all 32 nfl qb's ranked into tiers

[Trill Clinton]

You know you're onto something interesting when an NFL head coach requests a few additional moments with your laptop.

"Let me see that one more time," one coach said, leaning forward in his chair.

I asked 26 league insiders to grade every projected starting quarterback on a 1-5 scale, with "one" reserved for the best and "five" for the worst. Eight general managers, two former GMs, four pro personnel evaluators, seven coordinators, two head coaches, two position coaches and a top executive participated, attacking the project with gusto almost across the board.

The result of the polling is a composite ranking of all 32 NFL starting quarterbacks, and an understanding of how some of the league's most important evaluators separate the best from the rest at the position. With their input, we were able to compile an average rating of each QB, to rank them in a 1-32 pecking order, and to divide the starters into general tiers. I've passed along insights from voters when applicable.

Five QBs cracked Tier 1, including one surprise. Ten other QBs fell into Tier 2 and nine landed in Tier 3. The remaining eight starters fell into Tier 4. Five of them received nearly as many Tier 5 votes, but not enough to drop any of them into that bottom level.

"That is a pretty good consensus of where we are at in the league," one of the GMs said upon surveying the overall results.





T-1. Tom Brady, New England Patriots (http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/ne/new-england-patriots) (1.04 average rating)
T-1. Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos (http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/den/denver-broncos) (1.04 average rating)
T-1. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers (http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/gb/green-bay-packers) (1.04 average rating)
T-1. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints (http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/no/new-orleans-saints) (1.04 average rating)
5. Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts (http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/ind/indianapolis-colts) (1.50 average rating)

Tier 2

6. Philip Rivers (http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/5529/philip-rivers), San Diego Chargers (http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/sd/san-diego-chargers) (1.77 average rating)
7. Ben Roethlisberger (http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/5536/ben-roethlisberger), Pittsburgh Steelers (http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/pit/pittsburgh-steelers) (1.85 average rating)
T-8. Matt Ryan (http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/11237/matt-ryan), Atlanta Falcons (http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/atl/atlanta-falcons) (2.23 average rating)
T-8. Tony Romo (http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/5209/tony-romo), Dallas Cowboys (http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/dal/dallas-cowboys) (2.23 average rating)
T-8. Russell Wilson (http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/14881/russell-wilson), Seattle Seahawks (http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/sea/seattle-seahawks) (2.23 average rating)
T-8. Eli Manning (http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/5526/eli-manning), New York Giants (http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/nyg/new-york-giants) (2.23 average rating)
12. Joe Flacco (http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/11252/joe-flacco), Baltimore Ravens (http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/bal/baltimore-ravens) (2.31 average rating)
13. Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions (http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/det/detroit-lions) (2.38 average rating)
14. Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers (http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/sf/san-francisco-49ers) (2.50 average rating)
15. Nick Foles, Philadelphia Eagles (http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/phi/philadelphia-eagles) (2.56 average rating)

Tier 3


16. Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers (http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/car/carolina-panthers) (2.58 average rating)
17. Jay Cutler (http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/9597/jay-cutler), Chicago Bears (http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/chi/chicago-bears) (2.62 average rating)
18. Alex Smith (http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/8416/alex-smith), Kansas City Chiefs (http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/kc/kansas-city-chiefs) (2.96 average rating)
T-19. Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals (http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/cin/cincinnati-bengals) (3.00 average rating)
T-19. Robert Griffin III, Washington Redskins (http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/wsh/washington-redskins) (3.00 average rating)
T-21. Carson Palmer, Arizona Cardinals (3.12 average rating)
T-21. Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams (3.12 average rating)
23. Ryan Tannehill, Miami Dolphins (3.32 average rating)
24. Josh McCown, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3.52 average rating)


Tier 4


25. Matt Schaub, Oakland Raiders (3.58 average rating)
26. Chad Henne, Jacksonville Jaguars (4.15 average rating)
27. EJ Manuel, Buffalo Bills (4.24 average rating)
28. Matt Cassel, Minnesota Vikings (4.27 average rating)
29. Brian Hoyer, Cleveland Browns (4.28 average rating)
30. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Houston Texans (4.35 average rating)
31. Jake Locker, Tennessee Titans (4.42 average rating)
32. Geno Smith, New York Jets (4.48 average rating)

[spurraider21]

based on the numbers i'd put Luck in tier 2 (where he'd be 0.27 ahead of the next guy, as opposed to 0.46 below the guy above him), as well as Schaub being in tier 3 (where he'd be 0.06 below the next guy, as opposed to 0.57 above the next). its largely pretty logical and not many complaints tbh

[Clipper Nation]

I'm surprised OP isn't ranting about all the "demonic thugs" in Tier 1 :lol

[Trill Clinton]

based on the numbers i'd put Luck in tier 2 (where he'd be 0.27 ahead of the next guy, as opposed to 0.46 below the guy above him), as well as Schaub being in tier 3 (where he'd be 0.06 below the next guy, as opposed to 0.57 above the next). its largely pretty logical and not many complaints tbh


yea, i agree. i'd also move foles down to tier 3

[spurraider21]

yea, i agree. i'd also move foles down to tier 3
yeah by the numbers he's closer to the next QB in group 3 than he is in group 2, but its not a big enough gap to really concern over it. i think he should be group 3 just because his body of work is way too short

[Darth_Pelican]

:lol Geno Smith

[Pelicans78]

You could theorectically put Foles and Kapernick in Tier 3 or move SCam and Cutler in Tier 2.

[Pelicans78]

Luck should definitely be in Tier 2. He's not in the same class as those other 4.

[Pelicans78]

Also, you could put Luck, Rivers, and Big Rape in Tier 2 by themselves.

[spurraider21]

you could also make 32 tiers :lol

[Holden_Caulfield]

i cant believe henne is above 6 qbs :lmao

[spurraider21]

i cant believe henne is above 6 qbs :lmao
NFL is fucked when Derek Carr is added to the list :lol

[Holden_Caulfield]

NFL is fucked when Derek Carr is added to the list :lol
hes gonna be in tier 2 after 2 years of starting experience, tbh

[spurraider21]

hes gonna be in tier 2 after 2 years of starting experience, tbh
i'd be good with that, we've burned too many draft picks on QB's to recover from JaWalrus tbh...

Jason Campbell - 4th
Carson Palmer - 1st and 2nd
Terrelle Pryor - 3rd
Matt Flynn - 5th
Matt Schaub - 6th
Derek Carr - 2nd

that's a full draft + another 2nd since 2010

[Holden_Caulfield]

i'd be good with that, we've burned too many draft picks on QB's to recover from JaWalrus tbh...

Jason Campbell - 4th
Carson Palmer - 1st and 2nd
Terrelle Pryor - 3rd
Matt Flynn - 5th
Matt Schaub - 6th
Derek Carr - 2nd

that's a full draft + another 2nd since 2010
you forgot t rex hands tyler wilson :lol

[spurraider21]

you forgot t rex hands tyler wilson :lol
goddam. add another 4th

:lol 4th round pick cut in camp
:lol beat out by UDFA

[Clipper Nation]

NFL is fucked when Derek Carr is added to the list :lol
Carr = Tier 5 :lol

[spurraider21]

Carr = Tier 5 :lol
:cry zipper nation pls

[Clipper Nation]

:cry zipper nation pls
:lol Spermraider

[Avante]

Actually it's the fans like us who are better equipped to rate the players. Coachs/players/GM's are only interested in their teams/division/opponets. While we are into all of it. I, like all of you will watch 4 NFL games a week, while those I mentioned are just into their game/next opponet.

I doubt any coach really knows all that much about QB's he won't be facing. Why would he? These guys aren't fans of the league like we are.

There is no doubt....

Peyton
Brady
Rodgers
Brees
Rivers
Big Ben
Russell
Ryan
Luck
Romo

with Foles needing another season to see if he's for real. Then there's Alex Smith.

Are the top QB's in the league, sure ya can debate placing.

To knock a young/rookie QB is dumb, history has shown things can change after a couple seasons, just ask Brett Favre.


The great Johnny Unitas was drafted by the Steelers and then dumped..........

[DD]

If every player was currently available for drafting you'd be a damn fool not to take Andrew Luck first overall. Only other logical pick would be Rodgers.

[spurraider21]

^yep

[Aztecfan03]

based on the numbers i'd put Luck in tier 2 (where he'd be 0.27 ahead of the next guy, as opposed to 0.46 below the guy above him), as well as Schaub being in tier 3 (where he'd be 0.06 below the next guy, as opposed to 0.57 above the next). its largely pretty logical and not many complaints tbh


I think he rounded to make the tiers, but if that is what he did, Foles should be 3 instead of 2 and Mccown should be 4 instead of 3.

[Aztecfan03]

If every player was currently available for drafting you'd be a damn fool not to take Andrew Luck first overall. Only other logical pick would be Rodgers.

Because 4 of the top 5 QB'S are 32 or older, yes.

[The Gemini Method]

Would the Luck choice be a dicey one because they lost their starting tackle to a quad injury? He's still probably in the top 5 easily but one has to think he is still a lucrative pick.