Ranking NFL quarterbacks by trait: Best arm, accuracy, more

The NFL is loaded with expertise at quarterback, from Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson to the rookies who have not even taken a regular-season snap but.

However who’re the highest signal-callers in particular areas of the sport? Who actually excels in a single facet of his play and stands above the remaining?

To reply that query, I made a decision to stack one of the best of one of the best in seven completely different traits: arm energy, ball placement, mechanics, decision-making, pocket presence, dashing potential and second-reaction creativity. These top-10 lists are based mostly on present efficiency and expectations for the 2024 season — how I might rank the QB group at this second in every ability. Let’s begin with probably the most highly effective arms; you can too bounce to any of the opposite classes beneath.

Bounce to:
Arm strength | Ball placement | Mechanics
Decision-making | Pocket presence
Rushing ability | Second reaction

Arm energy

1. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
2. Josh Allen, Bills
3. Justin Herbert, Chargers
4. Matthew Stafford, Rams
5. Aaron Rodgers, Jets
6. Will Levis, Titans
7. Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers
8. Anthony Richardson, Colts
9. Dak Prescott, Cowboys
10. Lamar Jackson, Ravens

To place collectively this primary record, I weighed two elements of getting an enormous arm. First, there’s the plain one: with the ability to throw far downfield. We’re speaking about finishing passes of 55-60 yards. Second, there’s the power to suit the ball into tight home windows with zip. Actually, I leaned extra on that facet. These are actually tough passes to make, with quarterbacks throwing on a rope 15-20 yards downfield right into a small strike zone. I name it “stepping on one,” and it is vital within the NFL. Weak arms will not reduce it.

The highest three appeared apparent; Mahomes, Allen and Herbert can all ship the ball with critical velocity. We all know they every have the power to seek out receivers on deep balls, however I additionally actually love watching them effortlessly pump fastballs to the intermediate areas of the sector. Herbert leads all QBs in tight-window completions (145) since being drafted in 2020, per NFL Subsequent Gen Stats.

Rounding out the highest 5, I’ve some veterans — Stafford and Rodgers — who can nonetheless sling it. Watch the tape and you will see Stafford constantly driving the ball to the sideline at the same time as he prepares for his age-36 season. He was one in all 4 QBs to finish not less than 10 passes of 30-plus air yards in 2023, too. Not too far behind Stafford and Rodgers is one other veteran in Mayfield, who makes the record based mostly totally on his deep-ball ability. In 2021, he had the second-farthest completion (in air yards) of the NFL Subsequent Gen Stats period (since 2016), airing it out 66.4 yards to Donovan Peoples-Jones. He additionally discovered Mike Evans on a go route final season on a go that traveled 60.1 yards within the air.

I’ve a pair of sophomore quarterbacks right here, too. Levis can thread the ball together with his large arm, and should you return to the Titans’ Monday night time win over the Dolphins in Week 14 final season, you may see some actually agency passes. And everybody is aware of about Richardson’s highly effective arm; should you do not, take a look at his out route to Colts tight finish Mo Alie-Cox from final October. He can hearth it.

AR ➡️ MAC for six.

📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/nzChc51Zae

— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) October 1, 2023

As for guys who might have been on there however simply missed, I would give honorable mentions to Jordan Love and Trevor Lawrence. On the very least, they every belong within the dialog.

Ball placement

1. Joe Burrow, Bengals
2. Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins
3. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
4. Matthew Stafford, Rams
5. C.J. Stroud, Texans
6. Brock Purdy, 49ers
7. Geno Smith, Seahawks
8. Dak Prescott, Cowboys
9. Jared Goff, Lions
10. Josh Allen, Bills

There is a distinction between accuracy and ball placement: Accuracy is the power to throw the ball to your man, whereas ball placement is retaining it away from the defender. An correct quarterback will get the go to a spot the place his receiver could make the catch. A quarterback with robust ball placement will get the go to a spot the place solely his receiver could make the catch. Trajectory, contact, anticipation and subject imaginative and prescient all play a task.

Burrow is one of the best within the recreation right here, however Tagovailoa is basically shut. I believe Burrow stands out in true ball placement, whereas Tagovailoa is likely to be probably the most correct passer within the league. Each quarterbacks rank within the high 5 in completion share since their 2020 draft 12 months — Burrow is third (67.8%), whereas Tua is fifth (67.4%).

Stroud is in my high 5 partly due to how nicely he throws to receivers open down the sector. It was his calling card in faculty, too. I wrestled with Purdy being sixth behind Stroud, moderately than increased on the record. He led the league in completion price final season (68.7%) and does a fantastic job layering the ball into his receiver’s strike zone.

Subsequent on the record is Smith, who is likely to be probably the most underrated quarterback on the subject of ball placement. Over the previous two seasons, he has been off-target on simply 12.4% of his throws, finest within the NFL amongst QBs who began not less than 20 video games over that span. Smith has a knack for making difficult throws look simple.

Choosing between Allen and Rodgers at No. 10 was a tricky name, however I went with Allen, who has improved a lot on this space.

Mechanics

1. Joe Burrow, Bengals
2. Matthew Stafford, Rams
3. Justin Herbert, Chargers
4. C.J. Stroud, Texans
5. Dak Prescott, Cowboys
6. Jared Goff, Lions
7. Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins
8. Aaron Rodgers, Jets
9. Brock Purdy, 49ers
10. Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars

Who’s a pure thrower? Who has one of the best footwork? Who strikes nicely throughout the pocket and all the time performs in rhythm? All of it elements into mechanics. When issues are clear, I am searching for a repetitive throwing movement. And when issues aren’t clear, I am searching for the power to make it work due to a robust base.

That is why Burrow leads the best way — he’s all the time able to throw and may easily repeat the movement rep after rep. Stroud has that very same potential, and Goff is equally constant when his pocket is clear.

My hardest name right here was most likely placing Lawrence at No. 10. I virtually put Geno Smith there, however Lawrence edged him out. Actually, a part of me desires to see Lawrence be somewhat much less mechanical. He’s so good in that division, however he might stand to play somewhat extra free and have extra of a recess type to his recreation at instances.

Determination-making with the soccer

1. Aaron Rodgers, Jets
2. Matthew Stafford, Rams
3. Joe Burrow, Bengals
4. C.J. Stroud, Texans
5. Brock Purdy, 49ers
6. Jordan Love, Packers
7. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
8. Dak Prescott, Cowboys
9. Jared Goff, Lions
10. Kirk Cousins, Falcons

Quarterbacks have to have the ability to learn the protection and acknowledge what it’s making an attempt to get him to do with the ball — and what it’s making an attempt to hold him from doing. Then they want to have the ability to determine whether or not their first learn goes to work given what the protection is exhibiting. If the play requires a throw to your high receiver on a slant route, would making that throw be a very good or unhealthy resolution based mostly on the protection and the way the protection is lined up? And if it might be a nasty resolution, are you able to trick the protection along with your eyes or motion to open issues up?

Rodgers is one of the best within the recreation right here. Sure, he threw 12 interceptions in his final full season (2022 with Inexperienced Bay), however earlier than that season, he hadn’t thrown double-digit picks in a season since 2011. He can learn it out and hold the ball out of hurt’s approach. And Stafford will get acknowledged close to the highest of the record as a result of he can constantly get the protection to do what he desires — like forcing a security to chunk together with his eyes — after which make a high-percentage throw.

Stroud had one of the best interception price within the NFL final season, tossing 5 picks for 1% of his complete go makes an attempt. I already see high-level decision-making from him. And Love, who’s sixth on my record, took an enormous step ahead in his decision-making through the second half of final season. Solely Mahomes threw extra passes to open receivers final season than Love — 300 of his 579 targets went to pass-catchers with not less than 3 yards of separation, per NFL Subsequent Gen Stats.

The one different QB who was shut to creating this record is Herbert. He’s fairly good about making sensible throws, however I would wish to see him stretch out extra and skim the complete subject moderately than be so fast together with his decision-making.

Pocket presence

1. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
2. Joe Burrow, Bengals
3. C.J. Stroud, Texans
4. Matthew Stafford, Rams
5. Lamar Jackson, Ravens
6. Brock Purdy, 49ers
7. Jordan Love, Packers
8. Josh Allen, Bills
9. Geno Smith, Seahawks
10. Dak Prescott, Cowboys

A quarterback with robust pocket presence operates successfully within the pocket even when issues are chaotic round him. Can he acknowledge and keep away from stress? Can he transfer effectively and calmly underneath duress? Once I constructed this high 10, I regarded for many who have been at their finest when the state of affairs was at its worst.

Mahomes is incredible on this regard — he feels the stress, does not panic and strikes round, all whereas retaining his eyes downfield. Burrow is true behind him, and I do not know that anybody is healthier than him within the league at working in a telephone sales space. Stroud has already impressed in that space, too, particularly on cash downs.

That is one other class through which I puzzled whether or not I put Purdy too low at No. 6. His work within the pocket has stood out going again to when he turned the 49ers’ starter in 2022, and he trailed solely Prescott in QBR from contained in the pocket final season (72.7). Love was proper behind Purdy in that class (70.5), and he follows him in my rating right here, too. For a while, enjoying successfully from contained in the pocket was an enormous concern in his recreation, however he has gotten so a lot better. (He may nonetheless drift backward somewhat too usually, however count on extra enchancment in his second season as a starter.)

play

Can Jordan Love proceed to get higher as expectations rise?

Dan Orlovsky discusses expectations for Jordan Love after agreeing to a 4-year, $200M take care of the Packers.

Smith and Prescott spherical out this record due to the best way they transfer contained in the pocket. They every have delicate actions and navigate stress by feeling it after which counting on their strong mechanics.

Speeding potential

1. Lamar Jackson, Ravens
2. Josh Allen, Bills
3. Anthony Richardson, Colts
4. Jalen Hurts, Eagles
5. Justin Fields, Steelers
6. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
7. Dak Prescott, Cowboys
8. Joe Burrow, Bengals
9. Kyler Murray, Cardinals
10. Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars

In 2015, there have been 384 designed QB runs leaguewide. Final season, there have been 832 — and that was truly down from the 919 in 2022. So it is clearly a large a part of the sport immediately compared to a decade in the past, as offensive coordinators lean into mobility on the place. Scrambling is essential, too, however I actually honed in on the designed carries right here — the velocity, instincts, physicality and elusiveness to interrupt large performs.

I do not suppose Jackson and Allen going 1-2 goes to shock anybody. Jackson led NFL quarterbacks with 821 dashing yards final season, whereas Allen was fourth at 524 (Allen additionally tied Hurts for probably the most dashing TDs in 2023 with 15). We noticed sufficient promise from Richardson final season for me to place him third (he averaged 5.4 yards per carry in 4 video games), and we all know Fields has plenty of upside as a ball service. For Fields, it will simply be a matter of utilization, and I ponder whether the Steelers will lean on him extra there if he finally lands the QB1 function in Pittsburgh.

I put Mahomes, Prescott and Burrow on right here primarily due to their scrambling potential, a class all of them excel in (Mahomes was truly second in scramble makes an attempt final season with 50). Lawrence is strong as a scrambler and designed ball service, however I need to see him do it extra. He rushed 70 instances final season. Purdy and rookie Jayden Daniels additionally crossed my thoughts and may very well be on this record by subsequent August.

Second-reaction potential

1. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
2. Josh Allen, Bills
3. Lamar Jackson, Ravens
4. Brock Purdy, 49ers
5. Jordan Love, Packers
6. Caleb Williams, Bears
7. Dak Prescott, Cowboys
8. Jalen Hurts, Eagles
9. Gardner Minshew, Raiders
10. Justin Herbert, Chargers

Having the ability to make a play is central to QB success, and one of the best within the league excel at making off-schedule and off-platform throws. These second-reaction passes from completely different arm angles — usually on the transfer — could be the distinction between shifting the sticks and a stalled drive. They require critical creativity at instances. Mahomes — the plain No. 1 on the record — is elite on this trait.

Although he does not make the record, the 40-year-old Rodgers was once so good at this. Most quarterbacks exit the pocket to keep away from unhealthy conditions. Rodgers used to do it to harm you. We have seen plenty of progress on the place general, and that is why that is the one top-10 record that features a rookie. Williams has elite energy, and contemplating how good he was on this class in faculty, I totally count on him to immediately be among the many NFL’s finest second-reaction playmakers in 2024.

Prescott won’t bounce out as a standout second-reaction QB, however he was truly first in QBR exterior the pocket final season (81.8). It is a main cause he took such a leap in 2023.

I included Minshew right here as a result of I really imagine he is likely one of the finest at off-schedule performs. He finds a approach when the play does not work. His 64.0 QBR in conditions through which the QB was pressured and left the pocket ranked fifth within the league final season.