NFL Quarterback Power Rankings 2020: Patrick Mahomes is head of the class
By Samuel Teets
After the 2020 NFL Draft and the first round of free agency, several new starters hold spots in the most recent quarterback power rankings.
The 2020 NFL offseason altered the quarterback power rankings dramatically by sending multiple veterans to new teams and introducing a crop of rookie quarterbacks who will win starting jobs by the end of the regular season. Even established veterans could lose their spots to rookies, which will drastically alter future quarterback power rankings.
The best 32 quarterbacks in the NFL aren’t starting. Instead, some members of the top 32 are preparing for seasons as backups, while others remain unsigned. Specifically, Andy Dalton, Cam Newton and Jameis Winston are all better than the bottom eight to ten starting quarterbacks in the league right now.
However, this power ranking is only concerned with the projected starters for each team in Week 1, which means unsigned players like Newton and rookies like Justin Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa won’t appear. Even if the rookies take over as starters by Week 4 or 5, they don’t qualify for this article. Only one rookie, Joe Burrow, is projected as a starter in Week 1.
I assembled the current quarterback power rankings under the assumption that all projected starters will be healthy and ready to play in Week 1. That primarily relates to Ben Roethlisberger, who is still rehabbing from season-ending elbow surgery.
This article ranks quarterbacks mostly based on their individual skill, but it does incorporate analysis of the player’s supporting cast as it relates to the player’s future performances. For instance, Tom Brady benefits from playing alongside a cast of Pro Bowlers while Dwayne Haskins suffers from a lack of viable weapons.
As the offseason rolls on, the quarterback power rankings will undoubtedly change, but this is how the 32 projected starting quarterbacks rank heading into the second part of the offseason.