1. Jalen Hurts – There were questions on if Jalen Hurts was a franchise quarterback caliber talent headed into the 2022 NFL season. All of the questions were answered and will not be asked again for a long time as Hurts led Philadelphia to a Super Bowl appearance this past season. He signed a five-year $255 extension to stay with the Eagles until at least 2028. From 2021 to 2022, Hurts increased his passing yards by 557 yards and threw six more passing touchdowns. Philadelphia lost Miles Sanders to free agency, but retained the majority of their offense so the expectation in the City of Brotherly Love is a Super Bowl.
2. Dak Prescott – The Cowboys signal caller will have to prove why he is the franchise quarterback. Ezekiel Elliott has been on the decline and is no longer in Dallas, so the passing game will need to win games. Brandin Cooks was acquired to pair with CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup. Prescott is 61-36 as a starting starter, but lacks playoff success. He can put pressure on defenses with his running ability and passing accuracy.
3. Geno Smith – The 2022 Most Improved Player award winner made significant strides last that earned him a contract extension. Last season Smith finished top 10 in passing yards and top five in passing touchdowns. His improvising ability in the pocket is top tier as he can be seen on film breaking tackles followed by positive yards. The addition of Jaxon Smith-Njigba for Smith will be critical in Seattle’s goal to make a playoff run. I expect Seattle’s quarterback to take the next step forward by finishing top five passing yards, touchdowns, and completions.
4. Justin Fields – Fields was a magician last season as he made something out of nothing in many games. The talent around the second year quarterback was lackluster at best, but that isn’t the case this year. He is an electrifying athlete that has break away speed and an underrated passer. Ryan Poles added Chase Claypool, D.J. Moore, and offensive line help to support his franchise quarterback. Bears fans should be excited as fields should lead Chicago to a winning record.
5. Brock Purdy – The 49ers seventh round pick had one of the most unexpected, successful stretch of games in NFL history. Purdy threw for just under 1,400 passing yards and 14 touchdowns in six games as the starting quarterback. Kyle Shanahan put their young quarterback in positions to maximize his accuracy and elite decision making skills. Many believe the 49ers would have represented the NFC in the Super Bowl had Purdy never got injured. San Francisco is the most talented group of skill players in the NFC, which bodes well for Purdy’s development. Trey Lance is pushing for the starting job, so we will find out early if the Iowa State product is worthy of a top five spot.
7. Kirk Cousins
8. Jared Goff
9. Matt Stafford
10. Kyler Murray
11. Derek Carr
12. Jordan Love
13. Desmond Ridder
14. Sam Howell
15. Baker Mayfield
Rookie quarterbacks who are projected starters:
Here is a complete list of the NFL power rankings post draft
