This combined quarterback score is then multiplied by 1.5 to further emphasize the importance of the signal-caller to an offense. Add up the scores of each trio, and we get our pecking order. Let’s dive in.<\/p>\n
NOTE:<\/em><\/strong> Up-down arrows reflect changes from the 2022 edition of the triplet rankings.<\/em><\/p>\n Quarterback: <\/em><\/strong>Bryce Young<\/em> <\/em><\/strong>— Rank: T-30 (One game: 29 | 2023 prod.: 31)<\/em><\/p>\n Running back:<\/em><\/strong> Miles Sanders — Rank: 23<\/em><\/p>\n Pass catcher:<\/em><\/strong> Adam Thielen — Rank: 31<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Short quarterbacks not named Drew Brees have almost always struggled to target the highly valuable middle of the field. Listed at 5-foot-10 and 204 pounds, Young will have to be a historic outlier, both in durability and play style, if he is to justify the war chest the Panthers gave up to draft him first overall. The good news is that Frank Reich has assembled an all-star coaching staff to help develop Young. The bad news: The Panthers could struggle to surround Young with talent after sacrificing so much to attain him. Young’s top target is the 33-year-old Thielen, whose last 1,000-yard season was in 2018. And it remains to be seen if Sanders has the juice to thrive outside the near-perfect rushing environment he enjoyed while in Philadelphia. <\/p>\n Quarterback:<\/em><\/strong> C.J. Stroud — Rank: T-28 (One game: 28 | 2023 prod.: 30)<\/em><\/p>\n Running back:<\/em><\/strong> Dameon Pierce — Rank: 20<\/em><\/p>\n Pass catcher:<\/em><\/strong> Nico Collins — Rank: 32<\/em>\ufeff\ufeff\ufeff\ufeff\ufeff\ufeff\ufeff\ufeff\ufeff\ufeff\ufeff\ufeff\ufeff\ufeff\ufeff\ufeff\ufeff<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The most pro-ready quarterback in the 2023 draft class, Stroud should raise the floor of this offense. It certainly helps that the No. 2 overall pick will have his blind side protected by one of the best (and the <\/em>highest paid) left tackles in the league, Laremy Tunsil. Stroud’s weapons leave much to be desired, however. It’s unclear who will be the No. 1 receiver. Collins is the only wideout remaining on the roster who started games for last year’s team, but the 2021 third-round pick has yet to play more than 14 games or gain more than 500 yards in a season. Pierce could benefit from a healthier offense — he was hit behind the line of scrimmage on a league-high 55 percent of his rushes last season (min. 100 carries). He had to earn almost every yard on the ground on his own, gaining 868 of his 939 rushing yards after contact (leading all rookies).<\/p>\n Quarterback:<\/em><\/strong> Josh Dobbs — Rank: 32 (One game: 32 | 2023 prod.: 32)<\/em><\/p>\n Running back: <\/em><\/strong>James Conner — Rank: 13<\/em><\/p>\n Pass catcher:<\/em><\/strong> Marquise Brown — Rank: 30<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Kyler Murray, coming back from a torn ACL suffered last season, is on the PUP list. After cutting veteran Colt McCoy, Arizona is left with Dobbs or Clayton Tune as the options under center while Murray is out. Whoever ends up starting won’t have much to work with. “Hollywood” Brown seems best suited for a field-stretching No. 2 role, not a role as the top option in a passing attack. This offense will likely run through Conner as long as he can stay on the field. The workhorse back clocked a 90 percent playtime rate in five games last season, two more than any other RB. <\/p>\n Quarterback:<\/em><\/strong> Sam Howell — Rank: T-30 (One game: 31 | 2023 prod.: 29)<\/em><\/p>\n Running back:<\/em><\/strong> Brian Robinson — Rank: 28<\/em><\/p>\n Pass catcher:<\/em><\/strong> Terry McLaurin — Rank: 13<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Commanders have plenty of talent, but some decisions they’ve made give me pause. Star receiver McLaurin is dealing with a turf toe injury suffered in the second preseason game, when Ron Rivera let the starters play well into the second quarter. The staff also handed the keys to the offense to Howell, who is entering his second year in the league, in lieu of veteran Jacoby Brissett, who performed well enough last season that I would have slotted him in the low 20s as a starter this year. I’m skeptical Howell will be the answer. I would not expect the ground game to carry this offense, either — big-play ability is missing from the backfield, with Robinson (whose explosive run rate of 8.8% ranked him 30th out of 42 RBs with 100-plus carries) leading the way.<\/p>\n Quarterback: <\/em><\/strong>Anthony Richardson — Rank: 22 (One game: 23 | 2023 prod.: 21)<\/em><\/p>\n Running back:<\/em><\/strong> Deon Jackson — Rank: 32<\/em><\/p>\n Pass catcher:<\/em><\/strong> Michael Pittman — Rank: 27<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Richardson could not have landed in a better spot, with head coach Shane Steichen having just helped develop Jalen Hurts into an MVP-caliber QB in Philadelphia. With his ridiculous blend of size and speed, Richardson could be the most physically dominant quarterback since Cam Newton. That makes him an instant weapon in the red zone and on scrambles, raising the floor of this offense. His arm strength puts his potential through the roof, provided he can stay disciplined with his footwork and make accurate throws. Jonathan Taylor<\/span> wanted out, but the Colts did not trade him, and he will start the season on the PUP list with an ankle injury. Jackson, a former undrafted free agent who has averaged a middling 3.3 yards per carry on 81 career carries, appears set to slide into the lead role in Taylor\u2019s absence. Pittman is a possession receiver who can work the short area to matriculate the ball down the field. I would not be surprised if Alec Pierce overtakes Pittman as Richardson’s favorite target; his jump-ball ability meshes more with the young quarterback’s skill set. <\/p>\n Quarterback:<\/em><\/strong> Baker Mayfield — Rank: T-28 (One game: 30 | 2023 prod.: 28)<\/em><\/p>\n Running back:<\/em><\/strong> Rachaad White — Rank: 27<\/em><\/p>\n Pass catcher:<\/em><\/strong> Mike Evans — Rank: 12<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Buccaneers suffered the largest drop in these rankings of any team this year — but losing Tom Brady will have that kind of effect. This is probably the best receiving corps Mayfield has ever had to throw to, but that might not matter; Mayfield has struggled with pocket presence in the NFL, and his propensity for getting happy feet and bailing from the pocket might only be exacerbated if the new-look offensive line (which will be without Ryan Jensen) falters. Issues in the trenches could also make it hard for White to break out in his first season as the lead back. Evans has topped 1,000 yards in each of his nine pro seasons. If he manages to extend that streak to 10, working in this<\/em> environment at age 30, it might be the most impressive feat of his decorated career.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Quarterback:<\/em><\/strong> Kenny Pickett — Rank: 27 (One game: 27 | 2023 prod.: 27)<\/em><\/p>\n Running back:<\/em><\/strong> Najee Harris — Rank: 16<\/em><\/p>\n Pass catcher:<\/em><\/strong> Diontae Johnson — Rank: 24<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I’m certainly lower than many on Pickett, whose rookie-year production in 2022 was bolstered by smooth operation in the quick game, where he completed +8.0% of his passes over expected (second in the NFL). When Pickett was forced to hold the ball for longer than 2.5 seconds last season, however, he threw more than twice as many interceptions (nine) as he did touchdowns (four). I need to see more out of Pickett working in rhythm before I think of him as a long-term starter. Johnson is getting overshadowed by the highlight-reel acrobatics of George Pickens, but he is still the top option in this offense. Johnson has earned targets at a high rate despite facing press coverage on at least 30 percent of his routes in each of his four seasons as a pro. Harris has struggled with efficiency in each of his two seasons in the league, but the bruising back should have more room to gain some steam behind a revamped offensive line in his third year. <\/p>\n Quarterback:<\/em><\/strong> Mac Jones — Rank: T-24 (One game: 22 | 2023 prod.: 25)<\/em><\/p>\n Running back:<\/em><\/strong> Rhamondre Stevenson — Rank: 11<\/em><\/p>\n Pass catcher:<\/em><\/strong> JuJu Smith-Schuster — Rank: 28<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jones suffered quite the sophomore slump under Matt Patricia and Joe Judge last season. Expect new offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien to add a heavy dose of run-pass options to the offense to maximize Jones’ strengths in the quick game. For reference, the Patriots ranked dead last in RPO usage during Jones’ rookie season and 20th last year, per Pro Football Focus. Stevenson broke out in his second season, trailing only Nick Chubb (19) with 15 runs that gained at least 10 rushing yards over expected. With stout pass-blocking and pass-catching abilities, Stevenson rarely had to come off the field on third down and achieved the fourth-highest snap share among running backs. Smith-Schuster will give Jones a reliable target in the short middle. He can contribute as a run blocker as well.\ufeff\ufeff\ufeff\ufeff\ufeff\ufeff\ufeff<\/span><\/p>\n Quarterback:<\/em><\/strong> Jordan Love — Rank: 23 (One game: 24 | 2023 prod.: 22)<\/em><\/p>\n Running back:<\/em><\/strong> Aaron Jones — Rank: 8<\/em><\/p>\n Pass catcher:<\/em><\/strong> Christian Watson — Rank: 29<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Love has earned the trust of the Packers\u2019 coaching staff since being drafted in 2020, and now he gets the opportunity to reward their confidence. Love has had plenty of time to learn behind Aaron Rodgers, and I think he should at least be able to deliver competent play working with one of the best offensive lines in the league. Jones and his backfield mate, AJ Dillon, should be able to keep the offense on schedule, as both players ranked among the top six running backs in success rate last season (min. 100 carries). Watson leads an intriguing young receiving corps, but his athletic gifts still outpace his on-field skill set. Look for Matt LaFleur to manufacture touches for Watson and rookie tight end Luke Musgrave to get both players in space with room to show off their speed.<\/p>\n Quarterback:<\/em><\/strong> Justin Fields — Rank: 18 (One game: 18 | 2023 prod.: 18)<\/em><\/p>\n Running back:<\/em><\/strong> Khalil Herbert — Rank: 25<\/em><\/p>\n Pass catcher:<\/em><\/strong> DJ Moore<\/em> — Rank: 20<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Fields\u2019 running ability was finally unleashed midway through last season, as he rattled off at least 60 rushing yards in nine of his last 10 games. He compiled +492 rushing yards over expected (200 more than the next-closest player), with nine carries reaching 20+ mph, a record in the NGS era (since 2016). However, Fields’ league-high 14.7 percent sack rate resulted in the Bears losing 97.7 passing EPA on his dropbacks. That ranked dead last in the NFL. Moore, acquired from Carolina in the trade for the No. 1 overall pick of this year\u2019s draft, brings a dynamism that has been severely lacking from the Bears\u2019 receiver room. Herbert steps into the starting role after the departure of David Montgomery. The physical running back should benefit from his dual-threat quarterback continuing to make the defense play 11-on-11 football.<\/p>\n Quarterback:<\/em><\/strong> Desmond Ridder — Rank: 26 (One game: 26 | 2023 prod.: 23)<\/em><\/p>\n Running back:<\/em><\/strong> Bijan Robinson — Rank: 4<\/em><\/p>\n Pass catcher:<\/em><\/strong> Drake London — Rank: 21<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n A top-five ranking might be bold for a player who has never played a snap in a regular-season NFL game, but Robinson is the most complete running back prospect to enter the league since Adrian Peterson, and he landed in the perfect spot. The former Longhorn should feast in Arthur Smith’s inventive run game. The Falcons’ ground attack ranked among the top three in success rate, first downs over expected and rushing EPA on running back carries last season, despite featuring a fifth-round rookie and converted wide receiver as their lead backs. London is poised for a breakout after commanding an impressive target share during his rookie season. Among all the receivers on this list, I would not be surprised if he made the biggest jump in the rankings by the end of the season. As long as Ridder can provide competent quarterback play (and I believe he can), this unit has a chance to be among the league’s best.<\/p>\n Quarterback: <\/em><\/strong>Russell Wilson <\/em>— Rank: T-14 (One game: 13 | 2023 prod.: 15)<\/em><\/p>\n Running back:<\/em><\/strong> Javonte Williams — Rank: 21<\/em><\/p>\n Pass catcher:<\/em><\/strong> Courtland Sutton — Rank: 26<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n As bad as Wilson looked last season, I believe the old Russ is still salvageable, even if he has lost a step. New head coach Sean Payton remade the roster to emphasize a physical, downhill run game. Williams might be the biggest benefactor from the identity change. During his first two seasons, Williams was hit behind the line of scrimmage on nearly half of his runs, posting the fifth-highest such rate among running backs with at least 200 carries (48.4 percent). Given more room to gain steam, the running back will be able to show off his elusiveness in the open field. This should take some of the pressure off Wilson and allow him to do what he does best: push the ball downfield. With Jerry Jeudy currently sidelined by a hamstring injury, Sutton could have an opportunity to cement himself as Wilson’s go-to option.\ufeff\ufeff\ufeff\ufeff\ufeff<\/span><\/p>\n Quarterback:<\/em><\/strong> Daniel Jones — Rank: 19 (One game: 20 | 2023 prod.: 20)<\/em><\/p>\n Running back:<\/em><\/strong> Saquon Barkley — Rank: 5<\/em><\/p>\n Pass catcher:<\/em><\/strong> Darren Waller — Rank: 25<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Head coach Brian Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka helped Jones put up a career year in 2022 by utilizing his mobility on bootlegs and simplifying his reads, sacrificing firepower to lean on steady gains and stay ahead of the sticks. Jones averaged a league-low 6.3 air yards per attempt (min. 150 attempts) but achieved a career-high 45.2 percent success rate on dropbacks. He consistently kept the offense on schedule when he kept the ball, whether on designed runs or scrambles, leading the NFL with a 62.5 percent rushing success rate (min. 100 carries). But the Giants lacked much juice outside of Barkley, who has become the ultimate boom-or-bust rusher. Barkley ranked in the bottom five of rushing success rate (35.3 percent) but reached 20 mph on six carries, tied for the most among running backs. The Giants made a clear effort to target speed during the offseason. Waller has led tight ends by a substantial margin in average route speed in three consecutive seasons.\ufeff\ufeff\ufeff\ufeff\ufeff\ufeff\ufeff\ufeff\ufeff<\/span><\/p>\n Quarterback:<\/em><\/strong> Deshaun Watson — Rank: 21 (One game: 19 | 2023 prod.: 24)<\/em><\/p>\n Running back:<\/em><\/strong> Nick Chubb — Rank: 1<\/em><\/p>\n Pass catcher:<\/em><\/strong> Amari Cooper — Rank: 23<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Browns\u2019 offense stagnated once Watson returned from suspension in Week 13 last season. I am doubtful he’ll return to the elite form he showed during the 2020 season in Houston. Cooper was as inconsistent as any receiver last season, but he had better chemistry with Jacoby Brissett throwing him the ball (+6.7 receptions over expected) than he did with Watson (-1.4). Regardless of the passing game, Chubb should keep the Browns competitive. The most consistent rusher in the league since he was drafted in 2018, Chubb has ranked among the top three running backs in rushing yards over expected in every season of his career. He’s gained almost twice as many first downs over expected (+40) as the next-closest RB (Derrick Henry, +23) in that span.<\/p>\n Quarterback: <\/em><\/strong>Jimmy Garoppolo — Rank: T-24 (One game: 21 | 2023 prod.: 26)<\/em><\/p>\n Running back:<\/em><\/strong> Josh Jacobs — Rank: 7<\/em><\/p>\n Pass catcher: <\/em><\/strong>Davante Adams — Rank: 2<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The addition of Adams was a key component to Jacobs\u2019 rushing crown last season. Defenses elected to devote resources to stopping Adams from beating them over the top, clouding coverage and playing with two deep safeties. In fact, no offense faced a higher rate of Cover 6 (14.8 percent) than the Raiders last season. They were the only offense to face a split-safety pre-snap shell on over 60 percent of their plays. This left defenses vulnerable to the physicality of Jacobs, who took full advantage. Jacobs gained 1,016 of his league-leading 1,653 rushing yards against two-high shells. No other player has eclipsed 700 rushing yards against split-safety looks in a season since 2016. It will be interesting to see if defenses change their tune with Garoppolo at quarterback. He ranks last in deep passing rate (7.3 percent) since 2016.\ufeff\ufeff\ufeff\ufeff\ufeff<\/span><\/p>\n Quarterback:<\/em><\/strong> Jared Goff — Rank: 16 (One game: 17 | 2023 prod.: 14)<\/em><\/p>\n Running back: <\/em><\/strong>David Montgomery — Rank: 17<\/em><\/p>\n Pass catcher:<\/em><\/strong> Amon-Ra St. Brown — Rank: 14<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Goff enjoyed a renaissance under offensive coordinator Ben Johnson in 2022. Detroit generated +94.0 passing EPA when Goff dropped back to pass, which trailed only Patrick Mahomes (+148.8). The key to this efficiency was a lack of negative plays. With an elite pass protection unit, Goff was sacked at the second-lowest rate in the NFL (3.8 percent) and set a career-low in interception rate (1.2 percent). St. Brown was an essential ingredient to this recipe for success. With his ability to win underneath, Goff was able to get rid of the ball 0.20 seconds faster on average when St. Brown was on the field and was sacked at less than half the rate. Goff generated negative EPA without St. Brown on the field last season. On the ground, Montgomery will be the thunder to first-round pick Jahmyr Gibbs’ lightning, providing steady production in the Lions\u2019 diverse run scheme.<\/p>\n Quarterback:<\/em><\/strong> Matthew Stafford — Rank: 12 (One game: 9 | 2023 prod.: 16)<\/em><\/p>\n Running back:<\/em><\/strong> Cam Akers – Rank: 29<\/em><\/p>\n Pass catcher:<\/em><\/strong> Cooper Kupp — Rank: 7<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Stafford went through the concussion protocol twice and suffered a spinal cord contusion in 2022, while Kupp’s season was cut short by a high ankle sprain. Akers ended last season with three consecutive 100-yard outings, but it would be surprising if he kept that momentum going, given his production over the rest of his career. The connection between Stafford and Kupp remained strong when they were healthy. Kupp ranked fourth in the NFL in receptions over expected (+7.1) in the first 10 weeks of the season and commanded a target on nearly 30 percent of his routes. With plenty of question marks along the offensive line and among the rest of the skill-position group, I expect Stafford’s production to be underwhelming. But I would still rather have him under center than most quarterbacks in the league if I wanted to win a playoff game.<\/p>\n Quarterback:<\/em><\/strong> Geno Smith — Rank: 11 (One game: 11 | 2023 prod.: 12)<\/em><\/p>\n Running back:<\/em><\/strong> Kenneth Walker III — Rank: 19<\/em><\/p>\n Pass catcher:<\/em><\/strong> DK Metcalf — Rank: 19<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Do not discount Smith’s 2022 resurgence as a flash in the pan. The former journeyman excelled while operating a true dropback passing game last season, leading the NFL in completion percentage over expected (+4.8 percent) and deep touchdown passes (13). Presuming his wrist injury is not a problem, first-round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba will be a reliable target over the middle, complementing Metcalf’s big-play ability, and second-round pick Zach Charbonnet should be a balancing force in the backfield. Walker needs to be more consistent before he can be considered among the top half of running backs in the league. While he gained at least 10 rushing yards over expected on 15 carries last season (tied for second among running backs), he ranked second-to-last in success rate (32.5 percent) among backs with at least 100 carries. <\/p>\n Quarterback: <\/em><\/strong>Brock Purdy — Rank: 20 (One game: 25 | 2023 prod.: 17)<\/em><\/p>\n Running back:<\/em><\/strong> Christian McCaffrey — Rank: 2<\/em><\/p>\n Related Links <\/span> <\/h2>\n
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