LA Chargers: Justin Herbert is not a top-50 player according to PFF

The LA Chargers have the reigning AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in Justin Herbert leading the way in 2021. Herbert is coming off of the most impressive rookie quarterback season in NFL history and is a legitimate dark horse to win the MVP award.

Quarterbacks rarely regress after having the kind of season that Herbert had last season. Anyone that watched the Chargers in all 16 games saw all of the signs of a great quarterback. Herbert has what it takes to be a Super Bowl-winning quarterback at some point in his career.

Despite that, Herbert still has his doubters. There were rightfully a lot of red flags around Herbert’s game coming out of college but he proved all of those red flags wrong. And still, some pundits are holding onto their Herbert takes, hoping to one day be proven right.

Pro Football Focus is the guiltiest party. PFF analysts bashed Herbert coming into the league and have not changed course. The argument is that Herbert was so good against pressure last season and that it isn’t sustainable. Chances are it will be sustainable with a better offensive line this year.

PFF continued to rank Herbert lower than the rest of the league as the outlet does not even have Herbert in their top 50 players in the NFL. The defending AP Rookie of the Year, after a historic season, is somehow not one of the 50 best players in the league despite playing the most important position.

Pro Football Focus is wrong, Justin Herbert is a top 50 player.

PFF has not unveiled the entire top-50 list yet but it is really easy to read between the tea leaves. PFF released the 41st-50th ranked players on Monday and checking in at no. 50 on the list was Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.

PFF previously ranked the quarterbacks in the league and Prescott was ranked seventh. Where was Justin Herbert ranked? 15th. I think it is safe to say that Herbert is not going to be included in the top-50 when he is eight spots lower than the quarterback who was ranked 50th.

Only 19 quarterbacks in the history of the NFL have had a season with 4,000 passing yards, a 66% completion percentage and an interception percentage under 1.8%. Justin Herbert is one of those 19 quarterbacks, Dak Prescott is not.

If we add a 30-touchdown requirement to that list, as Herbert threw 31 last season, he becomes one of just 13 quarterbacks in NFL history to have a season of that caliber.

But he is somehow the 15th-ranked quarterback and is not even a top-50 player.

It will be interesting to see if PFF changes course on Justin Herbert and admits fault when he has another great season for the LA Chargers.