Chargers: Ranking Justin Herbert and all 32 starting quarterbacks from 2021
By Jason Reed
14. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
- Average ranking: 14.5
- Highest ranking: 12
- Preseason ranking: 12
Matt Ryan edges out Ryan Tannehill as his highest ranking was higher than Tannehill. Quite frankly, Ryan probably should not be this high and is coasting a bit off of his namesake. Ryan was not very good in 2021 but the Falcons had a terrible roster, so he naturally gets some benefit of the doubt. Personally, I would bet that Ryan is close to the 20s after the 2022 season.
13. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings
- Average ranking: 13.25
- Highest ranking: 13
- Preseason ranking: 15
Kirk Cousins is right where he should be. The only reason he moved up two spots is that players in front of him fell below him after the 2021 season. Vikings fans complain about Cousins but I truly believe he is the line to great quarterbacks. Those above him can all be considered "great" or at least have great attributes. Those below him can be good, but not great.
12. Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders
- Average ranking: 11.25
- Highest ranking: 11
- Preseason ranking: 16
Even though he is a Raider, I have always felt like Derek Carr was slightly underrated by NFL media (unless it is his brother, who wildly overrates him). This is the perfect spot to put him on this list as he is one spot higher than Kirk Cousins as he is essentially a slightly better version of Cousins.
11. Matt Stafford, LA Rams
- Average ranking: 10.5
- Highest ranking: 8
- Preseason ranking: 11
Despite all of the buzz around Matt Stafford prior to the 2021 season, he finds himself in the exact same spot in our quarterback rankings. There was a lot of chatter about putting Stafford in the Sean McVay offense and the season started off on a really great note for the Rams. However, Stafford really struggled in the last month of the season, raising questions about his reliability.
10. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
- Average ranking: 9.75
- Highest ranking: 7
- Preseason ranking: 5
Lamar Jackson is the most disrespected quarterback in the NFL. Yes, his playstyle does make it hard for the Ravens to win multiple playoff games in a row against the best of the best. However, Mark Andrews carries Tyler Huntley in one start and the NFL media starts talking about Huntley being better than Jackson. It was absurd. Huntley is a good backup, but he is nowhere even close to a top 10 quarterback in the league.