NFL: Ranking the Quarterbacks Under the Age of 26

I made this list after realizing that in the past 4 seasons, the NFL season has seen a wave of young quarterbacks taking over the league. This list was originally supposed to be a 30-and-under group, but with established quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers, Jay Cutler, and Ben Roethlisberger all in their 20s, it seemed better to rank the 11 starting quarterbacks under the age of 26. This list is not compiled based on skill today, but rather potential. An inside look at who will be the best quarterbacks 7-8 years from now, only on The Jockstrap. 

11. Curtis Painter- Indianapolis Colts (Age 26)

     Painter likely wouldn’t have been on this list if it weren’t for the neck injury of Peyton Manning and the concussion of Kerry Collins. Painter finds himself in the starting role for the 0-4 Colts. Although Painter has shown that he can throw a decent enough ball to Reggie Wayne and Pierre Garcon, his ceiling is the lowest of this list. Painter will likely finish this season as the Indy starter and then remain a career backup for the remainder of his NFL days. 

In Ten Years: Backing up Andrew Luck for the Indianapolis Colts

10. Blaine Gabbert- Jacksonville Jaguars (Age 21)

     So far Gabbert only has two starts under his NFL belt. It was a shock to all when the Jaguars cut longtime starter David Garrard before the season, only to name journey-man Luke McCown the opening day starter. Gabbert took over in week 3 after McCown threw four interceptions in New York against the Jets in week 2. Gabbert has all the skills to be a solid NFL quarterback; strong arm, good pocket presence, and mobile enough to get away from tacklers. The sample size for Gabbert isn’t nearly as large as some of the other names on this list, but as of right now I don’t see Gabbert as the “savior” of the franchise that Jacksonville was looking for when they drafted him 10th overall in last years draft. 

In Ten Years: Gabbert will be a solid NFL quarterback, but nothing to get crazy over. Starting somewhere, but maybe not Jacksonville. 

9. Colt McCoy- Cleveland Browns (Age 25)

     McCoy is a winner, anyone whose ever watched him play in college knows that. He has a really, really weak arm by all NFL standards, but his mobility when the pocket collapses is really something. McCoy reminds me of someone who will never throw for 25+ touchdowns or make a Pro Bowl, but someone who will keep his team in games and maybe make a few playoff appearances. I would really like to see what McCoy could do with a receiving core where the #1 wasn’t named Mohamed Massaquoi. 

In Ten Years: If he’s still in Cleveland, a fan favorite for a franchise that has been heartbroken at the quarterback position over and over again. If it doesn’t last in Cleveland, he’ll be a great backup or solid starter somewhere. 

8. Andy Dalton- Cincinnati Bengals (Age 23)

     Picking between Dalton and McCoy was tough for who was higher on the list. They are very much the same, Dalton was just as much of a winner in college as McCoy was. The only reason Dalton is higher on the list is because of his makeup. Dalton looks and plays like someone who will succeed in the NFL. The only problem is, he plays for the Bengals. The combo of Dalton to AJ Green will be one that will have Bengals fans salivating over for years to come. 

In Ten Years: A few 25+ touchdown seasons, maybe a playoff appearance or two. 

7. Joe Flacco- Baltimore Ravens (Age 26)

     This is the part of the list where fairly established quarterbacks are ranked pretty low. Flacco was anointed as the long awaited “elite” quarterback the Ravens have lacked since their inception in 1996. Since he was drafted, I really haven’t seen Flacco progress dramatically. He’ll have his 3 touchdown days every now and again, but most of the time you’ll be seeing a game manager, and nothing more. Flacco possesses and arm that rivals that of any other quarterback in the league, but that means nothing if your not accurate and clutch in big moments. 

In Ten Years: I could see Flacco leading the Ravens deep into the playoffs, maybe even a Super Bowl birth down the line. The window is closing, however, with Ed Reed and Ray Lewis getting up there in age. 

6. Matt Ryan- Atlanta Falcons (Age 26)

     Coming out of Boston College in 2007, Ryan was easily the best and most NFL ready quarterback in the draft. Since then, he’s led his team to two playoff appearances,  three winning seasons, and an NFL best 14-2 record in 2010. However, I don’t believe that Ryan will be able to elevate his game high enough to get into the discussion of the Manning-Brees-Brady-Rodgers status. Ryan will throw for a lot of touchdowns and win a lot of games, but so far he has yet to win a playoff game, and that is a big red flag for his potential. 

In Ten Years: A fan favorite for the Falcons, taking them to several playoffs and even winning a few postseason games. Will make the Pro Bowls and have the stats, maybe even an MVP. But I don’t see a Lombardi Trophy in his future. 

5. Josh Freeman- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Age 23)

     Freeman is the type of quarterback that scouts salivate over. He’s big, he’s fast, and he’s clutch. Last Sunday Freeman notched his 7th career come from behind victory in only 3 seasons as a starter. He wins, and he’s doing it will a pretty lackluster supporting cast. The only problem I have with Freeman is that I feel he has been overhyped, and that is hard to do when you play in Tampa. Freeman’s style of play is also an injury waiting to happen. Looking at it now, his career can go two ways: the next Ben Roethlisberger or the next Daunte Culpepper. 

In Ten Years: He’ll have his fair share of injury-prone seasons, but I’m confident that he’ll lead the Bucs to the playoffs one day. The only problem is playing in a division with Drew Brees, Cam Newton, and Matt Ryan quarterbacking the other teams. 

4. Mark Sanchez- New York Jets (Age 24)

     Its probably not the best idea to rank Sanchez #4 after putting up the worst ever total quarterback ranking last week against the Ravens (0.6), but I have high hopes for Mark...and its not because I’m a Jets fan. Sanchez possesses the tools that you look for in a quarterback. He may be small by some measures, but the guy is a flat out winner. 4-2 in the playoffs in his first two seasons is a stat that not even Tom Brady can boast about. Sanchez will make a whole bunch of people scream with his poor decisions and average arm strength, but looking at this list if my team was down in the fourth quarter, I would want the Sanchize behind center. 

In Ten Years: Will have a successful career in New York. Will not be shocked if he leads them to more AFC Championship games, and a Super Bowl appearance is not out of the question. A solid offensive line would boost Sanchez’ turnover rate and completion percentage dramatically.

3. Matt Stafford- Detroit Lions (Age 23)

     Its great that this season were finally seeing what a healthy Matt Stafford can do. He has all the skill in the world, and it doesn’t hurt to have the most physically dominant wide receiver in the game on his side. The one thing that will forever hinder Stafford is his injuries. A china doll behind center is not a good sign, even with a good offensive line like they have in Detroit. The Lions, like Stafford, are young and ready to win both now and in the future. 

In Ten Years: Stafford will be a god in Detroit. Won’t be shocked if they make the playoffs this year or in the future. Will make Pro Bowl’s and garner MVP votes, but will miss at least another full season due to injuries. 

2. Sam Bradford- St. Louis Rams (Age 23)

     Bradford, like Stafford, is a site to see when healthy. One of the most accurate quarterbacks in the game right now to go along with a good deep ball. The only problem with Bradford is that his team is awful. The offensive line, receiving core, and defense all stink. Bradford is the face of the franchise, and will be for years to come. If he can stay healthy (he has so far in the NFL), and the Rams get him someone to pass to, he’ll turn a whole bunch of heads. 

In Ten Years: Will be a top-5 quarterback in the league. Pro Bowl’s, awards, there all coming his way. Will win the NFC West plenty of times, especially if it remains anemic. 30+ touchdown thrower for sure. 

1. Cam Newton- Carolina Panthers (Age 22)

     All spring and summer everyone talked about how big of a bust Newton was going to be. We all saw the “Gruden QB Camp” video where he couldn’t even draw a play from the Auburn playbook. We all knew that the kid was going to be the smartest quarterback of all time, that he may have a flash here or there of being a force...but did anybody see this coming? Newton came out of the gate with back-to-back 400 yard passing games, and through the first quarter of the season has racked up 1,386 yards passing, an 84.5 quarterback rating, and 9(!) total touchdowns; 4 on the ground and 5 in the air. Newton is a physical specimen the likes the NFL has never seen. a 6 foot 5 quarterback who runs like a wideout and barrels over defenders like a fullback. Who knows if the Panthers will be any good this season or the next, but one thing that is for sure is that Cam Newton is going to continue to drop jaws. 

In Ten Years: A Pro Bowler, fan favorite, media favorite, will be called a locker room cancer, will set records on the ground and in the air, one of the most dynamic players in the NFL without a doubt. A playoff here and there, maybe even taking the Panthers deep into the winter. One thing that will be clear, Newton will be a must-watch every week that he plays in. 

A Viking, a Titan, a Panther, and Jaguar: Oh My! Which Rookie Quarterback Will Have the Greatest Impact in 2011?

This past April, four different teams drafted quarterbacks in the first round; the Jaguars, Panthers, Titans, and Vikings. The Panthers were the first team to make such a move, picking Auburn product Cam Newton with the number one overall selection. The Titans followed suit, selecting Jake Locker out of Washington with the 8^th overall pick. Blaine Gabbert (Missouri) and Christian Ponder (Florida State) rounded out the first round quarterbacks, going 10^th and 12^th, respectively. All four quarterbacks are currently viewed as future starters for their respected teams, but unlike years past (Sam Bradford, Josh Freeman, Mark Sanchez, and Matthew Stafford) none are guaranteed starting jobs. So, the question is, which of the four rookies are poised to make the greatest impact this season?

The clear cut most athletic of the group is Cam Newton. Newton posses a combination of speed, size, and power that the NFL has never seen at the quarterback position. During his lone season at Auburn, Cam dazzled fans with a rocket arm combined with the running style of a tailback (with size of a linebacker). Standing at 6 foot 5 and 248 pounds, Newton is a physical specimen. However, Newton is not without critics. Scouts believe that Newton may not have the pocket presence or mental makeup that are critical to producing a quality NFL quarterback. Also, anyone who watched the “Gruden QB Camp” on ESPN knows that Newton does not seem to be among the most intellectually gifted. Going into this season, Newton has the best chance at starting right out of the gate as he battles with second year quarterback Jimmy Clausen for the QB1 position. Newton looked decent in his three pre-season appearances, but Clausen does have the experience factor going for him. Another knock against Newton’s chances of having the greatest impact this season is the team he plays with. The Carolina Panthers were awarded the #1 draft pick last season for a reason, they were awful. The offense, though not lacking in star power with DeAngelo Williams and Steve Smith, was abysmal. Other than Smith, the Panthers have no viable options at wide receiver. Newton, or whoever is the week 1 starter, will benefit from the addition of veteran tight end Greg Olsen, however.

Entering the 2010 NFL Draft, many scouts believed that Washington University’s Jake Locker had a chance to be the first overall selection (that honor went to St. Louis Rams QB Sam Bradford). However, Locker chose to stay at school for his senior year and probably lost millions in the process. Locker struggled this past season as he saw his accuracy and decision making take a free fall. However, the Tennessee Titans still thought highly enough of Locker as they made him the 8^th overall selection in the ’11 draft. Locker is gifted with speed and strength to go along with one of the strongest arms in football. Entering the season, Locker is #2 on the depth chart behind veteran free agent addition Matt Hasselbeck. Hasselbeck is an established starter in the league, but his age and injury history are a reason to think that Locker might get to see valuable playing time this season. If Chris Johnson ends his holdout and does in fact play for the Titans this season, accompanied with Hasselbeck showing his age, Locker could have an opportunity to do great things for the Titans this year.

The third quarterback selected in the first round of this years draft is the one that many scouts believe to be the most “NFL ready”; Blaine Gabbert. Gabbert slipped in the draft a tad to the Jaguars at the 10^th spot, partly because of the only QB needy teams in the top 9 going elsewhere (Buffalo elected to go with Von Miller, and the Titans chose Locker over Gabbert). In watching the preseason games this summer, Gabbert shows great knowledge for the game and tremendous footwork in the pocket. However, the one thing standing in his way from running the Jacksonville offense is veteran David Garrard. Garrard has spent the last few seasons as the captain and quarterback to the Jaguars, but his age is evident in his play. Although the Jaguars have a good core with running back Maurice Jones-Drew, they have never been able to make that next step in the AFC South. With division rivals Houston and Indianapolis both primed and reloaded, the fans in Jacksonville could be in for a long, losing season. If this is the case, look for Gabbert to emerge as the starter by midseason, taking the remainder of the games to showcase his skills and give a glimpse into the future of the Jaguars.

The fourth, and most unexpected, quarterback to be taken in the first round was Florida State’s own Christian Ponder. Ponder was selected 12^th overall by the Vikings after predecessor Brett Favre retired(?) in the off season. When the Vikings selected Ponder, it was presumed that new head coach Leslie Frasier had taken Ponder on to be the starter. However, after the lockout ended and free agency began, the Vikings made a move for former Eagles and Redskins quarterback, Donovon McNabb. With McNabb onboard and a ready to win team, Ponder likely will not see much playing time this season. If McNabb falls to injury or poor performance like he did in Washington, Ponder may get a chance to be the starter, but his job will be to primarily hand the ball off to the Vikings all-world running back Adrian Peterson.

With this in mind, the most obvious choice for biggest impact among the four rookie first round quarterbacks is the Panthers Cam Newton. Newton has shown this preseason that he is a little raw, but also that his athletic ability is greater than that of Jimmy Clausen. Look for Newton to be named the starter for week 1, and to have the Panthers compete in several of their games. Among this years class, I see no Sam Bradford or Mark Sanchez, don’t look for any of the four quarterbacks to lead their teams to the playoffs. However, I do believe that Newton will perform well for the Panthers, as they go through a rebuilding year under first year head coach Ron Rivera. His weapons on offense with a presumably healthy DeAngelo Williams and Steve Smith, and slot receiver Armani Edwards give the Panthers offense a lot of speed and a lot of power. As for the other quarterbacks, look for Jake Locker to make a significant impact with the Titans later on in the season, when the playoff hopes are dashed and Hasselbeck is ultimately replaced. In the cases of Gabbert and Ponder, look for them to make their own marks in the 2012 season.