With more and more leagues switching to 2-QB and Superflex formats, the quarterback position is more important than it has ever been before. Sure, quarterbacks dominate the spotlight when it comes to real football action. However, they have been a bit of a laugher when it comes to fantasy value. Watch an industry mock, and no one will take a quarterback in the first three rounds. Sometimes it stretches to the fifth or sixth; I routinely wait until the tenth or later before I grab my guy. Enter the Superflex format. Superflex allows for a second starter at football’s premier position and brings importance back to signal-callers. Watch any Superflex draft, and there will be multiple quarterbacks gone before the first round is up. Whether or not you play Superflex, it’s still worth knowing who you can trust in 2020. That’s why I’m here. Join me on a journey through 2020’s best Quarterbacks, set to the theme of Nicholas Cage’s finest movies.
Tier 1: National Treasures
1. Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs): Coming off an insane 2018 that blew away the league, Mahomes muddled through injury in 2019 and finished with exactly half his TD total from the previous season. Still, he put up better than a 5-1 TD-INT ratio, led his team to a division crown, and won the Super Bowl against the league’s best defense. Not bad for an off-year. Mahomes is ready to retake the crown in 2020. Here’s what’s going for him: he has an excellent scheme fit with coach Andy Reid. He has the league’s most explosive receiver in Tyreek Hill and the league’s best tight end in Travis Kelce. Pepper in Sammy Watkins, Mecole Hardman, and rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, and I’m ready to roll with Mahomes first overall. He is the only quarterback in my top-five without a significant rushing upside.
2. Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens): Lamar Jackson clearly was not a real person last year. He was some monstrosity created in a video game built to take advantage of a glitch in the latest Madden. Jackson was a stupid-good runner on his way to a league-record 1206 rushing yards. Pile 36 passing touchdowns on top, and I bet you’re wondering why Jackson isn’t my #1 overall pick. That’s a fair question. It’s honestly nit-picking to say Jackson or Mahomes is the best option. If you prefer one, go with him. That being said, here are my slight worries about an amazing player: First, it will be hard for Jackson to repeat those passing touchdown numbers. He put up a TD rate of 9.0% last year. For reference, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Drew Brees all have career marks around 5.5%. If Jackson had put up a 6.0% rate, he would have thrown 12 fewer touchdowns. Second, I expect the league to catch up to Baltimore a bit this year. The Ravens caught everyone by surprise, but they were exposed in the playoffs with a shocking 28-12 loss to the Titans. I don’t imagine the mega-running offense will work quite as well this year. As I said before, these are tiny flaws. They were barely enough to knock Jackson from first to second.
Tier 2: Gone in 60 Seconds
3. Deshaun Watson (Houston Texans): Deshaun Watson wins the ‘almost’ award for me this year. If he was the quarterback of the Chiefs, Cowboys, or Cardinals, he would be a tier-1 option without a doubt. However, that’s not the case. Watson lost his best weapon in the offseason (Deandre Hopkins) and he is surrounded by a cavalcade of oft-injured guys. Still, here’s why Watson earns my #3 spot: he finished first, fifth, and third for fantasy points per game in the last three seasons, throwing to many of those same weapons. Regardless of supporting cast, Watson has been a stud. Also, it’s not like he has no one. He will be throwing to Brandin Cooks, Will Fuller, David Johnson, Duke Johnson, Kenny Stills, and Randall Cobb. That’s not my top choice, but it certainly could be worse. I’m betting on talent here, so Watson remains at the #3 spot. Just hope his receivers stay healthy for more than two weeks.
4. Russell Wilson (Seattle Seahawks): I know what you’re thinking: the Seahawks are a team that wants to run. Russell Wilson is great, but he’s not going to pass enough. I get the worries. Let me eliminate them. Wilson has averaged 32+ pass attempts per game in three of the last four seasons. He has the best weapons he’s had in years in Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf. He’s averaged 33+ passing touchdowns over the last three seasons. Seattle’s top two running backs from last year suffered a hip and knee injury–prompting the team to kick the tires on Devonta Freeman and Carlos Hyde. Oh, and we can throw in the average 400+ rushing yards per season Wilson tallies as well. Russell Wilson is one of the best quarterbacks I’ve ever seen play the position, and his team is talking about finally letting him air it out in 2020. Even if they don’t, he is still an elite option in 2020.
5. Kyler Murray (Arizona Cardinals): Okay, we come to the first ‘projected’ stud on the list. Murray put up decent numbers in his rookie season, but nothing quite warranting a spot in the top tier quite yet. Still, he flashed what he could be. I like Murray’s talent, and I think he will be a superstar in the league at some point. So why does he receive the benefit of the doubt? First, Murray was handpicked by his coach, Kliff Kingsbury. It’s not often we see a perfect marriage of coach and QB, but this is it. Kingsbury’s system calls for a break-neck play speed which should give Murray plenty of opportunities. Second, Murray has an excellent cast of weapons around him. All-pro Deandre Hopkins headlines the list, followed by a living legend in Larry Fitzgerald and up-and-comer Christian Kirk. Finally, Murray has an enormous rushing upside, just in case he doesn’t find his stride as a passer in year two. Barring injury, I have a hard time placing Murray outside of my top-10 finishers at quarterback.
6. Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys): I think Dak is my bizarro-Watson this year. If I were to put him on the Texans, I imagine he would be ranked right around QB12 for me. He makes some great plays, but he also misses some others and it can be frustrating. He’s not bad by any means; I just don’t see him reaching the ‘elite’ tier. Still, Dak is up here for a reason. It’s not a stretch to say the Cowboys might have the best set of weapons of any team in 2020. It starts with the running game and superstar back Ezekiel Elliott. Just in case something happens to Elliott, Tony Pollard is ready to pick up the slack. At wide receiver, Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, and rookie CeeDee Lamb are all excellent choices. Then there is that powerful offensive line to give Dak time to work. Dak had a career year last year (4900 yards and 30 TD) and I expect more of the same in 2020. I may not see MVP upside, but it’s hard to see this offense not producing in a big way. I tend to like quarterbacks on loaded offenses.
Tier 3: The Rock
I think most of us can agree on those top-six quarterbacks in some order, right? I’m not blowing your mind by having Mahomes and Jackson as my top two, and Watson through Prescott are all widely regarded as excellent options in 2020. Tier 3 is going to be where the dissent starts to pop up. Let’s dig right in.
7. Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints): Quick, name someone who finished in the top-5 quarterbacks for points per game last year. If you guessed Lamar Jackson, Dak Prescott, or Deshaun Watson then you nailed the top three. No surprise there, right? Patrick Mahomes finished seventh. Number five on the list was Drew Brees. Despite passing the ’40’ age milestone, Brees once again killed it in 2019. His team finished 8-3 on the back of his excellent stats: 74.3% completion percentage, 7.1% touchdown rate, 1.1% interception rate, and he was on a 16-game pace of 40 touchdowns and 4,300 yards. Brees keeps Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara as his top weapons, and now he will have the benefit of Emmanuel Sanders as well. Sanders may not be the most explosive weapon, but he proved in the Super Bowl that he has plenty left to offer. Brees may not have the upside of Mahomes or Jackson, but he feels like one of the most reliable options this year. He had 300+ yards, multiple passing touchdowns, or both in eight of his ten complete games. He had 3+ touchdowns in seven of those ten games.
8. Matt Ryan (Atlanta Falcons): Anyone who can tell you they have Matt Ryan completely figured out is lying. In 2016, he posted a yards/ TD/ INT statline of 4,900/ 38 ? . In 2017, that regressed to 4,095 yards and 20 touchdowns. We saw a bounce back in 2018: 4,900 yards and 4,900 yards. And I’m guessing you can tell where this goes in 2019…4,400 yards and 26 touchdowns. Still, in a down year, Matt Ryan finished as the QB11 in points per game. He did this despite losing Julio Jones for a game, missing Calvin Ridley for three games, and having no support from the rushing attack. How is the outlook for 2020? Julio Jones is still a beast. Everyone and their mothers expect Calvin Ridley to make the leap. Devonta Freeman was replaced with Todd Gurley. Sure things could go wrong again for Matty Ice. I’m optimistic, though, and I like the look of this offense in 2020. You could do much worse in 2020.
9. Tom Brady (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): As I mentioned before, this is the land of damaged goods. What’s the problem with Tom Brady? He’s 43, he has declined in almost every major stat (completion percentage, yards per game, touchdowns, touchdown rate) for four straight years, and he is on a new team for the first time in his career. Brady could look awful this year, and I wouldn’t be shocked at all. Eventually, father time beats everyone. So then the upside must be pretty big, right? It is. Brady will be throwing to Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, Rob Gronkowski, OJ Howard, Cameron Brate, and whoever else claws their way into this lineup. It’s not a stretch to call this the best set of weapons in Brady’s career. With such a robust arsenal, I have a hard time imagining Brady failing. The other factor here is the ‘prove it’ narrative. Brady has always had the Patriots and Belichick, and we know how competitive he can be. I’m sure he’s thought about how badly he wants to win one now that he’s ‘on his own.’ I expect Brady to post one more excellent season in 2020 as a farewell to the league. Maybe he plays next year, but this will be his swan song.
10. Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills): If these were “which quarterback can I have as my team’s starter” rankings, then Allen would be at least a few spots lower. These are fantasy rankings, though. In fantasy, any quarterback who can use his legs will be relevant. Remember that magical Tim Tebow run? Fantasy championships were won on the back of that. Heck, Mitch Trubisky was a viable fantasy option for a bit in 2018. Josh Allen has a monster arm, but he has some accuracy issues, to say the least. Still, he is the locked-in starter in Buffalo and he will have plenty of opportunities. Allen finished twelfth in points per game last year and the team added Stefon Diggs in the offseason. If he takes even a modest step forward as a passer, Allen could be looking at a statline similar to something from Cam Newton’s prime. Sure, I don’t see 40 passing touchdowns ever happening. What I do see, though, is 500 rushing yards, a half dozen rushing touchdowns, and a team primed to win now that #9 on the list has finally left the division. Allen may provide a bumpier ride, but the ceiling is high.
11. Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers): Aaron Rodgers? Yes, Aaron Rodgers. Let’s start with the bad: Rodgers was the QB15 in points per game last season, he only had five 300-yard games, and he muddled through nine games with one or zero passing touchdowns. Rodgers also had his worst completion percentage in the last four years as well as his third straight season finishing below 30 touchdowns. So why do I like Rodgers? There are a few reasons. First, I know what Rodgers has been and he’s still young enough to bounce back. We saw Brady slump around age 36 before rebounding and dominating for another half-decade. I think Rodgers can easily do the same. Secondly, there is the motivation factor. What Rodgers most needed was talent at the wide receiver position. What he got, in order of draft selection, was a developmental quarterback, a thumping running back, a tight end, and a linebacker. Rodgers must see the writing on the walls, and I doubt he goes quietly into the night. I could honestly see him succeeding this year due to spite alone. We saw how Favre responded when Rodgers was taken. We saw how Brady responded when everyone said he was done. We saw how Manning responded when the Colts parted ways. I don’t think it’s a stretch to expect something similar from Rodgers in 2020.
12. Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions): Earlier, I asked about last year’s top-five quarterbacks in terms of points per game. We established who 1, 2, 3, and 5 were. Want to guess who number four was? That’s right: Matthew Stafford. In the half-season that he played, Stafford was on pace for 4,998 yards, 38 touchdowns, and 132 rushing yards. Stafford has put up big numbers before; in fact, 2018 was the only full season of his career without 4,000+ passing yards. While I think Stafford is a decent passer, the real draw here is the bevy of weapons at his disposal; Kenny Golladay was a stud last year, and he should keep improving. Marvin Jones is a strong number two option. T.J. Hockenson should continue to improve at tight end in his second season. Then the rushing attack is headlined by Kerryon Johnson and D’Andre Swift. I love the potential of this offense, and I can see some big numbers if they protect Stafford. Just be aware that he hasn’t thrown 30 touchdowns in a season since 2015.
Tier 4: Face/Off
As we dive into tier 4, I think it’s important to keep something in mind: I had guys 7 through 21 relatively close in my books. I don’t break the tier after twelve to suggest that these guys are inferior. On the contrary, this is the range of guys I will likely be choosing from on draft day as I like to wait at quarterback. Each presents some type of upside and each could be a league winner if everything goes their way. That being said, they all have some scars as well. Without further ado, here is tier four.
13. Carson Wentz (Philadelphia Eagles): If Carson Wentz had no career injuries, he would probably be considered one of the best quarterbacks in the league. He made a strong case for the MVP in 2017 before missing the last 3 weeks. He has led his team to the playoffs twice in his first four seasons and watched as backup Nick Foles won the Super Bowl after Wentz spotted him an 11-2 record. Imagine if Wentz had an MVP and a Super Bowl MVP right now. Unfortunately, injuries do exist. Not only do they exist for Wentz, but also his supporting cast. Philadelphia lost so many receivers last year that they didn’t have a 500-yard wide receiver. That’s pretty amazing. Sure, Wentz has a pair of excellent tight ends in Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert. He also has a nice pass catcher in the backfield in Miles Sanders. Still, the lack of premiere options at wide receiver holds Wentz back from what could be his full potential. Like Deshaun Watson, he is limited by an ugly situation. Still, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Wentz put together a nice season.
14. Baker Mayfield (Cleveland Browns): Baker Mayfield was bad last year. He posted 3,827 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 21 interceptions while he saw drops in completion percentage and touchdown rate to go along with spikes in interception rate and sack rate. The whole offense looked like a mess in 2019, so I am going to grant a bit of a free pass here. Remember how high we all were on Baker heading into 2019? In his last eight games of 2018, he was pacing out to 4,500 passing yards and 38 touchdowns. Where does the truth lie? When players are young, I tend to buy into their ceilings rather than their floors–as long as they have shown something. It helps that Cleveland is loaded with weapons: OBJ, Jarvis Landry, Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, Austin Hooper, and David Njoku. Mayfield will have all the tools necessary to succeed assuming he can cut down on mistakes. I have faith in him, and I’m betting on Baker in 2020. He is the quarterback I expect to most own in this range.
15. Cam Newton (New England Patriots): Cam Newton was a tough one for me to rank, and I think he has one of the widest ranges of outcomes for 2020. At his best, he threw for 4,000 yards in 2011 and 35 touchdowns during his 2015 MVP campaign. At his worst, he averages a sub-60% completion percentage and has only thrown 25 touchdowns once in his career. What keeps bringing people back are the rushing yards. Newton averages 600 rushing yards per season. It’s not a stretch to think Bill Belichick will try to use this as a key part of the Patriots new-look attack. The optimist will see piles of rushing yards, a better coaching staff, and the chance for Newton to step back into his old MVP form. The pessimist will cite the injuries piling up, the Panthers breaking up with Newton, and the lack of weapons as reasons he flops. I think Newton is worth a shot as long as the price stays cheap. Just don’t call him a sure thing.
16. Jared Goff (Los Angeles Rams): Jared Goff seems to get no love from the experts. I’m not saying he’s great, but he has put up some big numbers in his first four seasons. Goff has averaged better than 4,300 yards and 27 touchdowns over the last three seasons, including last year as his offensive line collapsed around him. Let’s also not forget how much we all thought Sean McVay was a mega-genius just a year ago. If the Rams can fix some of their problems on offense, I see Goff slotting right back into the 4,500 yards and 25-35 touchdown range. Remember that after a bumpy start, Goff averaged 329 yards and 2.2 touchdowns in his last five games. If you still believe in the McVay magic, Goff is worth a good look.
17. Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers): When we last saw Big Ben play a full season, he put up 5,100 yards and 34 touchdowns. He looked like a beast. Well, jump forward to 2020 and Antonio Brown is gone. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say Brown made Ben’s life a lot easier, and it’s hard to say that things will go as smoothly without him in 2020. Roethlisberger is now 38, and it’s hard to imagine him aging gracefully like Brady and Brees have; He has just taken too many career hits. That being said, there are some nice weapons here if Ben is feeling right. Between Juju Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson, and James Washington, the receiving corps isn’t lacking in weapons. I like Ben as a streaming option in 2020, and there is always the chance you can hold him if we start to see a repeat of 2018.
18. Teddy Bridgewater (Carolina Panthers): Long ago (2015), I looked at Teddy Bridgewater and wondered what he could accomplish in his pro career. What followed was a terrible preseason injury that nearly required the amputation of his leg. Well thankfully, Bridgewater kept his leg and eventually made it back to a starting role in place of an injured Drew Brees last season. In his five starts, Bridgewater was on pace for 4,400 yards, almost 29 touchdowns, and only 6 interceptions. Sure, I don’t expect that to hold up over a full 16 games. However, I think we are, in general, too low on Bridgewater. If you don’t believe in his talent, let’s look at the weapons Carolina boasts: D.J. Moore, Curtis Samuel, and Robby Anderson at wide receiver, some dude named Christian McCaffrey at running back, and tight end Ian Thomas. If Samuel or Anderson can take on a significant role, this group could challenge as one of the most talented offenses in the league. I love Bridgewater as a cheap flyer and a streamer depending on the matchup.
19. Daniel Jones (New York Giants): The Giants were ugly last season. In Daniel Jones’ first year, he went 3-9 as a starter and the team limped to a 4-12 finish. Still, he flashed some ability with his legs. Jones proved to be a capable runner, finishing with 279 yards in only 12 games. So why is Jones not higher? To be honest, I didn’t like what I saw from him as a passer last year. I know some are already sold, but Jones seemed like just a guy in 2019, and I don’t expect some huge breakout in 2020. I also expect Jones’ TD% to drop as well, given that he was in the range of Tom Brady’s and Drew Brees’ career numbers last year. Lastly, I will blame the weapons. Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton have both shown ability at times, but I don’t think either is a number one. This team could really shine if it had someone like Odell Beckham as the top option. Maybe I’m wrong on Jones, but there are other guys I’d rather take the shot on this year.
20. Ryan Tannehill (Tennessee Titans): Ryan Tannehill has, by record at least, been an average quarterback through his seven-year career. Last year was the best season of his career, thanks largely to Derrick Henry and A.J. Brown. Henry was a beast at the end of the year with a monstrous finish, including a knock-out punch of the seemingly-unstoppable Ravens. A.J. Brown was a magician after the catch, running free through every defense that tried to stop him. The downside, here, is that there isn’t much behind the big two in Tennessee. I imagine the Titans still want to be run-heavy, and I don’t see Tannehill being asked to air it out much. This tells me to expect a cap on air yards. I think many will ride the high and expect last-year’s Tannehill to be the new norm. I think he is solid, but not quite that good.
21. Gardner Minshew (Jacksonville Jaguars): Gardner Minshew took the media by storm last year, throwing multiple touchdowns in four of his first five games to go along with a nice rushing upside. Minshew slowed down towards the end of the year, failing to average 200 passing yards per game over his last five contests. Minshew, like Daniel Jones, will be another QB who thrives or fails based on what his legs offer. Unfortunately for Minshew, I think Jacksonville has their eyes on a high pick. I think they want Trevor Lawrence, and they are ready to fail for a year to get him. What this means for Minshew is that I don’t expect him to be in a position to succeed. The weapons aren’t impressive (outside of DJ Chark) and the Jaguars could be worse than last year. All this being said, there is still that rushing upside.
Tier 5: Ghost Rider
Like our movie, this tier doesn’t inspire much excitement. Still, some defend it. It was our only chance to see Nicolas Cage as a demonic skeleton. It also gifted us the line “it feels like my skull is on fire, but I’m good.” Whether you love or hate these quarterbacks, they should be free (or close to it) in drafts this year. They are definitely not worth a premium pick.
22. Philip Rivers (Indianapolis Colts): Philip Rivers has started every game since the start of 2006. He has six 30+ touchdown seasons to go along with five 4,500+ yard campaigns. Since 2006, he has averaged 4,200 yards per season. That’s pretty impressive by any standards. In 2020, Rivers will play his first season away from the Chargers. What do I expect? The offensive line should be better. Indianapolis is a quarterbacks dream O-line. The weapons, on the other hand, are a downgrade. Austin Ekeler, Hunter Henry, and Keenan Allen have no counterparts on the Colts roster. For this reason, Rivers is probably usable in 2020. Just don’t expect any blow-up weeks.
23. Drew Lock (Denver Broncos): Drew Lock started only five games last year, but he finished 4-1 while totaling 1020 passing yards, seven touchdowns, and 72 rushing yards. Lock enters his sophomore season, and many are hoping for a big leap. I’m not expecting it, but I love the weapons here. The receiving corps is headlined by Courtland Sutton and rookie Jerry Jeudy. Noah Fant is entering his second year at tight end, and the backfield is loaded: Melvin Gordon, Phillip Lindsay, and Royce Freeman. If you believe in Lock, go get him. I still need to see more proof before I jump on board the hype train.
25. Tyrod Taylor (Los Angeles Chargers): I could have easily put Justin Herbert here, but I don’t think he’s as close to ready as Burrow and Tagovailoa are. I think this job is truly Taylor’s as long as the team is looking good. So what can Tyrod do? He hasn’t started 3+ games in a season since 2017, so we have to go back a bit. What we find are modest passing numbers but some excellent rushing stats. In three seasons as the starter in Buffalo, Taylor averaged close to 3000 passing yards and 500 rushing yards each season. This was also in Buffalo, with weapons that don’t quite match up to what the Chargers boast. I see some sneaky upside here if Taylor is still the same player, and I would be happy to roll with him in bye week situations.
24. Jimmy Garoppolo (San Francisco 49ers): There was a time when Jimmy Garoppolo represented sleeper potential. There was a time I loved his weapons as well. Long gone are those days. During the offseason, Garoppolo lost his top three wide receivers (Deebo Samuel to a foot, Brandon Aiyuk to a hamstring, Jalen Hurd to an ACL) and suddenly there isn’t much beyond George Kittle. Things would be different if Jimmy G had a long history of success. What he has, though, is one good season to his name. Given the lack of weapons and Garoppolo’s own health issues, I don’t see much reason to use the Niners’ quarterback in 2020.
26. Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals): Maybe it’s a copout placing the rookie quarterbacks next to each other, but here we are. I have never claimed to be a scout, so I won’t act like I can predict the trajectory of either guy. What I will talk about are the teams, the offseason, and anything else known. Jue Burrow was a dominant force in college football last year, leading the LSU Tigers to a National Championship. He looked the part, and he ended up the unanimous number one overall pick. The reward? A trip to the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals are projected to have one of the worst offensive lines in the league. Outside of Tyler Boyd, there isn’t another healthy, reliable, available weapon on the team. (A.J. Green and Tee Higgins are nursing hamstring injuries, John Ross was away from camp to deal with personal matters). Call me crazy, but I don’t see a formula for immediate success. Burrow will be fun to watch, but I am keeping expectations low until some of these issues are fixed.
27. Tua Tagovailoa (Miami Dolphins): I won’t be surprised if Tua doesn’t even start the season this year. Don’t forget that it was less than a year ago he had hip surgery, and now he faces a shortened offseason and the prospect of multiple of his receivers deciding to sit out the season. Call me crazy, but I am not rushing my franchise quarterback into the starting lineup this year. Tua offers great mobility and he should be a great option if/ when he becomes the starter. He has some nice weapons around him (DeVante Parker and Preston Williams). Unfortunately, like Burrow, he is expected to have an abysmal offensive line. Like I said with Joe, keep expectations low.
28. Derek Carr (Las Vegas Raiders): The Raiders were better than expected in 2019. I envisioned somewhere in the range of four to six wins, so a 7-9 finish wasn’t too bad. Derek Carr was startable, though unspectacular, in his 16 starts. Carr has proven, thus far, to be a game manager with little upside for more. From 2017-2019, he averaged worse than 21 touchdowns and 4000 yards per season to go along with virtually no rushing upside. The upside, then, is a major upgrade in weapons. Carr will be happy to see Henry Ruggs and Bryan Edwards join the depleted receiving corps. Still, I am not expecting much from Carr in 2020.
29. Kirk Cousins (Minnesota Vikings): Kirk Cousins had a nice four-year streak of 4k seasons going before last year’s 3600-yard outing. While the touchdown numbers stayed roughly the same, it was clear that Cousins would be more of a game manager. On that note, the team traded away Stefon Diggs in the offseason–one of two standout weapons in the receiving corps. Given that development, I can hardly expect Cousins to pass more, right? Cousins may offer upside in a contest here or there, but I will not be drafting him in any league in 2020. There just isn’t any ceiling here–unless you think Justin Jefferson just steps in and immediately redefines the WR position.
30. Nick Foles (Chicago Bears): Let’s check in on the Bears battle at quarterback. When asked about Mitch Trubisky, Head Coach Matt Nagy declined to say if his signal-caller had improved or not. That’s not a good sign. If you saw anything get better, you will happily puff your chest out. What about Nick Foles? So far, it sounds like the Bears have seen “Jacksonville Foles” rather than the highly-desired “Philly Foles.” Also, the much-maligned Trubisky is still expected to start week one. That’s a disaster. I have more hope with Foles because I’ve seen so much of what Trubisky is first hand. Foles still has a nice ceiling if he can connect with former coach Nagy, and there are some nice weapons here in Allen Robinson and Anthony Miller. Still, I expect the usual trainwreck for the Bears at the most important position. Of, how sweet those Cutler days were.
Tier 6: Wicker Man
And we finish up with the lowest of the low. I had one more Nicolas Cage movie to use, so thus one more tier. This tier represents a pair of quarterbacks that I can’t imagine using under any circumstance. For one, it’s his talent. For the other, it’s his situation. For both, expectations should be kept low.
31. Dwayne Haskins (Washington Football Team): Washington is not going to be a good football team in 2020. They have a poor offensive line, a porous secondary, and they just lost their starting running back. To make matters worse, I don’t think Dwayne Haskins is all that good at football. I was unimpressed with what I saw last year, and I expect more of the same in 2020. He took too many passes, didn’t look accurate as a passer, and just struggled overall. Luckily he had an excellent weapon in Terry McLaurin, but that’s not enough to keep this team afloat. Given Haskins’ propensity to take a sack and the bad offensive line, I see opposing defenses devouring this offense. Stay away from Haskins at all costs
32. Sam Darnold (New York Jets): Poor Sam Darnold. I actually liked some of what I saw from Darnold in 2018 despite a lousy team around him. What happened in 2019? It was beyond disaster. Darnold caught mono and missed a handful of games while sports fans poked fun at his plight. Darnold was then caught, miked up, saying that he was ‘seeing ghosts,’ or pass-rushers that weren’t there. I still haven’t hit the worst part yet, though. That would be Adam Gase. Gase is an AWFUL coach. Once the Jets signed him, one of his first moves was publicly lamenting the team’s recent signing of Le’Veon Bell. I could throw in the Denzel Mims injury, the departure of Robby Anderson, and the possible retirement of Quincy Enunwa due to injuries, but I think you get it at this point. Darnold is my least usable quarterback in 2020.
Photos courtesy of Icon Sportswire / Adapted by Justin Paradis (@freshmeatcomm on Twitter)