Coming in at #30 on my list is J.J. McCarthy. Yes, it’s another rookie (Don’t worry, tomorrow won’t be). I know he might not be the Vikings’ starter in Week 1, but remember the rules I put in place for this list.
You might be wondering why I have him ranked higher than Drake Maye, who was selected 7 spots ahead of McCarthy in this year’s draft. My answer to that is simple - he plays the quarterback position better.
No, his physical talent is not as good as Maye’s. But McCarthy possesses the traits that translate to consistent quarterback play in the NFL. Namely, he processes well, his passes come out on time, and he can throw with anticipation:
McCarthy can operate the offense at a high level, getting the ball where it’s supposed to go, making good decisions, navigating the pocket, and doing all the little things right.
Yes, his physical traits are somewhat limiting. He needs room to step into his throws to get any juice on the ball. And while he’s athletic, he’s not going to scare any defenses with his legs.
But there’s no reason he can’t overcome his physical deficiencies with his timing, good ball placement, and excellent decision-making.
Sure, his ceiling isn’t as high as Maye’s, but there’s a greater likelihood that he’ll be an effective NFL quarterback, particularly this season. Which is why he’s #30 on the list ahead of Maye.
Check out the full J.J. McCarthy breakdown here.
Ranking the NFL Starting Quarterbacks:
#32 Bo Nix (Denver Broncos)
#31 Drake Maye (New England Patriots)
#30 J.J. McCarthy (Minnesota Vikings)
#29 Gardner Minshew (Las Vegas Raiders)
#28 Will Levis (Tennessee Titans)
#27 Deshaun Watson (Cleveland Browns)
#26 Anthony Richardson (Indianapolis Colts)
#25 Bryce Young (Carolina Panthers)
#24 Daniel Jones (New York Giants)
#23 Jayden Daniels (Washington Commanders)
#22 Caleb Williams (Chicago Bears)
#21 Geno Smith (Seattle Seahawks)
#20 Russell Wilson (Pittsburgh Steelers)
#19 Derek Carr (New Orleans Saints)
#18 Baker Mayfield (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
#17 Kyler Murray (Arizona Cardinals)
#16 Trevor Lawrence (Jacksonville Jaguars)
#15 Jared Goff (Detroit Lions)
#14 Tua Tagovailoa (Miami Dolphins)
#13 Kirk Cousins (Atlanta Falcons)
#12 Jalen Hurts (Philadelphia Eagles)
#11 Brock Purdy (San Francisco 49ers)
#10 Jordan Love (Green Bay Packers)
#9 Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys)
#8 C.J. Stroud (Houston Texans)
#7 Justin Herbert (Los Angeles Chargers)
#6 Aaron Rodgers (New York Jets)
#5 Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles Rams)
#4 Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens)
#3 Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals)
#2 Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills)
#1 Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs)