Ranking Chargers' Justin Herbert and the 32 best quarterbacks after 2022
By Jason Reed
8. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
Preseason ranking: 18
There were times in which Trevor Lawrence looked like a truly elite quarterback in the league and was proving why he was the first-overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. It was not consistent for Lawrence all the time but the elite potential was obviously there.
The gap between Lawrence at eight and Prescott at nine is big. Prescott is the best of the good quarterbacks, whereas Lawrence is the first of the great quarterbacks. Not elite, but great. I would argue that eight through five fall into this category.
7. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
- Preseason ranking: 8
Lamar Jackson squeezes into a very similar ranking after a strange year. Jackson was his usual self when he was playing for the Ravens but like the year before, could not stay on the field when the team needed him most.
With concerns around Jackson's ability to put together a 20-game run as well as the capped offensive ceiling of his style of play, it is hard to rank him as an elite quarterback. Instead, he falls into the great category.
6. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
- Preseason ranking: 1
Look, he won back-to-back MVPs, he had to be listed as no. 1 before the 2022 season. Aaron Rodgers took a step back in 2022, though, and may have gone from the elite crop of quarterbacks to simply being a great one (which is still good enough to win the Super Bowl).
There is no guarantee that Rodgers even plays in 2023 so his place on this list might not even matter (much like how Tom Brady was on the early versions of this list until he retired). For now, though, he checks in at no. 6.
5. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
- Preseason ranking: 17
Eagles fans would likely argue that Jalen Hurts is in the elite category of quarterbacks after he led the Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl but I would refrain from putting him in that select group. Hurts is great and is absolutely knocking on that door of being elite but he needs one more year like 2022 to get into that category.
Still, there is nothing wrong with being the fifth-ranked quarterback in the league, especially when you were originally drafted to be Carson Wentz's backup (with everyone bashing the selection when it was first made).