Lamar Jackson – Wheelhouse Blog

Top 10 QBs

Below are our top 10 QBs in the NFL. I am not solely basing it off this year, but instead the last couple of years plus how I think they’ll perform moving forward.

1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

The gap between him and everyone else is not a big as it was entering this year. But, if you had to pick one guy, you’re picking Mahomes.

2. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

He’s one of the most gifted players in NFL history and he’s playing as well as he ever has.

3. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

He quietly is having his best season ever. The knock on him has always been his turnovers. This year he has 20 TDs and just 4 TOs.

4. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

Despite his teams record, he is putting up great numbers with 20 TDs to just 4 INTs.

5. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

Injuries have limited him, but he still is playing great football for the new look Chargers.

6. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

This guy simply balls out under the radar. The Lions might be the best team in football and he is a big reason why. He’s completing 74.9% of his passes and has 17 incompletions and 11 TDs his past 5 games.

7. CJ Stroud, Houston Texans

In just his 2nd year, he is already a franchise QB. He can lead this team on a great postseason run.

8. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

Hurts is supremely talented and I’m a big believer in what he can do in the air and on the ground.

9. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Baker loves to prove people wrong and he’s doing that with the Bucs. He’s a little bit of a gunslinger, but’s its works out more than it doesn’t.

10. Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons

He continues to be an underrated player and is still balling out at age 36.

Start of Season Top 10 QBs

Below are my top 10 QBs in the NFL. I am not solely basing it off last year, but instead the last couple of years plus how I think they’ll perform moving forward.

1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Do I even have to explain?

2. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

Allen is the modern day Brett Favre. He is an absurd athlete who routinely makes jaw dropping plays. He will also go rouge every now and then and make you ask yourself what the hell he is doing. His 173 total TDs the past 4 years make up for those mistakes.

3. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

Burrow had a tough year, first dealing with a nagging calf injury that hampered him the first 4 games, then going on IR after the 10th game of the year. During the 5.5 games he was healthy, he threw for 13 TDs and showed how good he is. The only thing that can slow him down is injuries.

4. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

Lamar balled out and won his 2nd league MVP last year. He is one of the most athletic players we’ve ever seen and can do things at QB that no one else in the league can. He needs to play better in the playoffs though.

5. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

Herbert is insanely talented, but has struggled to win. The lack of coaching and injuries around him in the past is reasonable enough to blame. However, with Jim Harbaugh now his coach, there are no more excuses. He needs to start winning games and making runs in the postseason.

6. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

Hurts is a special QB and a great duel threat. He had some up and down moments last year, but the season ended on a bad note. He will need to shake it off this year.

7. Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets

Last season did not go as he wanted it to, however, I am still a believer that this all-time great will come back with a splash this year.

8. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

Dak played great at times this year, but does not always bring it during big games. The uncertainty around the team could spell a tough year.

9. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

Lawrence struggled last year, especially when his team needed him down the stretch. He’ll need to work out some kinks this offseason to return to the player he was two years before. The $275 m over 5 years suggests the Jags still have 100% belief in him.

10. Brock Purdy, San Franciso 49ers

He is definitely aided by his coach and playmakers around him, but he still gets them the ball and plays great. My only concern is that he struggles to bring his team back if they get too far behind. The Aiyuk and Trent Williams situations could cause complications, but he still has weapons around him.

Post Draft Thoughts

So much success in the NFL is based on where you play, especially at quarterback. No matter how much talent you have, a terrible organization, coach, and team can derail a career. Now that we know where the top 6 QBs and a couple other top prospects are playing, below I predict how their careers will turn out.

Caleb Williams:

Going to Chicago has historically been where careers go to die for QBs. However, if one QB can buck that trend, it’s Williams. He is so talented and the fact that his pro comparisons are Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes tells you how good he is. Unlike with Justin Fields, the Bears have actually done a great job of surrounding him with amazing weapons and a solid Oline. How great he will be will come down to how well the coaching staff develops him. Regardless, the Bears history of never having a QB throw for 4,000 yards or 30 TDs will end soon.

I think he will be a really good to great QB in the NFL. He will make multiple Pro Bowls and help the Bears compete in a really tough division. My main apprehension with him is he seems like a diva type player. That’s fine with wide receivers like TO and OBJ, but when it comes to quarterback, that type of personality tends to not work out. Look at guys in the league who are star QBs: Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, etc. They are not controversial and outspoken personalities. They always say the right things and are tremendous leaders. I just get the vibe that Caleb will not be a great leader and might causes some issues off the field similar to Kyler Murray and Aaron Rodgers. Once again, I think he’ll be really good to great, but will definitely cause some headaches for the Bears.

Jayden Daniels:

It’s great to see another LSU QB have a massive progression, win the Heisman, and be a top pick in the draft. That shows how great his work ethic is. His athleticism is off the charts and he will be one of the most athletic QBs in the league right away. It’s also reassuring that Daniels put up the numbers he did while playing in the best conference in college. He will be able to make an immediate impact and having an OC like Kliff Kingsbury is also a plus.

My one apprehension with him is that he is not super well built. This is something that can be fixed, but with a terrible Oline and being a guy that runs so much, it could be an issue.

Overall, he has a pretty good group of weapons around him with Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson at WR and Austin Ekeler and Brian Robinson Jr at RB. I think he has an average to solid career as a starter, but is not anything special.

Drake Maye:

I have super high hopes for Maye. He was my favorite QB in this draft, so the fact the Pats got him at #3 is a steal in my opinion. He reminds me a lot of Andrew Luck and Justin Herbert in terms of his combination of size, athleticism, and arm talent. He will just have turned 22 at the start of next season and will have time to develop under Jacoby Brissett. He is extremely tough, is a great kid, and played well through some perseverance and tough situations last year.

The biggest question with Maye has nothing to do with him, but the Patriots. First off, they have the worst roster in the league, especially when it comes to Oline and WR. They drafted some wide receivers and offensive lineman after Maye, but they still need to surround him with weapons and guys who can block. Also, how will the coaches develop him? Jerrod Mayo is a defensive coach so it will mainly be the responsibility of Alex Van Pelt, who is relatively unproven.

I believe he will develop into the Patriots franchise quarterback. He has the tools to succeed in New England, with a big frame and big arm that will serve him well in the terrible Foxboro weather. He obviously won’t be Tom Brady, but I think he can be a better version of Drew Bledsoe. He should be a multiple time Pro Bowler and lead the Pats back to contention for years to come.

Michael Penix Jr:

Easily the biggest shocker of the draft. I was initially shocked by what they did, but the Falcons explaining why they did it helped me make more sense of it. I just don’t agree with their reasoning.

Penix is going to be 24 before the season starts and is maybe the most “pro-ready” QB prospect in the draft. But they drafted him to be the developmental, eventual starter. He should have some good weapons around him when he does start, but when will that be?

They owe Kirk Cousins a ton of money and realistically can’t get out of the contact until 2026 when Penix with be 26 himself. Cousins isn’t amazing but he’s a good enough starter who probably won’t play himself out of the position. With all the uncertainty and an odd situation, I think Penix doesn’t end up being a long-term starter in the league.

J.J. McCarthy:

I like McCarthy, but easily think he was the most overrated player this draft. Compared to the other 5 QBs taken, I think he easily was the worst prospect and was benefited by his team more than any of them. With that being said, he is going to basically the perfect situation. He has a really good offensive coach in Kevin O’Connell, the best WR in the league in Justin Jefferson, a top 3 TE in TJ Hockenson, one of the best young WRs in the league in Jordan Addison, and new RB Aaron Jones. They even have a good offensive line. Furthermore, McCarthy can develop behind Sam Darnold if needed.

I think McCarthy will have a career similar to the man he is replacing – Kirk Cousins. His situation is just too good to be a complete bust. I see him putting up solid numbers but not being a guy who can win his team big games and take them far in the playoffs.

Bo Nix:

Nix lands in a spot with a good head coach, but a team that really lacks weapons. He’s accurate and has a ton of experience, but I just don’t think he has that high of a ceiling. Sean Payton has also been very impatient and critical of his QB and team since taking over and I don’t think that’s a great situation for any rookie QB. I think Nix ends up playing a good bit as a rookie, but I don’t think his career will mount to much and he won’t be a long-term starter.

Marvin Harrison Jr.

I think he is the best player in this class and the most exciting by far. Getting to play for a good QB in Kyler is also huge for him. He’ll be a Day 1 starter and should be an absolute stud for years to come.

Brock Bowers:

I think Bowers fits into the Raiders mold well. The biggest question is who is gonna be the QB throwing him the ball and how good will they be. However, he’s so talented that he should make an immediate impact and he has other weapons around him so defenses can’t just key in on him. He should be a long-term starter and make a handful of Pro Bowls.

Other Quick Points

With 6 QBs taken in the first round and all these other amazing offensive players at marquee positions like WR and OT, I think this draft will go down in history as one of the best ever.

The fact that round 1 of the NFL draft had a higher average viewership than last year’s NBA finals once again shows why football is the king of sports in the US.

Xavier Worthy should be a great pick for Chiefs. He fits in so well with Mahomes and that offense. The Chiefs have rebuilt their WR corps into one of the better ones in the league in just one year, showing why they are the dynasty that they are.

It’s still so early, but the Bears – Panthers trade from last year might go down as the worst trade in NFL history. If Bryce Young ends up being a bust, while Caleb is a stud that’s bad enough. But on top of that, the Bears got one of the best WRs in the league, a starting tackle, a starting CB, and still have another 2nd round pick next year. This is something to keep an eye on.

End of Season Top 10 QBs

Below are my top 10 QBs in the NFL. I am not solely basing it off this year, but instead the last couple of years plus how I think they’ll perform moving forward.

1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Do I even have to explain?

2. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

3. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

4. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

Lamar balled out and won his 2nd league MVP this year. He is one of the most athletic players we’ve ever seen and can do things at QB that no one else in the league can. He needs to play better in the playoffs though.

5. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

6. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

Hurts is a special QB and a great duel threat. He had some up and down moments this year, but the season ended on a bad note. He will need to shake it off next year.

7. Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets

This season did not go as he wanted it to, however, I am still a believer that this all-time great will come back with a splash next year.

8. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

Dak played great at times this year, but does not always bring it during big games.

9. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

Lawrence struggled this year, especially when his team needed him down the stretch. He’ll need to work out some kinks this offseason to return to the player he was last year.

10. Brock Purdy, San Franciso 49ers

He is definitely aided by his coach and playmakers around him, but he still gets them the ball and plays great. My only concern is that he struggles to bring his team back if they get too far behind.

On the Bubble:

Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

He’s a solid starting QB, but is limited.

CJ Stroud, Houston Texans

Stroud established himself as one of the best young QBs in the league this year. Should he continue to develop, he could easily enter the top 10 next year.

Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings

Kirk’s absence shows the Vikings and the world how good he really is. He just doesn’t get it done in the playoffs.

Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins

He’s a very similar QB to Brock Purdy. I give Purdy the slight edge, because I trust him more in big games.

Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos

I still am a Russ believer. He played well this year despite the fact that he did not have that much talent around him. I think Sean Payton scapegoating him for all of Denver’s woes is laughable. He may not be at his peak anymore, but is still a good starting quarterback.

Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

He rebounded well this year and led a young team to the playoffs. I still think he’s slightly overrated.

Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals

Kyler has all the talent in the world and he played well in limited action this season. I’m excited to see him back to full strength next year for an entire season.

End of Regular Season Top 10 QBs

Below are my top 10 QBs in the NFL. I am not solely basing it off this year, but instead the last couple of years plus how I think they’ll perform in the postseason (if applicable) and next year.

1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

He had his worst season as a pro this year and still led his team to the AFC West title, won 11 games, and threw for 27 TDs. He would be the consensus pick if you were starting an NFL team right now and is dangerous in the postseason.

2. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

3. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

4. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

Lamar balled out and will be the league MVP this year. He is one of the most athletic players we’ve ever seen and can do things at QB that no one else in the league can. He needs to prove himself in the playoffs, but if he does, he will move up this list.

5. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

Herbert is insanely talented, but cannot win. I know he’s had horrible coaching his first 4 years, but the hope now is that he can get a coach who knows what they’re doing and starting winning big games. If that happens, the sky is the limit for him.

6. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

Hurts is a special QB and a great duel threat. He had some up and down moments this year, but a great postseason run will launch him up this list.

7. Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets

This season did not go as he wanted it to, however, I am still a believer that this all-time great will come back with a splash next year.

8. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

Dak played great at times this year, but does not always bring it during big games.

9. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

Lawrence struggled this year, especially when his team needed him down the stretch. He’ll need to work out some kinks this offseason to return to the player he was last year.

10. Brock Purdy, San Franciso 49ers

He is definitely aided by his coach and playmakers around him, but he still gets them the ball and plays great. My only concern is that he struggles to bring his team back if they get too far behind.

On the Bubble:

Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

He’s a solid starting QB, but is limited. We’ll see how he plays in the playoffs.

CJ Stroud, Houston Texans

Stroud established himself as one of the best young QBs in the league this year. Should he continue to develop, he could easily enter the top 10 next year.

Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings

Kirk’s absence shows the Vikings and the world how good he really is. He just doesn’t get it done in the playoffs.

Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins

He’s a very similar QB to Brock Purdy. I give Purdy the slight edge, because I trust him more in big games.

Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos

Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

He rebounded well this year and led a young team to the playoffs. I still think he’s slightly overrated.

Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals

Kyler has all the talent in the world and he played well in limited action this season. I’m excited to see him back to full strength next year for an entire season.

Week 17 Reaction

New England Patriots (4-12) @ Buffalo Bills (10-6)

The Bills won as most people expected, but I’m proud of how well the Pats fought. This whole season, they could’ve given up, but hung in there and have played tough as of late. The Pats defense has been amazing this year, the clear weakness is their offense and special teams.

The Bills now can beat the Dolphins next week and earn the division title AND the 2 seed. Everyone was panicking and saying how bad they were just a couple weeks ago, and now they are on track to be right where we thought they’d be at the beginning of this season. Regardless of where they end up, they’re a team no one wants to play in the post season.

Miami Dolphins (11-5) @ Baltimore Ravens (13-3)

Wow, just wow. The Ravens keep playing better each week, even against great competition. They continue to surpass expectations and now are the one seed in the AFC and Lamar is the easy NFL MVP. Lamar being a 2 time MVP is an insane accomplishment as he’s only 26. The big thing for him now is playing well in the playoffs, as he and the Ravens have disappointed in the postseason his whole career. The AFC is wide open and this is as good a chance as they have had to win the AFC.

The Dolphins continue to struggle vs good competition and on the road. If they lose next week and are a wild card team – meaning they most likely have to play on the road throughout the playoffs – they won’t make it very far.

Game/Betting Picks Results

Game: 2-0 (36-16 Overall)

Spread: 2-0 (37-14-1)

O/U: 2-0 (29-22-1)

Midseason Top 10 QBs

Below are my top 10 QBs right now. I am not solely basing it off this year, but instead both the last couple of years plus how I think they’ll perform the rest of this year. Only active QBs are included (i.e. Aaron Rodgers was not considered).

1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

He has not looked like his usual self, but is still playing good football. I expect him to only get better and kick it into full gear by the time the playoffs start.

2. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

Herbert has once again been great despite lackluster coaching. He will need to continue to play this way if the Chargers have a shot at making the playoffs.

3. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

Burrow was not healthy the first four games this year and it showed with just 2 TDs. The past 4 games, he has been healthy and showed why he is one of the best QBs in the league with 10 TDs.

4. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

Allen is the most physically gifted QB on this list and routinely makes jaw dropping plays. His one downside is he will throw awful interceptions from time to time that make you question his judgement.

5. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

Hurts has continued to show he is one of the best QBs in the league this season. His play the past 3 games has been spectacular, as he has put up 10 total TDs in that span and should continue to play this way for the remainder of the year.

6. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

Lamar has been playing his best football since his MVP season in 2019 and the Ravens are buzzing. If he stays healthy and the Ravens continue to win, he could win MVP again this year.

7. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

Lawrence and the Jags have looked shaky on offense at times this year. Despite that, his talent is evident and he should improve the remainder of the year.

8. Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos

A QB always bears some responsibility when his team is not playing well, but Russ is getting way too much hate. Everyone seems to just assume the Denver roster is filled with good players – it isn’t. Russ has played well despite everything going on around him. Talk of him being the main problem there is ridiculous.

9. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins

Tua is doing a great job of getting the ball to the speedsters around him and he and the Miami offense are putting up big numbers.

10. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

What a comeback story. Goff was cast aside by the Rams and just looked like a bridge QB for a rebuilding Lions team. Now he looks like a legitimate franchise QB again for a great Lions team.

On the Bubble:

Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

He still needs to be carried by a great team to be effective and has not been the main reason his team is winning.

CJ Stroud, Houston Texans

I did not expect Stroud to be this good, much less this soon. He is playing great football and has led a team that had 3 wins last year to 4 wins already. If he keeps this up he, will crack the top 10 by end of year.

NFL Week 2 Reaction

Baltimore Ravens @ Cincinnati Bengals

I still won’t hit the panic button on the Bengals. The Bengals started off 0-2 last year and almost made the Super Bowl. If Burrow is injured and/or they play bad next weekend then it’s time to panic.

The Bengals offense is so flat right now and they aren’t doing a good job involving their stars. They played better at the end of the game and need to keep that momentum going next week.

Kansas City Chiefs @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Chris Jones showed just how important he is to the Chiefs. They held a great offense to nine points and he was the best player on defense by a mile. The offense will get it together and if the defense can continue to play like this, the Chiefs have nothing to worry about.

The Jags are a great team. They could’ve won that game, but did not execute well in the red zone. The Jags aren’t a team the Chiefs will want to have to play come the playoffs.

Miami Dolphins @ New England Patriots

Those Patriots red uniforms are the best in sports and absolutely pop.

This was the second straight game where the Pats lost by inches. That’s sports but it’s still tough to swallow.

The Pats throw too many screens. They’re skill players aren’t good enough to make people miss and get big gains. They need to air it out more.

All things told, the Pats defense played well against one of the best offenses in football. Christian Gonzalez is special and helped lock up Tyreek Hill. He reminds me a lot of Richard Sherman with his size and tackling ability. He is one of the only young players on the Pats who has serious potential.

That blocked field goal by the Pats was genius. Never thought I’d see a guy go in motion on a field goal block, but I bet other teams will copy that.

Overall

Picks: 1-2 (7-7 Overall)

Spread: 1-2 (9-5)

O/U: 3-0 (6-7-1)

Top 10 QBs in the NFL

Below are my top 10 QBs for this year. I am not solely basing it off last year, but instead both the last couple of years plus how I think they’ll perform this year. I will update again at midseason.

1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

No explanation needed.

2. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

Herbert’s size, arm, and athleticism have led to him to have the most passing yards and 2nd most passing TDs by a QB in their first 3 seasons. Poor coaching and injuries to teammates have affected him, but the postseason wins will start to come.

3. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

Burrow has proven to us since college he is a gamer and a winner. His spectacular play will keep the Bengals contenders for years to come.

4. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

The most physically gifted QB I have ever seen. I worry all the hits will pile up, but for now he is dominant and fun to watch.

5. Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets

An all-time great QB who still has a lot to prove. The 4-time MVP is still good enough to add a 2nd ring to his legendary resume.

6. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

He jumped onto the scene as an MVP candidate last year. Will he be able to continue to build on his great play?

7. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

One of the highest rated QB prospects ever showed us how good he was last year. Like Hurts, it’s now about building on that and getting even better.

8. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

Lamar has proven he is the most athletic QB ever and can rack up the regular season wins. He now needs to stay healthy and start having more postseason success.

9. Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos

I absolutely do not think his best days are behind him. With new coach Sean Payton, he may show he’s still a Top 5 QB this year.

10. Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns

He was rusty last year, but with an entire offseason to continue improving, I think we see the Houston Deshaun who was a borderline Top 5 QB.

On the Bubble:

Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

Dak needs so much help around him to be great and consistently does not lead his team deep in the playoffs.

Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings

Kirk puts up big numbers, but does not get it done in the playoffs.

Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals

Super talented QB, but there are big questions about his durability and leadership

Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

He is now in a situation similar to his Detroit days (albeit with a better coach). He wasn’t a top 10 QB then, and still is not now.