16. Malik Willis, Green Bay Packers
Is Malik Willis... good? He's played very efficient football in Jordan Love's absence. While Love is probably returning very soon, Willis deserves a lot of credit for what he's been able to do. All of a sudden, the Green Bay Packers are 2-1 and riding high.
15. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Dak Prescott has bee OK for the Dallas Cowboys in 2024. He's far from the issue. The team has no viable RB, no viable WR2, and a flat-out horrific run defense. That's a recipe to lose more games than win in 2024. Prescott became the first $60 million per year QB in NFL history, but outside of that, the Cowboys don't have much else going for them and feel like an average team.
14. CJ Stroud, Houston Texans
CJ Stroud and the Houson Texans got blown out in Week 3 at Minnesota. While I am still sticking with the Texans as my Super Bowl pick and Stroud as my MVP, this was not a great game for Houston, but they're just too good and too well-coached to not figure it out in Weeks 4 and beyond.
13. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Lamar Jackson and the Ravens risked starting 0-3, but they really took it to the Cowboys. Jackson has been fine. At this point, we know what to expect from the two-time MVP. The Ravens didn't do him any favors this offseason, as two starting linemen from 2023 in John Simpson and Morgan Moses are both contributing to a very strong New York Jets' offensive line.
12. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert entered the league in 2020 as a B+ quarterback and is still a B+ quarterback into year five. I am not sure if the Los Angeles Chargers are going to win anything of note with Herbert under center. Without telling me he's big and has a huge arm, what does he do particularly well that would separate him from most of his peers?
11. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
Is Jayden Daniels already the best QB in the NFC East? He legitimately might be. The Washington Commanders are 2-1 and Daniels has not thrown an interception through three games. They could end up being this year's unexpected breakout team, kind of like the Houston Texans with their own rookie QB back in 2023. This team is fun.
10. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Since Week 11 of the 2023 NFL Season, Patrick Mahomes has thrown 15 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and has earned an 88 rating. He's clearly put the ball in harm's way a lot more over the last year or so than he has in previous seasons.
This is especially notable since his yards per attempt is not as high as it was in previous years of his career.
9. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Matthew Stafford is continually asked to make chicken salad out of chicken you-know-what. He's excellent even as he gets closer and closer to 40 years old. The Los Angeles Rams are horribly injured, but Stafford is still balling out.