SportsGrid NFL Quarterback Rankings 6-10: Budding Stars Lawrence & Hurts
Having already ranked the top five quarterbacks in the NFL, we continue our 2023 quarterback rankings with the next five signal-callers on our list to round out the top ten.
This quintet features two of the fastest-rising talents in the league and a troika of veterans who have been top-five quarterbacks coming off incomplete seasons with something to prove.
6. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia EaglesMVP Odds: +1200 (5) | Most Passing TDs: +4000 (15-T) | Most Passing Yards: +3200 (16)
Let’s get this out of the way, No. 6 overall is excellent. No quarterback has made more significant strides over the past two seasons than Hurts. He’s improved his completion percentage and YPA while throwing the football more often. He showed up big-time in the postseason with an effort that was good enough to win the Super Bowl. He’s still not quite top-tier elite and benefits from a very QB-friendly situation. Hurts has already proven he’s far more than just a running quarterback, and if his effort in the Super Bowl indicates future success, he’ll continue to rise.
7. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville JaguarsMVP Odds: +1600 (6-T) | Most Passing Yards: +2000 (8-T) | Most Passing Yards: +16000 (7)
From generation talent to potential bust (yeah, people said it), the Lawrence rollercoaster is ascending again. Did any quarterback improve as much as him during the 2022 season? I don’t think so. The game slowed down the former No. 1 overall pick, who led the downtrodden Jags to the playoffs in Year 2. OK, he didn’t make the Super Bowl, a la Joe Burrow, but he did win a playoff game, and Burrow didn’t have to deal with the debacle of the Urban Meyer era as a rookie. Far from a finished product, Lawrence could be the guy who ultimately displaces Mahomes on this list.
8. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore RavensMVP Odds: +1600 (6-T) | Most Passing TDs: +2000 (8-T)| Most Passing Yards: +4000 (17-T)
It feels a little low for a former MVP who is only 26 years old, but availability is a quarterback’s most crucial ability. It’s a pivotal season in Jackson’s career in more ways than one. He’s missed ten games in the past two seasons. Can he stay healthy? Also, with a new OC and offensive scheme, Jackson is expected to have more chances to show what he can do throwing the football. He’s a proven regular-season winner with room to grow as a passer when the game is on the line. Both can be true.
9. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles RamsMVP Odds: +6000 (21-T) | Most Passing TDs: +4000 (15-T)| Most Passing Yards: +3000 (9-T)
Last year wasn’t great, I’ll give you that, as injuries and poor offensive line play slowed down Stafford. However, the man is just two years removed from a 4,886-yard, 41-TD Super Bowl-winning season. If he’s healthy, the former No. 1 overall pick can still throw it with the best of them. Could he be on the downturn of his career? At 35 years old, coming off an injury, sure. But I’m not ready to write him off. I expect a bounce-back season from Stafford, whose smarts and intangibles have always been underrated.
10. Deshaun Watson, Cleveland BrownsMVP Odds: +2600 (12-T) | Most Passing TDs: +3000 (14-T)| Most Passing Yards: +3000 (12-T)
Probably the toughest NFL quarterback to rank going into the season. If we based this solely on 2022, I’m not sure Watson cracks the top 20. He’s behind the likes of Daniel Jones and Jimmy Garoppolo. He was that bad. However, his level of play following the 2020 season would put him in the conversation to crack the top five. And he’s 27 years old. One can make the case that Watson doesn’t deserve a pass, but when evaluating his play, missing the entire 2021 season and the first 11 games of last year makes me not want to read too much into a six-game sample. He needs to reestablish himself sooner than later.
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