32 Beat Writers - 2027 Quarterback Tier Ranking

AJ Brown was traded away from the Eagles, removing a boundary sideline winning vertical plane wide receiver from the offense.

Aaron Rodgers is placed in the 'move on' tier, with the analyst suggesting it's time for the Steelers to move on from him, though they refuse to do so.

Aaron Rodgers is described as 'fine' by the analyst.

Despite a 70-yard touchdown pass in Week 1, Anthony Richardson's profile is inconsistent with reading the field and accuracy still being a huge work in progress, and his inability to stay healthy has prevented him from developing.

The analyst is much less bullish on Anthony Richardson hitting the top-10 upside he once projected, having been a top-10 player on his board coming out but now doubting he reaches that ceiling.

Baker Mayfield battled through injuries and had an offensive line that didn't do him many favors, with a rotating arsenal of wide receivers dealing with injuries throughout the season.

Baker Mayfield is placed in the 'good' tier just behind Trevor Lawrence, with the analyst noting lots of ups and downs last year, including turnover-worthy plays that regressed to the mean mid-season.

Baker Mayfield used his legs significantly more last year than ever before, showing additional upside beyond his arm talent.

The key questions for Baker Mayfield going forward are whether he can stay healthy and clean up his decision-making, which are always concerns for a 6-foot tall quarterback.

Placed in good tier; has better floor and more stable foundation than other 2024 QBs like Michael Penix; Sean Payton is a perfect fit for his skill set.

Numbers are better than Drake Maye, Caleb Williams, and Jaden Daniels, but analyst doesn't see the same special talent level; won't be the guy to take over games in big moments.

Brock Purdy is placed in the 'good' tier just ahead of Sam Darnold and ahead of Jared Goff due to his off-script creation ability, strong anticipation, timing, and great touch despite not having an elite arm.

Firmly in OK tier with inconsistent performance; has moments of competence but also plays that look like a high schooler against NFL players, with fumbles and poor decision-making.

Could potentially elevate into the good tier with another year of development under Dave Canales, improved weapons, and better consistency; analyst sees possible jump from 60-40 good-to-bad ratio to 70-30 or 75-25.

Excellent pocket mobility and feel for pressure; top 5-10 in the league at navigating the pocket with innate sense of when to step back, step up, or drift.

CJ Stroud's end-of-season performance showed concerning signs with turnovers and fumbles piling up, making him look like a guy with the yips who needed to be benched, a stark contrast to his rookie year form.

Placed in good tier; still a good quarterback but analyst indicates this ranking would have been different a year ago, suggesting some decline or concern.

With Tank Dell back, second year in Nick Haley's scheme, and offensive line additions, the analyst is bullish on CJ Stroud bouncing back despite the rough taste left from last season.

Placed in great tier despite being a work in progress; has arm talent and athleticism that produces plays not seen before, with strong finish to 2024 season showing growth in big moments.

Looks like the number one overall pick for good reason and is absolutely one of the best quarterbacks in the NFC; analyst projects he will look even better with another year working with Ben Johnson.

Caleb Williams was the analyst's number one quarterback coming out of the draft class and still has the higher ceiling, ascending with the way he ended last season, though Drake Maye is currently ranked slightly ahead.

Cam Ward is placed in the TBD tier but the analyst notes he will not stay there, suggesting future movement in the rankings.

Placed in great tier; provides more down-to-down consistency than Caleb Williams over a full season, though Caleb's high watermark slightly edges him out.

Excellent accuracy, timing, and leadership; still athletic enough to make plays happen despite losing mobility and athleticism since his leg injury.

Has lost some mobility and athleticism since his leg injury, though accuracy and timing remain elite.

The analyst has Dak Prescott ranked above both Jaden Daniels and Jalen Hurts in the tier ranking.

Daniel Jones had the best year of his career before getting hurt, showing improved accuracy and deep ball work under Shane Steichen, and deserved a contract extension.

Daniel Jones tore his Achilles, creating uncertainty about his future performance and recovery timeline.

Drake Maye is ranked just behind Justin Herbert at the top of the great tier, was the MVP runner-up last year, and the analyst is super bullish on him with improved receiver talent including AJ Brown, Romeo Dobbs, and Elijah Moore.

Mendoza, the Raiders' number one overall pick, will have Kirk Cousins as a mentor. The analyst notes Mendoza only had three snaps under center last year, so there's a clear mentor-mentee relationship being established, with Cousins providing experience in Clint Kubiak's scheme.

Fernando Mendoza is placed in the TBD tier, indicating uncertainty about his NFL development and role.

Geno Smith is starting for the Jets this year but the analyst puts him in the move-on tier because the Raiders moved on for a reason, and the Jets are already looking ahead to drafting a quarterback in 2027.

Geno Smith is ranked just ahead of Mac Jones, with the analyst noting he would take Geno over Mac in a vacuum.

Brissett is placed in the move on/backup tier. While he's a solid backup and has exceeded expectations as a starter, he lacks the talent ceiling of Kyler Murray and is well above 30 years old, making him unlikely to be a long-term solution if he's a starting quarterback.

Jalen Hurts had a rough year with some instances where AJ Brown didn't go all out for the ball and Hurts' reads against zone coverage could be tricked, creating uncertainty about his fit in the new offense.

Jalen Hurts is being asked to do something different in the new offense under Sean Manion, attacking the middle field rather than the vertical plane he excelled at before, and he's been okay but not great at it.

With the new Eagles offense under Sean Manion attacking the middle of the field with McKay Lemon and Eli Stowers, Jalen Hurts is being asked to do something different that he hasn't done much in college or the NFL, and he's been okay but not great at it.

There are enough questions about Jalen Hurts' profile and the new coaching change that the analyst is hesitant about his outlook, placing him in the 'good' tier rather than 'great.'

Jalen Hurts is a good quarterback and the analyst would take him over Aaron Rodgers in a vacuum.

The analyst previously had Jalen Hurts as QB5 in the elite tier a couple years ago but now has questions about whether defenses have figured him out and how he'll adapt to the new system.

Jameis Winston is a backup quarterback, though the analyst thought the Bengals should have entertained signing him last year to create a YOLO ball team with Lamar Jackson and him.

Solid, capable point-and-shoot quarterback placed just behind Bo Nix in good tier; good enough to win games with strong offensive coordinator and weapons.

Hesitation about his ability to deliver in clutch moments; analyst has seen him miss hitch throws in critical situations like 4th and 4 in championship games.

Has improved his response to pressure since becoming a Lion; much more poised in the face of pressure than earlier in his career.

Jaden Daniels is placed at the back end of the 'great' tier despite missing much of last year and not being the same when on the field, due to his historic rookie season and the analyst's belief that he has higher long-term upside than Jalen Hurts.

When looking at a two-year sample size, Jaden Daniels had an insane historic rookie season, and the analyst believes he is better than Jalen Hurts long-term despite Hurts winning the Super Bowl.

Jaden Daniels was plagued by injuries in his second year, which the analyst doesn't want to hold against him as it was a concern coming out of LSU due to his skinny frame.

The Commanders' new offense under David Blow will be dictated around Jaden Daniels as a superstar quarterback they want to build around, unlike the Eagles bringing in Sean Manion to adjust to Jalen Hurts.

The analyst would rather have Jaden Daniels over Jalen Hurts for the next five years if Daniels stays healthy, citing higher ceiling and upside.

Burrow is placed in the elite tier, slightly ahead of Lamar Jackson. He's one of the best in the league at playing with anticipation and timing, has great touch, and his arm strength has improved at the NFL level. However, two season-ending injuries must now be factored into his profile.

Elite quarterback who is great at winning with accuracy, timing, and anticipation; mirrors Dak Prescott in many ways but is considered elite rather than just great in those departments.

Solid backup quarterback with strong arm talent and high-level understanding of the game; can go 5-0 if needed to start 6-8 games with the right offensive coordinator.

Flacco is placed as the headliner of the backup tier. He's a solid gunslinger who took the Browns to the playoffs and made things interesting for the Bengals, but his risky throws sometimes backfire.

Turnover-prone with a history of games where risky throws pile up; had a playoff game against Houston where turnovers resulted in a loss.

Placed in great tier but behind Dak and Caleb; at his best, might be the best quarterback in the great tier with elite performances in top games.

Inconsistent performance; approximately 25% of the time awesome, 50% good, and 25% of the time unclear what's happening; more up and down than Dak Prescott.

Gets weirdly inaccurate at times, goes quiet, timing can be off, and holds the football too long; not as up and down as Kyler Murray but still inconsistent.

Natural arm talent and good enough athlete to create outside the pocket; had elite performances in playoff game and road win at Dallas.

Allen is placed in the elite tier. The analyst, who had Allen as his first-ever number one overall player in 2018, believes he's one of the most creative quarterbacks in the league with exceptional athleticism, scrambling ability, and two-minute drill performance. Recent coaching changes and roster additions should help him succeed.

Justin Fields is ranked ahead of Joe Flacco and Joe Burrow only because he's a special athlete, though both are better passing quarterbacks currently, and there's still time for him to have a career step forward like Sam Darnold or Daniel Jones.

Justin Fields going to Kansas City could be interesting if he gets to play in Andy Reid's offense, which could help him take steps forward as a passer, the area he needs to develop most.

Justin Herbert is ranked at the top of the great tier and the analyst has always been bullish on him, with improved accuracy year-over-year and elite arm talent.

The analyst wants Justin Herbert to be slightly more aggressive pushing the ball downfield, even if it results in more turnovers, as his arm talent is strong enough to bail him out and this could elevate him to the elite tier.

Cousins is placed in the move on/backup tier and will either be a backup to Fernando Mendoza or a bridge quarterback before the Raiders turn it over to their number one overall pick. At this point in his career, he's primarily a mentor figure.

Murray is placed in the OK tier due to high variance in his play—his best games rank among the elite in the league, but limitations from his height and athleticism create inconsistency. The analyst questions whether the Drew Petersen offense was a perfect fit and is curious if Kevin O'Connell can elevate his baseline performance with Minnesota.

Jackson is placed in the elite tier. Even at 75-80% performance, his games are exceptional due to his athleticism, design run game, and off-script ability. The analyst believes he's become an underrated passer and has improved his accuracy and timing year over year.

Mac Jones is a solid backup quarterback who proved himself well last year and repaired his stock by going to San Francisco under Shanahan.

Intriguing flashes with athleticism and improved passing ability after time in Matt LaFleur's system; looks like a guy who could start and win games.

Placed just behind Bryce Young in OK tier due to small sample size; could easily jump to good tier with a full season, but limited starts make it hard to project.

Arm strength is as strong as it was at Liberty; athleticism is as prevalent as in college; now shows ability to read field, go through progressions, and know when to bail.

Marcus Mariota is a fine backup quarterback who had some solid games for the Commanders last year but also had limitations including a pick-six and costly fumble.

Michael Penix Jr. can't start the first four games due to suspension, and the analyst thinks the Falcons would view him as a one-year bandaid if he got injured, moving on afterward.

Patrick Mahomes is ranked in the elite tier ahead of Josh Allen, and the analyst would take him over everyone in a two-minute drill Super Bowl scenario due to his off-script ability combined with improved structure and accuracy.

Sam Darnold is placed in the 'good' tier just behind Jared Goff, with two years of solid quarterback play, though the analyst notes the first year included two big collapses at the end of the season in Minnesota.

The analyst is surprised to rank Sam Darnold in the good tier ahead of Trevor Lawrence, noting this would have been unthinkable five years ago.

Talented quarterback placed in TBD tier due to limited sample size and poor supporting cast in 2024; was ranked QB2 pre-draft but fell to fifth round due to other concerns.

Faced difficult circumstances in 2024 with weak receiver talent and offensive line issues that prevented establishing a run game, forcing him to face seven-man boxes.

Trevor Lawrence took a step forward in the second half of last year and the analyst is completely confident he'll be in the back half of the great tier next year with continued development under Liam Cohen.

The analyst needs to see Trevor Lawrence maintain consistency for a full 16-17 games rather than alternating between good stretches and setbacks, as he's shown this pattern repeatedly.

Tua Tagovailoa is placed in the top of the backup tier as a solid starter (not elite), but his arm limitations, size, and concussion history make the analyst uncertain about him as a long-term starter.

Ty Simpson is placed in the TBD tier alongside other developmental quarterbacks.