Coaches often make ridiculous demands from NFL quarterbacks today compared to decades ago whenever the NFL comes on every Sunday, and often, the best ones are gifted with multiple talents. Reading the field and finding weaknesses in the defense. Attempting to score huge gains by airing out deep shots. Making precise ball passes outside the pocket while on the move. Leading their teams downfield when they run the risk of losing the match. Picking up first downs on the ground when plays break down. But are all football quarterbacks the same, or do they differ in each area of skills for their NFL post? How do they compare to each other when measured against specific traits and abilities?
To give us an accurate answer to these questions, we turn to what these ESPN’s NFL analysts had to say about it, as they are the subject matter experts. Sports analysts like Matt Bowen, Tim Hasselbeck, Matt Miller, Dan Orlovsky, Jason Reid, Jordan Reid, Mike Tannenbaum, Seth Walder, and Field Yates to give their professional opinions on how their 10 favorite NFL quarterbacks would fare in the 10 distinct categories we’ve set up for the purpose of this article’s objective.
The categories include:
- Arm strength
- Accuracy
- Touch
- Mechanics
- Field Vision
- Decision-making with the football
- Compete level and toughness
- Pocket presence
- Rushing ability
- Second reaction ability
The sports analysts then reacted to each category and gave key points in explaining why the quarterbacks at or near the top of each group belong there, and they also talked about what surprised them the most about the quarterbacks in the final top 10 list. We will start off our list with the best downfield throwers in the league; however, this list is free for you to check and go directly to your preferred category to see if your favorite quarterback is included in the ranking list.
Arm Strength of Quarterbacks
For this category, the factors we included to determine the outcome of who are the 10 best of the best NFL QBs include; arm size, pass velocity, the ability to hit the deep wall, and the amount of zip a QB can put on a throw. Look at our list below and find out if your NFL quarterback idols are included. The vote was decided by the sports analysts, and here’s what we found:
- Josh Allen, Bills
- Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
- Justin Herbert, Chargers
- Aaron Rodgers, Jets
- Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars
- Anthony Richardson, Colts
- Jalen Hurts, Eagles
- Matthew Stafford, Rams
- Lamar Jackson, Ravens
- Kyler Murray, Cardinals
Best of the Best: Josh Allen’s debut in 2018 shocked everyone with his impressive throws, which became the main topic of sports news outlets until he was drafted into the NFL shortly after his pro day. He certainly has the power and velocity to air it out! But Allen showed the crowd that he not only has the strength to throw the football far and out but also has the exceptional accuracy down the field.
No defensive end will be delighted to find himself trying to reach the QB behind a thick cover of 200 lbs.+ offensive linemen to try and hustle the quarterback and prevent him from passing the ball to his teammates to go for the touchdown. But Allen can shake the defense’s confidence and make them feel vulnerable on any down, including third-and-long situations.
– Commented by Yates
Biggest surprise: Orlovsky was a bit bewildered as to why Russell Wilson didn’t make it to the top 10 list of NFL quarterbacks with the most powerful arms. He is one of the few QBs that tied with Allen for No. 1 in the NFL when he made 30 throws at least 20 yards downfield last season. Wilson’s strength is still very much sufficient to put him in the top 10 strongest quarterbacks. Orlovsky is hoping to see deep shots in Denver’s game plan in future seasons.
Stat to know: Walder, on the other hand, was impressed with Los Angeles Chargers’ Justin Herbert. He commented that out of the only 6 passes that were made last NFL season that averaged 50 mph, 3 of those were thrown by Herbert, which is quite impressive, to say the least. Although his passes were incomplete, no one can ignore the fact that he is among the very few who can throw the football this hard.
Riser to watch: Strength and speed are both a necessity for quarterbacks, and Justin Fields generates a lot of velocity behind his throws with an accuracy enough to fit the ball into tight windows. Fields could be included in this list by next summer once he completes a few more deep ball throws to DJ Moore in his third pro season.
– Commented by Jordan Reid
Snubbed: Bowen is somewhat surprised as to why Derek Carr also didn’t make it to this list when he has all the stats that a strong-arm quarterback needs to be considered for this inventory of the NFL’s best of the best. Bowen is also dismayed that Geno Smith and Justin Fields were left out.
Outliers with at least one vote:
- Joe Burrow
- Dak Prescott
- Derek Carr
- Deshaun Watson
- Justin Fields
- Will Levis
- Russell Wilson
- Trey Lance
- Daniel Jones
- Kirk Cousins
- Geno Smith
- Baker Mayfield
- Tua Tagovailoa
Accuracy
As we’ve stated earlier, arm strength is only one side of the coin of being the best quarterback in the NFL; the other side of that coin is one’s accuracy of their throws. After all, what good is a strong arm if you can’t place the ball where it needs to go? In this category, we’re going to find out who can fit the ball through the tightest windows. Who can pass the ball to the next player with pinpoint accuracy, and who is never off target with their throws.
- Joe Burrow, Bengals
- Aaron Rodgers, Jets
- Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
- Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins
- Justin Herbert, Chargers
- Geno Smith, Seahawks
- Kirk Cousins, Vikings
- Matthew Stafford, Rams
- Dak Prescott, Cowboys
- Jalen Hurts, Eagles
Best of the best: According to Jason Reid, Joe Burrow is the quarterback to pick if ever NLF defensive coaches get the chance to draft him into their team. His ball placement is acutely precise, that receivers often praise him for this particular skill, as they mostly had successes in attempting to make a play for it after receiving the ball from him. He also has a knack of delivering passes with ideal touch on every throw in the route tree. Burrow’s combo skills often leaves the opposing team distressed, which is good for the Cincinnati Bengals.
Biggest surprise: Josh Allen not making it to this list is a grave sin, or at least that’s what Hasselbeck thinks. Tim thinks that the number of times Allen was successful in his throws showcases his throwing arm prowess and accuracy that should have put him on this list. Allen is at the top of his game and his stats confirms it. For example, he’s only been off target by 14.70% of his throws in 2022; moreover, he has a record of 100+ carries in 4 straight seasons. Even now, he is at 35 or more touchdown throws in 3 straight seasons.
Stat to know: The last 2 seasons show Burrow and Smith ranking the highest in the NFL Next Gen Stats. There is this thing called CPOE (completion percentage over expectation), where QBs can get a 3% score or higher after making at least 300 throw attempts. Burrow has a record stat of 4.1%, while Smith has an impressive 4.8% score!
– Commented by Seth Walder
Riser to watch: Miller comments on his favorite up-and-coming Jacksonville Jaguars’ quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, for having a huge potential to become one of the greatest quarterbacks of the decade. During the divisional round of the playoffs in 2022, he was able to complete 66.30% of his passes, which made 25 successful touchdowns against only 8 intercepts. T Lawrence will soon be recognized as one of the most accurate throwers in NFL history, especially if has the support of his team.
Snubbed: T Lawrence’s big improvement going from a 59.6% completion percentage as a rookie to 66.3% in his second year, is seen by Tennenbaum as a snub by the judges of this list. Tennenbaum further reiterated that since Evan Engram has signed a long-term contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Calvin Ridley also getting reinstated, he expects the team to perform better forward in 2023.
Outliers with at least one vote:
- Josh Allen
- Trevor Lawrence
- Jared Goff
- Deshaun Watson
- Russell Wilson
- Kyler Murray
- Derek Carr
Touch
The third category in this list is ‘Touch’ or how quarterbacks master plotting the course trajectory of the football based solely on their spatial awareness abilities. Whether it’s fitting the ball in a tight spot with zip or softly dropping it in over a receiver’s shoulder, quarterbacks need to set the anticipation and pacing of the game with regards to their throws and passes to the receivers, and be able to go for a touchdown.
- Joe Burrow, Bengals
- Aaron Rodgers, Jets
- Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
- Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins
- Justin Herbert, Chargers
- Jalen Hurts, Eagles
- Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars
- Dak Prescott, Cowboys
- Kirk Cousins, Vikings
- Jared Goff, Lions
Best of the best: If we had to clearly define touch, it would be the ability of a football player (which in this case is the quarterback) to blend accuracy, velocity, trajectory, and feel that leads to making throws into tight windows seem very easy to do when they’re actually the opposite. Joe Burrow is one of those few NLF quarterbacks who can successfully employ the touch ability to his throws resulting in low intercepts or misses, and the receivers are able to score a TD with him in command.
– Commented by Field Yates
Biggest surprise: Orlovsky mourns about Geno Smith not getting picked for this list, as he claims that no quarterback in the NFL threw more perfect passes last season than Smith. Furthermore, he said, that a large quantity of those throws were downfield with perfect trajectory and pace on the football. Orlovsky thinks that Smith should have been in the top 8th place here.
Stat to know: Aaron Rodgers takes the top spot in NFL quarterbacks in CPOE when targeting corner routes, for which he got a +13% score. No quarterback should be able to do this unless he employs a perfect touch to his throws, according to Walder.
Riser to watch: This college football stud from the University of North Carolina has already impressed several sports analysts who are participating in ranking NFL quarterbacks, and Jordan Reid is his biggest supporter. While it will be a few years more before he’ll be drafted into the NFL, Reid thinks that this young man has a great feel for deep throws to targets along the sideline. His impressive record shows him hitting 63 completion throws with passes reaching far beyond 20 air yards last season.
Snubbed: Seeing Matthew Stafford missing from this list has shocked sports analyst Matt Bowen. Stafford is as good as any other quarterbacks included in this list, especially with the way he delivers the ball with both touch and pace. Bowen also noted that Josh Allen and Russell Wilson are also missing from this list despite their amazing skills at throwing the football with accuracy and pace.
Outliers with at least one vote:
- Deshaun Watson
- Derek Carr
- Geno Smith
- Josh Allen
- Matthew Stafford
- Justin Fields
- Russell Wilson
- Ryan Tannehill
- Daniel Jones
- Jacoby Brissett
- Lamar Jackson
Mechanics
Modern American football has evolved in that quarterbacks are developing their own unique throwing motions; however, the throwing mechanics are still very relevant in determining their success. The factors for a good throwing mechanics include the quarterback’s throwing motion, arm slot, release, follow-through, and footwork, among other traits. Check out the 10 best signal-callers who are also very meticulous in their throwing strategy in the NFL.
- Joe Burrow, Bengals
- Aaron Rodgers, Jets
- Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
- Justin Herbert, Chargers
- Dak Prescott, Cowboys
- Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars
- Josh Allen, Bills
- Kirk Cousins, Vikings
- Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins
- Matthew Stafford, Rams
- Jared Goff, Lions
Best of the best: Joe Burrow is number one again in the mechanics category of this list, and it’s fairly obvious at this point since he also sits at the same spot for the accuracy category. His first 3 seasons completion percentages are as follows:
- 65.30%
- 70.40%
- 68.30%
He averages at the 68 percentile when it comes to successful passes in the NFL, but the real reason for his success is Burrow’s nearly flawless mechanics. From a keen observer’s point of view, one could see how Burrow performs his throws, from his footwork on drops, his arm angles on throws, and his throwing delivery. Burrow is efficiency personified when in the football field. Burrow and Rodgers are near equals in this category, but Burrow clearly takes the cake here.
– Commented by Jason Reid
Biggest surprise: It’s hard to really gauge the throwing mechanics of quarterbacks, as most of them who are on this list can change arm angles and find ways to get the ball out quickly. The top 3 QBs who employ the best throwing strategy (mechanics) are Lawrence, Cousins, and Tagovailoa, and they deserve to be on this list for that reason.
– Commented by Hasselbeck
Riser to watch: Jalen Hurts is a stunning young man formerly the starting quarterback of the Alabama Crimson Tide, then was later drafted into the NFL, playing for the Philadelphia Eagles again as quarterback. He is the honorable mention in this particular category because he has vastly improved since his college football days. Today he makes a smoother throwing motion, has crispier footwork, and more efficient movements in delivering the throws. NFL analysts will soon be talking about Hurts and how future NFL quarterbacks can learn from his throwing mechanics.
– Commented by Matt Miller
Snubbed: Mike Tennenbaum also echoes Miller’s sentiments regarding Hurts, because he thinks his flawless mechanics stood out most in the Super Bowl, at a time when he scored 71.1% in his passing prowess, yet they didn’t even consider him into this list.
Outliers with at least one vote:
- Jalen Hurts
- Geno Smith
- Derek Carr
- Deshaun Watson
- Ryan Tannehill
- Lamar Jackson
- Russell Wilson
- Kyler Murray
Field Vision
For this category, we look at how cleverly the quarterbacks can strategize moves on the fly as they read the field. The QBs will be measured against their awareness and ability to recognize threats that could ruin their strategy. Things like observing defensive schemes or coverages that could make a blitzkrieg move and deny them the chance to score a TD, breaking defensive backs and open targets. Let’s see who made it to the top 10 quarterbacks with the best field vision.
- Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
- Joe Burrow, Bengals
- Aaron Rodgers, Jets
- Josh Allen, Bills
- Justin Herbert, Chargers
- Jalen Hurts, Eagles
- Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars
- Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins
- Dak Prescott, Cowboys
- Matthew Stafford, Rams
Best of the best: Patrick Mahomes might just be the Alexander the Great of the NFL. Most of the analysts in our panel agree that defending against Mahomes is a near-impossible task, and the opposing team must not ever dare to be complacent when he’s on the field. Like the legendary Macedonian conqueror, Mahomes has the acute ability to be able to notice everything that he observes in the field, which makes him dangerous because that means he can change tactics immediately and change the favor of the game towards his team in an instant.
– Commented by Field Yates
Biggest surprise: Kirk Cousins has eagle eyes, too, and is as much a field strategist as Mahomes is. In fact, he should be in the top 10 quarterbacks with excellent field vision. He is one of the best QBs who is able to read the field and make key decisions that often leads to victory. This is according to Dan Orlovsky, former quarterback in the NFL who played for several teams during his heyday.
Stat to know: The last 3 NFL seasons leading up to 2023, Mahomes’ stats shows a somewhat troubling low rate of tight-window throws (10%), and that most of his targets are towards receivers who had separated from the flock (with a 3.8 average). But Seth Walder strongly advises against using these metrics to gauge his passing skills without proper context. Clearly, he threw those passes to receivers who were open and who would have the best chances of making a touchdown. This only solidifies his ability to read the field on display.
Riser to watch: Experts have been saying it, Coach Doug Pederson has done a good job in building up Trevor Lawrence as Jacksonville Jaguars’ quarterback; he is making huge strides in the NFL. Lawrence is expected to perform better this year, and with 20 of his 25 touchdown passes coming against man coverage, he showed resilience in leading his team to score a goal, despite several offensive linemen facing off his receivers one-on-one. Lawrence might very well be in the top five of this category next summer, should zone coverage gets boosted. Caleb Williams is also another riser to keep an eye on, and he’ll probably be drafted as a QB with excellent field vision.
– Commented by Jordan Reid
Snubbed: Matt Bowen is not happy that Jared Goff got snubbed from this list, because, as per his assessment, Goff has hawk eyes in both play-action and drop-back concepts. The Detroit Lions quarterback can also pass the football on tight windows and never miss the opportunity to take the throws. The Detroit Lions are known for their complex passing schemes, and it is their QB that sets the tempo of the game; Goff can definitely set his throwing window to quickly deliver the ball. Bowen also thinks that Kirk Cousins and Derek Carr have been grossly overlooked in this list.
Outliers with at least one vote:
- Deshaun Watson
- Derek Carr
- Lamar Jackson
- Geno Smith
- Russell Wilson
- Kirk Cousins
- Mac Jones
- Ryan Tannehill
- Jared Goff
- Kyler Murray
- Daniel Jones
Decision-Making with the Football
Quarterbacks are basically military generals in the NFL, and decision-making is a crucial tactical skill that every quarterback needs to have, or at the very least, develop to become successful. A good quarterback has to avoid turnovers, protect the ball at all costs, only take calculated risks, and keep an offense out of harm’s way in order to score a touchdown or a goal.
Attempting multiple low-percentage plays, or forcing a pass into double-coverage can ruin your strategy – even if you initially had a strategy for these types of plays. Strong decision-making ensures that your team will score more than the other team, which should be your primary goal as a quarterback.
- Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
- Joe Burrow, Bengals
- Aaron Rodgers, Jets
- Jalen Hurts, Eagles
- Justin Herbert, Chargers
- Jared Goff, Lions
- Geno Smith, Seahawks
- Kirk Cousins, Vikings
- Josh Allen, Bills
- Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins
Best of the best: Patrick Mahomes may seen to use theatrics in his plays by doing the no-look and behind-the-back passes; however, his most impressive skill is that he takes care of the football and drives his team down the field to score points. Mahomes soon found himself in a tight battle opposing team’s defenses, regularly playing deep coverages with the aim of preventing him from performing his signature plays; he adapted to the defense’s tactics and outsmarted them in the field with his short – and medium-range passes. Jason Reid thought that Mahomes’ performance this season was spectacular.
Biggest surprise: Tim Hasselbeck says he’s surprised as to why Aaron Rodgers didn’t make it to this list. His thumb injury caused him to underperform last season, but his overall stats should not be ignored. Rodgers’s track record of his aggressiveness with the football and no turnovers ought to put him in the top spot on this list.
– Commented by Tim Hasselbeck
Stat to know: Trevor Lawrence keeps impressing the panel of judges in this article that Seth Walder pointed out his stats to show that he had the 6th best interception rate for last season at 1.3%, and a 4.3% sack rate (fourth best of all time) also last season. He managed to achieve these results, all while playing behind an offensive line.
Riser to watch: The starting quarterback of Ohio State, C.J. Stroud, was able to make an impressive 85 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions last season. Matt Miller calls him the most cunning tactician in the field who will be on the elite list of decision-makers in the NFL. Stroud has a knack for attacking a defense, and is highly adept at setting up his teammates to get a successful touchdown.
Snubbed: Perhaps the most improved quarterback in 2022, Daniel Jones, should have been the first pick of the panel of judges for this article. With only five interceptions and six turnovers, which is the least mistakes any QB has ever made during last season. Moreover, Jones has a very good CPM percentage at 67.2 and an overall rating of 92.5% in 2022.
– Commented by Mike Tannenbaum
Outliers with at least one vote:
- Trevor Lawrence
- Matthew Stafford
- Daniel Jones
- Derek Carr
- Brock Purdy
- Dak Prescott
- Lamar Jackson
- Jacoby Brissett
- Deshaun Watson
Compete Level and Toughness
The factors for this category vary and include the quarterback’s desire to win at all costs, toughness, their bounce-back ability, and resilience will all be considered before the panel of judges votes on who should be in the top 10 list. Their ability to tank hits and overall physical strength and agility will also be looked into, as well as their leadership qualities, command of their offense, and ability to score a touchdown are also going to be criterias for winning.
- Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
- Josh Allen, Bills
- Joe Burrow, Bengals
- Jalen Hurts, Eagles
- Justin Herbert, Chargers
- Matthew Stafford, Rams
- Dak Prescott, Cowboys
- Aaron Rodgers, Jets
- Justin Fields, Bears
- Lamar Jackson, Ravens
- Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars
Best of the best: When it comes to sheer determination, no one beats Patrick Mahomes. He truly is the king of the most competitive sports athletes to have ever graced the NFL football fields! Mehomes’ optimism has, more often than not, led to several victories for the Kansas City Cheifs, and it looks like Mahomes’ positive outlook in every game is going to make the Chiefs more prominent in the NFL in succeeding seasons.
– Commented by Field Yates
Biggest surprise: Jalen Hurts making it to the fourth spot in this list is amazing, to say the least, according to Dan Orlovsky. But Orlovsky thinks that he should be ranked higher than the top 3 quarterbacks when it comes to toughness. He is not just a good leader but also a resilient one with a strong drive to win.
Riser to watch: Rookie player, Kenny Pickett, has caught the attention of Jordan Reid, and Reid had this to say about him: Pickett is a natural sprinter with great agility while in the field, but more than that he also displayed a high level of toughness and grit, which means he can tank hits from big guys who make up the defensive line. His bounce-back ability was seen in weeks 16 and 17 of the Pittsburgh Steelers last season.
Snubbed: Ryan Tannehill being snubbed caused one of the judges, Matt Bowen, to take a step back and look at his stats, because Bowen thinks he should have gotten more votes than expected. The Tennessee Titans quarterback is a highly competitive ball carrier and pocket thrower in the NFL, and he’s also as tough as the other quarterbacks mentioned here.
Outliers with at least one vote:
- Kirk Cousins
- Ryan Tannehill
- Tua Tagovailoa
- Russell Wilson
- Kenny Pickett
- Deshaun Watson
- Daniel Jones
Pocket Performance
The pocket in football is a tight spot in the backfield where the offensive linemen forms a curved wall around the quarterback, to give him time to make that 20-yarder pass to another open teammate. This is the place where the quarterback’s ability to see the field and the players, ability to command his teammates, and remain calm under all this pressure to perfectly execute that touchdown pass is tested. The judges decide who are the best quarterbacks in pocket presence and put them in this category’s list.
- Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
- Joe Burrow, Bengals
- Aaron Rodgers, Jets
- Justin Herbert, Chargers
- Josh Allen, Bills
- Jalen Hurts, Eagles
- Dak Prescott, Cowboys
- Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins
- Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars
- Lamar Jackson, Ravens
Best of the best: Mahomes rises to the top of the ranks once again, as he is one of the few quarterbacks in NFL history to show complete command of the pocket, and does not allow any edge rushers to flank him, because it’s obvious that he could see them before they even make that first step. Mahomes scales the pocket masterfully and spins to open areas smoothly, or he can also extend the play until he can see an opening. His uncanny ability to remain calm and formulate a strategy up to the last second leaves the defense frustrated.
– Commented by Jason Reid
Biggest surprise: Tim Hasselbeck, on the other hand, thought that Jalen Hurts shouldn’t be on the sixth spot in this list. Burrow, Rodgers, and Mahomes have better stats to show for than him, and Hasselbeck thinks that the judges may have made a mistake in voting.
Riser to watch: Bryce Young’s shocking play back in September 2022 between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Texas Longhorns showcased his high-level pocket presence. Young was able to shrug off the tackler with only 27 seconds left in the game, and the Longhorns were leading by 2 points when Young made a perfectly executed comeback and beat their opponents. Young is definitely a young and rising talent to look out for next season, and he’ll probably be on this list very soon.
– Commented by Matt Miller
Snubbed: Mike Tannenbaum’s disenchantment of how Matthew Stafford not being able to make it in this list shows in what he has to say about the matter. Stafford has a 63.2% CMP rate with 334 total yards gained while passing the ball and an overall score of 91.3%; needless to say, a very worthy quarterback to be voted into this top 10 list. Brock Purdy is also another snub that Tannenbaum mourns over.
Outliers with at least one vote:
- Matthew Stafford
- Jared Goff
- Kirk Cousins
- Russell Wilson
- Bryce Young
- Justin Fields
- Geno Smith
- Deshaun Watson
- Ryan Tannehill
- Derek Carr
- Brock Purdy
- Kyler Murray
Rushing Ability
NFL quarterbacks are mostly known for their throwing ability, accuracy, speed, and agility, although clearly, based on this list, we’ve explored other skills that they possess that are normally overlooked by the average sports fans. For this particular skill, they are ranked based on speed, instincts, vision, elusiveness, and physicality as a runner.
- Lamar Jackson, Ravens
- Jalen Hurts, Eagles
- Justin Fields, Bears
- Josh Allen, Bills
- Kyler Murray, Cardinals
- Anthony Richardson, Colts
- Daniel Jones, Giants
- Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
- Justin Herbert, Chargers
- Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars
Best of the best: Lamar Jackson is arguably the best-rushing quarterback to ever play in the NFL today. He has the speed and agility to match his quick-thinking skills that allows him to sprint or blitz in seconds, and at the same time, execute a pass to score a touchdown. Jackson has been known as the key player in rearranging the Baltimore Ravens’ offensive gameplay in nearly all of their matches. He’s a juggernaut when it comes to running, and he averages 6.1 yards per carry over five seasons. He also posted two campaigns with over a thousand yards on the ground.
– Commented by Field Yates
Biggest surprise: As for Dan Orlovsky, he has doubts about Justin Herbert’s inclusion in this list since he was only able to carry 54 in the last season, whereas Jow Burrow was able to make 75 carries in 2022. It is his personal opinion that Burrow should replace Herbert on this list. Anthony Richardson is also another one of his picks whom he thinks might make it to the top three on this list by next season.
Riser to watch: Jordan Reid has high regard for Bryce Young, as he thinks that he is a more capable runner than Richardson. Young is fast but not a hothead when it comes to his executions, and in some ways, he is very similar to Murray in how he stretches defenses. Where he makes plays that are not typical in the structure of the offense.
– Commented by Jordan Reid
Snubbed: Deshaun Watson has the uncanny ability to carry and scramble attempts when it comes to rushing in the field. As a runner, he can create conflict for opposing defenses with his dual-threat traits, and his speed is what stands out the most in all his plays. But his field vision, ability to carry the ball and tank hits, and open-field instincts that allows him to score points against his rivals in every game. Ryan Tannehill, Dak Prescott, and Russell Wilson also have the potential to make it to this list next season.
– Commented by Matt Bowen
Outliers with at least one vote:
- Ryan Tannehill
- Deshaun Watson
- Dak Prescott
- Trey Lance
- Russell Wilson
- Joe Burrow
- Sam Darnold
- Sam Howell
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