Every NFL fan has got their own ideas about what attributes are most important for a good quarterback to have. Do you value football IQ over athleticism? Pocket passing or mobility? Game manager or gunslinger? A great quarterback probably needs to pretty good in all of those areas. I thought it would be fun to share my list of the NFL's top forty-two quarterbacks.
Sports media nowadays is purely out for profit and clicks. It's ridiculous. NFL analysts are so skewed by what gets them the most clicks and the most money that their opinions end up sounding completely absurd.
I'm not about to claim that my rankings are more accurate than other people's. Ranking quarterbacks is not exactly rocket science and there are only so players to pick from anyway. But I will try my best to not be influenced by mainstream media.
I have my complete list already done and I will be spreading out my list throughout a series of posts. I used my own criteria and my own opinions to create my list.
#20 - Josh Allen - Buffalo Bills
Josh Allen is one of the better young QB talents in the game right now. I expect him to be an above average QB for many years to come down the road. Maybe even a top ten guy. If he can manage to put all his skills together, this guy might be special.
I don't follow college football too closely so when Allen was a rookie in 2018 I had no clue what to expect from this kid. He's a serviceable pocket passer, but he also is actually a really good athlete that is not afraid in any way to use his legs. I heard he was surprisingly mobile but I had no idea just how willing he was to run. He is a big strong tough kid too who's not afraid to take on contact with his 6-5, nearly 240 pound frame. Scrambling like that can indeed be dangerous at times for his health but it can definitely help the Bills win too. In twenty eight games played in his NFL career he's already rushed for 1141 yards, 40.8 yards a game. That's pretty impressive.
Josh Allen is definitely a unique talent. When I watch him play he reminds me of a mixture between Philip Rivers and Deshaun Watson. He is a very mobile guy with slightly above average pocket passing ability. He has a good strong arm too which is good.
I hate to admit nice things about this guy because he has already beaten the Titans twice in two seasons as a pro (with another matchup coming up in 2020), but I have to be honest as possible.
The negative things I would say about him is that he does seem a bit lost in the pocket sometimes and seems to get panicky. I feel that sometimes he scrambles because he doesn't know where to go with the ball. He seems slightly inconsistent at times.
But overall I think there is very good upside with Allen and he's still got plenty to learn with only being 24 years old. In two seasons he's already led his team to the playoffs so to me that's a good sign for him.
With a stout defense in Buffalo and some added offensive help, the Bills should remain at least decently, if not very, competitive for the foreseeable future.
#19 - Kyler Murray - Arizona Cardinals
2019 was Kyler Murray's rookie season and he really did show some flashes of brilliance throughout his rookie season.
The kid is small for an NFL QB standing at 5-10 (some say he's actually shorter) and weighing 207 pounds, but he has some special traits. Murray has got a strong, accurate arm and very quick and mobile feet. He really seems like a natural athlete in every way. He speaks well and seems to be pretty intelligent. He comes across as a good person dedicated to his craft, I can tell he wants to be good. Despite his smaller size he did indeed play start every single game in his rookie year, which is awesome.
In his rookie year he proved to me his definitely no scrub or bust. He perhaps had some proper rookie growing pains but he didn't seem too lost or uncomfortable on the field too often. He seemed confident and composed much of the time. He ran the offense as well as he could considering the not-so-great talent around him and also a rookie head coach to go along with himself being a rookie.
It is honestly super fun to watch his highlights. Perhaps it's the underdog thing. Kyler seems like clearly the smallest guy on the field every single game. He drops back and just makes awesome throws. When there are huge defensive lineman rushing to smash him, he often scurries out of there with some serious quickness and speed. It's pretty cool.
Like Josh Allen, Kyler Murray is definitely a unique talent with his own play style. But Murray reminds me of Russell Wilson-Drew Brees. He's also very comparable to Lamar Jackson, Marcus Mariota and Tyrod Taylor.
Since the Cardinals straight up robbed the Texans of DeAndre Hopkins, Murray and the Cardinals are really in that much better shape.
DeAndre Hopkins is not overhyped in any way, that man is scary good. Frustratingly good. With Hopkins, the always reliable Larry Fitzgerald and Murray's rookie year behind him, don't be surprised if the Cardinals are pretty good next year.
What do you think of my rankings and reasons behind them?
Hive on!
