to step on the field. He made so many electrifying plays along with plenty of head scratching plays to go with them. Did the Bears coaching staff fail him in 2021? Probably. He's got a really good deep ball which Chicago has been missing since the departure of Jay Cutler. He's Russell Wilson-esque in the pocket with his strength and awareness. His speed is unmatched and can escape defenders with ease. I think all Bears fans can agree when saying they just want to see improvements. They don't need 40 touchdowns and 5,000 yards. Just improvement. In the fantasy world Fields is just like Lance when it comes to risk. Big arm, quick legs, but need work. A team will be willing to give him that work and if done right you could have the next Russell Wilson.
17. Trey Lance, 22, year 2.
Lance has all of the tools to become the NFL’s next breakout star, he was selected 3rd overall in the 2021 draft for a reason. Coming out of North Dakota State, he was raw but possessed the rare dual threat ability that the league hasn’t seen since Josh Allen coming out of Wyoming. Lance is 6’4” 225 lbs and runs close to 4.5 speed with tremendous arm talent. We didn’t see much of Lance in 2021, but when he did get snaps, he was impressive. Lance appeared in six games last season, but started only two of them. During his two starts, Lance completed 31-of-52 passes for 441 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions to go along with 120 rushing yards on the ground. He has all of the talent in the world, but similar to Justin Fields and Zach Wilson, it’s going to take some team and the right coaching staff and system needs to be implemented to get the best out of each. Lance has arguably the most potential around the league and his ceiling is as high as Josh Allen or prime Cam Newton. Lance is the type of investment you make and take a chance on, he has superstar written all over him if he develops and reaches his true potential.
16. Kirk Cousins, 33, year 11.
Cousins is the most criticized player in the NFL, and for good reasons. He will go down in NFL history top 10 in most statistical individual passing records, but he doesn’t seem to have a clutch gene or have much playoff success. Cousins is the perfect quarterback to get you to stay relevant, and at or slightly above .500 football. He’s a very safe quarterback to have on any NFL team, he’ll lead you to eight or nine wins consistently with 4,000 yards, 30+ touchdowns and close to a completion percentage of 70. The biggest question that Cousins has faced over his career, is can he win “the big game” or take a team to the next level? At age 34, he is who he is at this point, but he’s still statistically one of the top 10-12 guys around the league. He will end with a Phillip Rivers type career and under that scenario, it does classify as a franchise quarterback. If you start a franchise today, Cousins should be in the top half of the league. He might not be the ideal choice for most organizations, but his statistical numbers and pin-point accuracy of the football make him a logical fit for anyone. He can win games, but his infrastructure needs to be top tier, similar to Matthew Stafford’s situation in Los Angeles.
15. Tom Brady, 44, year 23.
Tom Brady, the GOAT, would be much higher on your every day normal power rankings list. He has one year left in him. He retired and decided to come back for one more round. Someone will take him. He will elevate the players around you to be better, which he has proven to do over his entire career. It's a one shot wonder here and with our piece being based on a QB redraft this is where you would probably see him go. Middle of the pack, QB away from a super bowl. Obviously his rings show he can.
14. Derek Carr, 31, year 9.
Carr is a fascinating name, because he doesn’t nearly get the respect he deserves around the league. He’s dealt with a ton of adversity in a dysfunctional Raiders organization and somehow manages to keep them in contention year in, year out. Over the years, Carr has lost weapons such as Amari Cooper, Henry Ruggs III and Antonio Brown, yet still makes players such as Braylon Edwards and Zay Jones productive. Carr continuously elevates players around him and a perfect example recently would be slot receiver Hunter Renfrow. Carr also has a clutch gene and during his eight year career, he’s led 30 game winning drives which ranks 19th most in NFL history. Whether you are rebuilding or in contention, Carr is not just someone you want to build a franchise around, he's the type of leader you want leading your franchise.
13. Mac Jones, 23, year 2.
Everyone who’s watched Mac Jones knows he isn’t physically talented like many guys around the league, but he’s a leader and someone you can build around if you have the correct infrastructure around him. Jones’ strengths are that he can read a defense and make quick reads just as good as anyone else around the league. He’s won wherever he’s gone and more importantly he’s learned from two of the greatest coaches of our generation in both Nick Saban and Bill Belichick. Jones is a smart investment to start a franchise around due to his high football IQ, pin-point accuracy and leadership in the locker room. This past season, Jones led the New England Patriots to their first playoff appearance since 2019. He completed 67.7 percent of his passes and threw for 3,801 yards, 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions with a QBR of 92.5. Jones makes a lot of sense as someone to build around, his ceiling could be potentially as high as Drew Brees.
12. Aaron Rodgers, 38, year 18.
Like Tom Brady, Rodgers is much higher on this list in your normal quarterback power rankings. Like we've reiterated many times this is completely based on the NFL fully redrafting the position and who would go where. Your team drafts the back to back MVP and your Super Bowl odds are at least cut in half if not more. He is arguably the most talented QB the game has ever seen and he's aging like fine whiskey. The main reason Rodgers isn't higher on this list is the fact that he could retire at any point. He's 38 years old and has flirted with retirement in back to back offseason's. He's worked it out both times, but the question will come up with a Super Bowl or not. We think it's worth the risk, the ultimate goal is to win a Super Bowl and Rodgers over the next two seasons your odds are very high.
11. Matthew Stafford, 34, year 14.
Entering age 34, Stafford isn’t the ideal quarterback to start a franchise with, but he’s one of the most stable and talented quarterbacks around the league. He didn’t have much playoff success in Detroit after only leading the Lions to three playoff appearances in 12 seasons as their quarterback. A lot changed once Stafford was traded to the Rams who were just a quarterback away. He had a career year with arguably the NFL’s most creative offensive mind in Sean McVay, throwing for 4,886 yards, 41 touchdowns and 17 interceptions, while racking up four playoff wins and a Super Bowl title. If you start a franchise with Stafford, you should at least find stability for a three to four year stretch; he’s one of the most physically talented quarterbacks around the league.
10. Trevor Lawrence, 22, year 2.
Coming out of Clemson, Lawrence was labeled as a can’t miss prospect and a once in a generation talent at the quarterback position. After struggling during his rookie season, there is still much optimism around the league that Lawrence can develop into a star. He has all of the tools to become an elite level talent in the NFL, but he had no chance at success with Urban Meyer around as head coach. After not throwing a single touchdown in nine straight weeks last season; it was obvious early on that Meyer had a negative effect on not only Lawrence, but the entire offense as a whole. Many executives around the league would still start their franchise from scratch with someone at the talent level such as Trevor Lawrence, he’s a once in a generation talent for a reason.
9. Dak Presscott, 28, year 7.
Prescott has come a long way from being a fourth round pick, and as Tony Romo’s supposedly planned backup. Over the recent years, Prescott has become one of the most stable and consistent quarterback’s in the league and he’s just entering his prime at age 29. Prescott just finished his best statistical season, throwing for 4,449 yards, 37 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions with a QBR of 104.2. Any team around the league should feel comfortable starting a franchise off with a leader such as Dak Prescott. We still haven’t seen Prescott take that next step and take his team to the next level, but he’s still more stable and dependable than half the league. He’s a smart investment for any franchise and he’s undoubtedly one of the toughest and most likable guys in the league. The team chemistry will always be on point and in today’s generation, leadership at times overcomes talent at the quarterback position.
8. Lamar Jackson, 25, year 5.
The most elusive quarterback we've seen since Mike Vick, and probably the greatest true runner at the position. He alone elevates the run game around you. Since Lamar has came into the league the Baltimore Ravens hold the record for the most rushing yards by an entire team ever. They also have the fourth most rushing yards by a team in NFL history. The real issue with Lamar is, his arm. It's been a constant decline since his amazing MVP season. By all means we are not Lamar haters but we have to question the arm. In 2019 he threw 36 touchdowns and 6 interceptions in only 15 games. A whopping league high 9% TD% which is an insane stat. The following year we saw a decline with his arm only throwing 26 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. Then last year we saw hopefully the worst of him. In 12 games he threw only 16 touchdowns and tallied up 13 interceptions. Thats a 1.3/1.1 TD/INT ratio which is below average by any means. Lamar needs to get his arm back to full power before we can grant him anything higher on this list.
7. Kyler Murray, 24, year 4.
Kyler Murray one of the most athletic players in all of sports. His youth and talent should have him much higher on this list. He hasn't done quite enough yet to prove himself worthy as a top 5 quarterback in the NFL even. Kyler Murray has failed on numerous occasions to show up in the biggest games of his career. His talent ranks up there with the elite. Any team in our fantasy world would be thrilled to land Kyler Murray. Is he going to be a leader? Is he going to win you big games? That's his biggest question mark.
6. Russell Wilson, 33, year 11.
Dangeruss. The nickname fits for the new Broncos quarterback Russel Wilson. People might take a little too much away from his numbers from last season. It's clear Russ wasn't fully healthy last year and his on field help wasn't... helping. Still put up 25 touchdowns and 3000 yards in 14 games. I know many franchises that would still take those numbers. Now that he's fully healthy any GM will be there at this spot jumping on him. He's a very strong, physical, mobile quarterback with the best deep ball in the league. His age doesn't matter here. With him on your roster your odds of winning a Super Bowl the next 5 years are higher than they would be with Kyler or Lamar. Broncos Country, let's ride.
5. Deshaun Watson, 26, year 6.
Things get tricky here, when writing this Deshaun Watson has not been sentenced to any suspension by the league office. So he's a starting quarterback in the NFL. If something comes of his suspension then we really could be changing his spot on this list. He hasn't played in almost two years and has a lot to prove when he comes back. On the other hand this man has won every where he goes. He was a winner at Clemson, took atrocious Bengal teams to the postseason, and is the guy to set the tone in Cleveland this fall. He built something out of nothing in Houston so in our fantasy land it doesn't matter what team he lands with, he can take them to the next level. He has been beat up time and time again over his career but always bounces right back up to fight every play. His pocket presence with his mobility is one of the most dangerous parts of his game. Along with a strong arm with tight accuracy there isn't many quarterbacks you can put over him.
4. Joe Burrow, 25, year 3.
Joe Brrrrrrr, Joe Cool, and number four on our top 32... with a twist. He is a proven leader who elevates all talent around him. Watching him come back from a gruesome leg injury and taking the Bengals to a Super Bowl is one of the most impressive things the league has seen in years. He has a certain moxie about him that creates a winning aura over a franchise. He may not be one of the most talented quarterbacks in the league but as a young gun he's come in with an extreme veteran presence and will undoubtably be the face of your franchise.
3. Patrick Mahomes, 26, year 6.
Patrick Mahomes, the guy who changed the league forever. He has the greatest opening season as a starter in NFL history. His resume speaks for itself when it comes to winning. In all four years as starting quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs he has made an appearance in the AFC Championship game and has gone to the Super Bowl twice. This man immediately elevates your franchise into a Super Bowl favorite when he steps on the field. His talent matches up with anyone in the NFL.
2. Josh Allen, 26, year 5.
Once again it's hard to really rank anyone ahead of Josh Allen, although we have. He's the best overall quarterback in the league and has the chance to bring Buffalo it's long awaited Lombardi Trophy. If a GM takes him over who we have at our number one spot we wouldn't be shocked in the slightest. His strength when on the move is unmatched. He has the strongest arm in the league and who ever takes him in our fantasy land is poised for a Super Bowl trophy.
1. Justin Herbert, 24, year 3.
The top dog is Justin Herbert who is destined for greatness, rings, and if the play continues, a gold jacket. He is going into year 3 and already has 69 (nice) touchdowns, 9, 350 yards, and a career 66.2% completion percentage. In a fantasy world that we are picturing here, these top three are tough to compare and rank. So it comes down to they very minimal difference in wear and tear on the body. He's going into year 3! This is one of the most talented arms in the game who is going to give it his all every time he steps on the field. He's mobile, a cannon for an arm and extremely accurate. He's the guy for 15 years.
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