22. Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons
It suddenly feels like Michael Penix Jr. and the Atlanta Falcons are a team to pay attention to. They have a primetime showdown against Baltimore in Week 5. With Jackson not playing, I would feel comfortable predicting a Falcons win, especially with how good Penix and the offense has looked thus far.
Penix has eclipsed a 100 passer rating in his two starts this year. He’s completed over 70 percent of his passes in both games, and the Falcons ended up scoring 35 and 45 points in their Penix-led outings this year.
If this keeps up, the Falcons could very well find themselves winning the NFC South, and Penix could find himself getting the 2027 season to prove that he is a franchise QB. This should end up being a Falcons win given the circumstances.
21. Geno Smith, New York Jets
Geno Smith and the New York Jets are now 2-3 on the season after a really interesting win over Cleveland in Week 5. Smith didn’t do anything special through the air. He went 17/30 for 182 yards and one touchdown. Braelon Allen added 116 yards on the ground, which was huge for this offense.
I guess when the personnel situation isn’t a disaster around him, Smith can be a fine QB, but he’s definitely not quite the QB he was during those 2022 and 2023 seasons with Seattle. If nothing else, the Jets are 2-3 through five games and do not appear to be nearly as bad as they were last year, but when the Jets made a move for Smith, it was obvious from the start that he was a short-term option.
With a trio of first-round picks in the 2027 NFL Draft, you can expect the Jets front office to make a major move for a QB then.
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