Breaking Down PFF's Top 10 NFL QBs
As we near the tail end of the NFL offseason, we tend to sit around and ponder and often debate about the best QBs.
When you look at the current crop of starters in the league, it can be hard to accurately rank them. Pro Football Focus recently released their Top-10 NFL QBs ahead of the 2021 season. PFF rankings are based on stats and analytics, which means their list should be solid and fair.
Here's their Top-10 NFL QBs.
PFF's Top-10 NFL QBs
#10. Lamar Jackson - Baltimore Ravens
- 2020 record -11-4
- Record over the last three years (to keep the numbers fair and get a better sense of things) - 30-7
- 1 Pro Bowl, zero Super Bowls, 1 MVP Award
- 2020 stats- 2,757 passing yards, 26 TD, 9 INT, 1,005 rushing yards, 7 TD
- Stats over last three years- 7,085 passing yards, 68 TD, 18 INT, 2,906 rushing yards, 19 TDs
- 2020 playoff stats- 1-1 record, 0 TD, 2 INT
#9 Baker Mayfield - Cleveland Browns
- 2020 record- 11-5
- Record over last three years- 23-22
- Zero Pro Bowls, Super Bowls, or MVPs
- 2020 stats- 3,563 passing yards, 26 TD, 8 INT, 165 rushing yards, 1 TD
- Stats over last three years- 11,115 passing yards, 75 TD, 43 INT, 437 rushing yards, 4 TD
- 2020 playoff stats- 1-1 record, 4 TD, 1 INT
#8 Kirk Cousins - Minnesota Vikings
- 2020 record- 7-9
- Record over last three years - 25-21-1
- 1 Pro Bowl, zero Super Bowls, zero MVPs
- 2020 stats- 4,265 passing yards, 35 TD, 13 INT, 156 rushing yards, 1 TD
- Stats over last three years - 12,166 passing yards, 91 TD, 29 INT, 342 rushing yards, 3 TD
- 2020 playoff stats - did not compete
#7 Matt Ryan - Atlanta Falcons
- 2020 record- 4-12
- Record over last three years - 18-29
- 1 Pro Bowl, zero Super Bowls, zero MVPs
- 2020 stats - 4,581 passng yards, 26 TD, 11 INT, 92 rushng yards, 2 TD
- Stats over the last three years - 13,971 passing yards, 87 TD, 32 INT, 364 rushing yards, 6 TD
- 2020 playoff stats - did not compete
#6 Dak Prescott - Dallas Cowboys
- 2020 record- 2-3 (season cut short due to injury)
- Record over last three years - 20-17
- 1 Pro Bowl, zero Super Bowls, zero MVPs
- 2020 stats - 1,856 passing yards, 9 TD, 4 INT, 93 rushing yards, 3 TD
- Stats over the last three years - 10,643 passing yards, 61 TD, 23 INT, 675 rushing yards, 12 TD
- 2020 playoff stats - did not compete
#5 Josh Allen - Buffalo Bills
- 2020 record -13-3
- Record over last three years - 28-15
- 1 Pro Bowl, zero Super Bowls, zero MVPs
- 2020 stats - 4,544 passing yards, 37 TD, 10 INT, 102 rushing yards, 8 TD
- Stats over the last three years - 9,707 passing yards, 67 TD, 31 INT, 1,562 rushing yards, 25 TD
- 2020 playoff stats - 2-1 record, 5 TD, 1 INT
#4 Russell Wilson - Seattle Seahawks
- 2020 record - 12-4
- Record over last three years - 33-15
- 3 Pro Bowls, zero Super Bowls, zero MVPs
- 2020 stats- 4,212 passing yards, 40 TD, 13 INT, 513 rushing yards, 2 TD
- Stats over the last three years - 11,770 passing yards, 106 TD, 23 INT, 1,231 rushing yards, 5 TD
- 2020 playoff stats - 0-1 record, 2 TD, 1 INT
#3 Aaron Rodgers - Green Bay Packers
- 2020 record - 13-3
- Record over last three years - 32-15-1
- 1 Pro Bowl, 1 MVP, zero Super Bowls
- 2020 stats - 4,299 passing yards, 48 TD, 5 INT, 149 rushing yards, 3 TD
- Stats over the last three years - 12,743 passing yards, 99 TD, 11 INT, 601 rushing yards, 6 TD
- 2020 playoff stats - 1-1 record, 5 TD, 1 INT
#2 Tom Brady - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- 2020 record - 11-5
- Record over last three years - 34-14
- 2 Super Bowl, 1 Pro Bowl, zero MVPs
- 2020 stats - 4,633 passing yards, 40 TD, 12 INT, 6 rushing yards, 3 TD
- Stats over the last three years - 13,045 passing yards, 93 TD, 31 INT, 75 rushing yards, 8 TD
- 2020 playoff stats - 4-0 record, 10 TD, 3 INT
#1 Patrick Mahomes - Kansas City Chiefs
- 2020 record - 14-1
- Record over last three years - 37-9
- 3 Pro Bowls, 1 Super Bowl, 1 MVP
- 2020 stats - 4,740 passing yards, 38 TD, 6 INT, 308 rushing yards, 2 TD
- Stats over the last three years - 13,868 passing yards, 114 TD, 23 INT, 798 rushing yards, 6 TD
- 2020 playoff stats - 2-1 record, 4 TD, 2 INT
Truth Behind PFF's Top-10 NFL QBs List
Mahomes as the top NFL QB is unanimous and he should be the top guy for many years to come. Tom Brady as the second-best NFL QB could be argued by some, but he is still putting up elite stats well into his 40s. Aaron Rodgers is deserving of #3, but it is intriguing as he may not even play this season.
Russell Wilson was snubbed for the MVP award, which would have seen him leap over Rodgers on the list. There's no other one-man army like Wilson in the NFL today. Josh Allen at #5 is the perfect spot for him on the NFL QB list. He is poised to become a top-three NFL QB this year and could play in his first Super Bowl.
The sixth-best NFL QB according to PFF is Dak Prescott, which is questionable. Yes, his stats are right in line with the other QBs, but he lacks the clutchness of a top QB. Plus, we don't know what type of player he will be post-injury.
Matt Ryan was once regarded as the top NFL QB when he won the MVP, but his team has let him down 9 times out of 10. If the Falcons could close out their games, Ryan would be ranked higher than Dak. Kirk Cousins is a good QB who makes too many mental errors on the field. Lamar Jackson, Deshaun Watson, Kyler Murray, and even Ryan Tannehill could be put at #8.
Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson round out the Top-10 NFL QBs. Jackson could've been placed over Mayfield if he hadn't relied on his legs so much. This year, his offense is loaded and we could see him throw career-high attempts. Mayfield is an underdog on this list as he is just now coming into his prime and should climb through the rankings over the years.
Kirk Cousins is the only QB that could easily be replaced on the list but his TD:INT ratio is quite admirable. These NFL QBs could also be switched around in their order and this is what Sportskeeda's Top-10 NFL QB list would look like:
#1 - Patrick Mahomes
#2 - Tom Brady
#3 - Aaron Rodgers
#4 - Russell Wilson
#5 - Josh Allen
#6 - Deshaun Watson
#7 - Lamar Jackson
#8 - Baker Mayfield
#9 - Dak Prescott
#10 - Matt Ryan