4. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Lamar Jackson is arguably the NFL's biggest cheat code when he's fully healthy. That's a caveat we've had to add to so many of these blurbs, but it's because last season included so many star quarterbacks dealing with regression due to injuries.
Jackson threw for over 4,000 yards for the first time in his NFL career in the 2024 season when he also had 41 touchdown passes and 915 rushing yards on top of it. This is the best dual-threat quarterback in the history of the NFL.
And because of that, he has to be respected as such going into his age-29 season. Have we seen the best of Jackson yet? Is he going to be able to be as heavily utilized as a runner if injuries continue to be an issue?
What we're looking for from Jackson, just like we're looking for from a lot of guys on this list, is production in the postseason. That's really all that's missing from him to cement his legacy at this point.
3. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
Nobody is going to unanimously agree with any quarterback ranking list, no matter how strong your convictions or arguments are for listing players a certain way.
With that being said, putting Jordan Love in the 3rd overall spot might be my most controversial take at this point. Some will agree, some will think this is ridiculous. I think Jordan Love is on the fast-track to an MVP in the near future, and it could be as early as this season.
Love's progression through the last handful of years has been a lot of fun to watch. His QBR last season of 72.7 was the highest he has had as a starter in the NFL. He is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL at operating the offense with efficiency while also offering that dynamic playmaker who can play off-script.
When it comes to arm talent, accuracy to all levels of the field, and making few mistakes, Love might even be one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the game.
2. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
The reigning league MVP comes in at #2 on this preseason quarterback rankings list. Stafford plays the game at a different speed than everyone else.
As he's gotten older, Stafford has clearly not lost anything with his arm talenet, but he is processing defenses and what they're throwing at him like the grizzled veteran that he is. When you combine those two things, you get what we saw last season, which was an MVP season.
On top of his own abilities, Stafford has an exceptional duo of receivers in Davante Adams and Puka Nacua, a great running game, and one of the best head coaches in the entire NFL. There isn't a throw he can't make. He is still one of the truly elite in the NFL with ball placement, and the way his receivers make plays for him to reward that elite ball placement is one of the prettiest things to watch as a football fan.
1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
There is really no amount of hyperbole that will do justice for what we have right now in Josh Allen. Here's a flaming hot take: I think he's the NFL's version of LeBron James before James won his first NBA title. Depending on your thoughts of LeBron James as a player, that may come across as a huge diss, but it's meant to be a compliment.
There's a level of physical ability with Josh Allen that is just so rare for the position. He's so big, he's so fast, he's so tough, and every tool he has in his toolbox is in the elite category. There's nothing he doesn't have at this point other than the playoff success people have come to expect of him.
That's really where the discussion lands with Allen at this point. We expect MVP-caliber numbers out of him. We expect him to be the biggest reason why the Bills win most of their games. Now, he just needs the hardware to back it all up.
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