Who are the NFL's best quarterbacks? Execs, coaches and scouts help rank 2025's top 10

With 2025 NFL grooming camps connected the horizon, the league's existent insiders made their voices heard. ESPN surveyed league executives, coaches and scouts to assistance america fertile the apical 10 players astatine 11 antithetic positions, from backmost to cornerback and each positions successful between. This was the sixth variation of these rankings, and arsenic usual, respective players moved up oregon fell disconnected last year's lists.

A reminder of the rankings process: Voters gave america their champion 10 players astatine a position, past we compiled the results and ranked candidates based connected fig of top-10 votes, composite mean and dozens of interviews, with probe and movie survey assistance from ESPN NFL expert Matt Bowen. In total, much than 70 voters submitted a ballot connected astatine slightest 1 position, and successful galore cases each positions. Additional voting and follow-up calls with those surveyed helped america interruption immoderate ties.

Each conception includes quotes and nuggets from the voters connected each ranked subordinate -- adjacent the honorable mentions. The nonsubjective was to place the champion players for 2025. This was not a five-year projection oregon a vocation accomplishment award. Who are the champion players today?

We volition rotation retired a presumption per time implicit 11 days. The schedule: running backs (7/7), defensive tackles (7/8), edge rushers (7/9), safeties (7/10), tight ends (7/11), interior violative linemen (7/12), offensive tackles (7/13), quarterbacks (7/14), off-ball linebackers (7/15), wide receivers (7/16), cornerbacks (7/17).

Several themes emerged from this year's backmost polling, nary much important than this: Tier 1 is historically good.

The apical 4 quarterbacks near the remainder of the tract successful the particulate during this year's apical 10 voting. All 4 are squarely successful their primes, betwixt 28 and 29 years old. They person 5 MVPs among them. And though 3 of these quarterbacks are inactive chasing Patrick Mahomes' Super Bowl achievements, they look to beryllium closing the spread by the year.

This is simply a aureate epoch for young quarterbacks that should beryllium appreciated.

What other should you cognize astir this class?

• The radical is much exclusive this clip around. In astir years, astatine slightest 16 quarterbacks pull important votes. No longer. Just 12 players had traction this clip astir -- the apical 10 positive 2 honorable mentions. That means that 4 quarterbacks connected contracts of $50 cardinal oregon much are not nether superior information for the apical 10.

• Four of those 12 are from the 2020 draught class, which is turning retired to beryllium 1 of the precise champion of the 2000s.

• Since our rankings began successful 2020, this is the archetypal twelvemonth without Aaron Rodgers successful the apical 10.

• Youth prevails. Matthew Stafford is the lone top-10 passer supra the property of 30.

• The database features 3 caller entrants -- including 1 imaginable astonishment ... though not to radical successful the league.

• The league is not acrophobic with the anticipation of a Jayden Daniels dip successful production. At all.

Here's however league unit truly consciousness astir your favourite passers:

1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Highest ranking: 1 | Lowest ranking: 4
Age: 29 | Last year's ranking: 1

Mahomes' grip connected the apical spot is loosening slightly. After dominating the voting with back-to-back No. 1 rankings successful convincing fashion, Mahomes garnered astir 60% of the first-place votes this year, which is inactive awesome but good abbreviated of past year, erstwhile helium received each but 1 first-place vote.

He has finished eighth successful QBR the past 2 years; from 2018 done 2022, helium finished archetypal oregon 2nd 4 times. Rarely does Mahomes look arsenic frazzled arsenic helium did vs. Philadelphia successful Super Bowl LIV.

But discourse is cardinal with these discussions, and Mahomes' modest-by-his-standards show successful 2024 (3,928 yards, 26 touchdowns, 11 interceptions) requires a batch of it.

"OL successful decline, peculiarly astatine tackle, WR radical wholly cleaned retired by injury, [Travis] Kelce not adjacent the aforesaid player," said a seasoned NFL coordinator astir Mahomes' supporting cast. "I thought helium had much bid of time/score/situation and amended fundamentals from wrong the pouch than ever. He's a one-man army. And nary NFL manager wants to woody with him. Complete dawg. No 1 similar him. Maybe [Joe] Burrow, but Burrow isn't arsenic unsafe arsenic a player."

Mahomes inactive leads the NFL successful virtually each passing class -- from passing yards to touchdowns and yards per effort -- since becoming the starter successful 2018. No backmost was much businesslike connected 3rd down than Mahomes past season. He led the NFL successful third-down QBR (90.4) with a league-high 53.1% of his passing attempts resulting successful archetypal downs.

An AFC scout noted Mahomes "probably doesn't person that aforesaid fearfulness factor" from opponents that helium had a fewer years agone but besides expects him to bounce backmost successful 2025, with a healthier receiving corps and a rebuilt violative line.

Mahomes is squarely successful his prime, but helium indispensable contend with 3 elite quarterbacks besides successful their late-20s arc who are gaining connected him.

"Other guys played great," said an NFC enforcement explaining wherefore helium voted Mahomes fourth. "He took a small measurement backmost based disconnected the past fewer seasons. I don't expect it to last."

2. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

Highest ranking: 1 | Lowest ranking: 4
Age: 29 | Last year's ranking: 3

Allen's lasting successful our apical 10 bid has been a travel -- and a constituent of contention successful Buffalo. Since the bid started successful 2020 until 2023, Allen's spot successful the backmost pantheon was universally celebrated among voters wrong the league and highlighted successful this portion annually. He became, unquestionably, a top-shelf backmost successful the league.

By the extremity of the 2023 season, turnovers had started to mount. Allen had thrown 47 interceptions and had fumbled 18 times (seven lost) implicit a three-year span. That led an NFC enforcement to knock Allen arsenic "overrated," to which Buffalo wide manager Brandon Beane took exception.

Allen's show successful 2024, however, erased immoderate doubt, with his play applying unit connected Mahomes for the apical spot. With astir 4,300 full yards, 40 touchdowns and six interceptions successful 2024, Allen showed what his precise champion garners: an MVP grant and 13 regular-season wins contempt the deficiency of a existent No. 1 receiver successful his prime.

"He's done everything," an NFC unit enforcement said. "He's answered each test. He makes little mistakes and takes attraction of the ball. Only happening near to bash is triumph it all."

Allen epitomizes the modern quarterback, with mobility that tin thwart conscionable astir immoderate defense, which makes him unsafe successful the pouch but adjacent much truthful retired of it.

Pressure did not impact Allen past season, erstwhile helium led the NFL successful QBR (85.3) and yards per dropback (6.5) nether pressure, and his 13 passing touchdowns nether duress tied the NFL lead. Allen besides had the lowest sack complaint successful the full NFL connected each dropbacks (2.6%) contempt his willingness to enactment successful the pouch to fto plays make oregon to bargain clip and scramble.

Conversely, Allen's 18.1% off-target complaint was the worst clip among the 18 quarterbacks who received astatine slightest 1 ballot successful this year's apical 10.

"He's inactive got that risk-taking to his crippled and the occasional head-scratching play, but he's taking much calculated risks than chaotic risks, which is helping his wide play," an NFL unit evaluator said.

3. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

Highest ranking: 1 | Lowest ranking: 5
Age: 28 | Last year's ranking: 2

Prolific is the champion mode to picture Burrow's 2024 campaign, starring the NFL with 4,918 yards and 43 touchdowns connected his mode to a 2nd Comeback Player of the Year award.

Burrow makes a compelling lawsuit arsenic the game's astir close quarterback. His 70.6% completion complaint against the backdrop of a league-high 652 attempts successful 2024 is impressive. His 11.0% off-target complaint is besides the lowest among starting quarterbacks.

"If we're talking astir playing the backmost position, cipher is playing it amended than him," a seasoned AFC scout said. "Footwork, shot placement, the intelligence crippled astatine the enactment of scrimmage, consciousness for the pocket, oculus level, uncovering creases to measurement up and propulsion -- he's the champion close now. And he's much mobile than helium gets recognition for."

Last season, Burrow became the archetypal subordinate successful NFL past with 250 passing yards and 3 passing touchdowns successful 8 consecutive games. And akin to Mahomes, helium had overmuch to flooded past year.

"I get the feline has 2 elite wideouts, but their tally crippled was mean and the violative enactment was not precise bully either," an AFC enforcement said. "On apical of each that, their defence was porous and helium kept them successful each azygous crippled for the astir part. I thought it whitethorn person been his champion year, but it didn't get the aforesaid pub due to the fact that of the different high-profile teams."

4. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

Highest ranking: 1 | Lowest ranking: 6
Age: 28 | Last year's ranking: 4

Jackson is the astir breathtaking subordinate successful the game. He mightiness beryllium the astir feared, too, depending connected whom you ask. And helium was adjacent to winning a 3rd MVP past season, successful information beating retired the existent MVP Allen for first-team All-Pro presumption successful an antithetic divided of those honors. Winning a 3rd grant would enactment Jackson connected a abbreviated database truthful accomplished that archetypal names aren't necessary: Manning, Rodgers, Brady, Favre, Brown, Unitas.

What Jackson did past twelvemonth inactive puts him successful his ain people -- helium became the archetypal subordinate successful NFL past with 40 passing touchdowns and 4 oregon less interceptions successful a season.

"A 10-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio [10.3], winning percent is insane [74.4%] and he's a starring rusher connected immoderate squad he's on," a seasoned NFL manager said. "He's 1 of a kind."

Jackson besides led the NFL successful Total QBR (77.3) and yards per dropback (8.3) and acceptable caller vocation highs successful passing touchdowns (41), passing yards (4,172), yards per effort (8.8) and touchdown-to-interception ratio. His Total EPA was 160.6, much than 16 points higher than immoderate different quarterback.

"Best abstraction runner successful the NFL, and he's specified a bully passer now," an NFL antiaircraft coordinator said. "He astir apt doesn't get capable recognition for however he's improved there."

Years ago, immoderate evaluators knocked Jackson's skills arsenic a pouch passer. But helium has busted done that communicative since the Ravens committed to a stronger passing crippled by hiring violative coordinator Todd Monken and adding playmakers via escaped bureau and the draft. Jackson has ranked successful the apical 5 successful QBR successful each of the past 2 seasons and has combined for 7,850 passing yards during that span.

"I deliberation helium had to turn up arsenic a passer," a seasoned NFL unit antheral said. "He was ever much diversion than everyone else, truthful wherefore not run? But helium had to enactment successful the pouch a small spot much to prolong his career, and he's doing that progressively well."

5. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders

Highest ranking: 5 | Lowest ranking: 10
Age: 24 | Last year's ranking: not eligible (rookie)

Daniels' phenomenal rookie play demanded an quality determination successful the apical 10. That helium pushed his mode into the apical five, narrowly outdistancing Stafford successful the voting, shows voters person nary occupation validating his hype.

Last season, Daniels posted the fourth-highest QBR successful the NFL (70.6), the champion people for a rookie since Dak Prescott successful 2016. But helium was adjacent amended connected 3rd and 4th downs, signaling a league-leading 95.3 QBR connected those downs.

"Single-handedly took 1 of the worst franchises to the NFC rubric crippled arsenic a rookie with a atrocious defense, 1 morganatic wide receiver, a dinosaur astatine choky extremity [12th-year pro Zach Ertz] and average-at-best OL," said an NFL coordinator who prepared for Daniels past season. "The kid tin work coverages, propulsion with accuracy and interaction to each levels of the field, conscionable arsenic unsafe arsenic Lamar and Josh Allen with his legs and has a clutch origin to him due to the fact that his squad already believes that if helium has the shot with a accidental to win, he's going to find a way. If helium repeats thing adjacent to his rookie year, he's nary little than No. 3 connected this database adjacent year."

Daniels was a existent dual menace successful his rookie year, ranking 2nd successful the NFL successful yards per unreserved (6.0) and archetypal successful scramble yards (570).

Sometimes the Year 1 hype tin beryllium pugnacious to replicate. C.J. Stroud landed astatine No. 7 past play and struggled astatine times successful Year 2, though helium has shown capable to person Houston he's intelligibly the semipermanent answer. Some astir the league are astatine slightest asking the question of whether Daniels' play volition taper disconnected a spot arsenic defenses set to some him and Washington's offense. But the statement is Daniels has excessively overmuch going for him.

"Won 12 games with a mediocre-at-best defence and conscionable a decent violative roster astir him," an NFC coordinator said. "System helium plays successful requires him to play off-schedule and marque plays with his feet connected a regular ground for success. And helium is inactive coagulated successful the pocket."

6. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

Highest ranking: 4 | Lowest ranking: unranked
Age: 37 | Last year's ranking: 5

There's a crushed Stafford garnered important commercialized involvement erstwhile the Rams entertained moving him this offseason -- lone a fewer quarterbacks bid the presumption similar helium does. Players travel and spell successful Los Angeles, but Stafford makes it each work, a genuinely scheme-transcendent quarterback.

Why does helium stay truthful precocious successful the rankings each year?

"Cause he's pugnacious arsenic s---," an NFL coordinator said. "Elite poise and toughness successful the pocket. The quality to propulsion with timing and determination portion he's astir to get deed successful the chin is among the best."

Stafford seems to negociate injuries each twelvemonth but plays done them ... portion winning games. The Rams past twelvemonth became the archetypal squad successful NFL past to marque consecutive playoff appearances aft having been 3 games nether .500 earlier successful those seasons (1-4 successful 2024 and 3-6 successful 2023).

Stafford is large successful 2 areas:

• After a break: He produced 39 touchdowns to 9 interceptions implicit the equilibrium of the 2023 and 2024 seasons successful games that followed the bye week (including playoffs)

• And connected play-action, producing the third-highest QBR successful the NFL disconnected it successful 2024 (81.5). His 10 touchdowns to zero interceptions disconnected play-action people the champion show since Aaron Rodgers successful 2021.

Conversely, 17.6% of his throws were considered "off target," the second-worst specified clip among the quarterbacks who received astatine slightest 1 vote.

"A large origin for quarterbacks is what they tin bash connected third-and-10 -- Matt scares you much than astir anybody successful that situation," the coordinator said. "And helium tin marque plays off-schedule."

7. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

Highest ranking: 3 | Lowest ranking: unranked
Age: 27 | Last year's ranking: 6

Herbert's immense endowment keeps him successful the apical 7 but hasn't vaulted him into the archetypal tier of quarterbacks, contempt elite production.

His 21,093 vocation passing yards are the astir successful NFL past done 5 seasons. Last season, helium was asked to sacrifice yardage arsenic portion of violative coordinator Greg Roman's run-heavy attack, with his attempts per crippled dipping from 35 to 29.6 twelvemonth implicit year. Sticking to the ball-control plan, Herbert's 3 interceptions connected 504 attempts marked the lowest interception complaint (0.6%) by immoderate qualified backmost since Tom Brady successful 2016.

Many evaluators agree: If starting the league from scratch and drafting quarterbacks, Herbert is inactive getting picked precise high.

"He's ever been a top-5-8 QB -- close to each levels, athletic, dependable decision-maker," an AFC enforcement said. "It's astir similar he's underrated now, successful my opinion. He's taken for granted."

And it's not arsenic though helium can't thrive precocious successful games. His 15 game-winning drives are the astir from immoderate backmost drafted successful 2020 oregon later. Still, immoderate evaluators judge thing appears to beryllium holding him back, and his 0-2 playoff grounds doesn't help.

"The players supra him [in the apical 10] consistently make much off-schedule plays, are much unsafe successful the two-minute [drill] and person won successful the playoffs," a seasoned NFC unit evaluator said. "The discourtesy helium presently plays successful is by acold the slightest QB-friendly successful presumption of the passing game, which doesn't assistance him. Justin tin get there. He has the ability, truthful it should travel successful time."

8. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

Highest ranking: 5 | Lowest ranking: unranked
Age: 30 | Last year's ranking: 9

Three years agone (heck, adjacent two), placing Goff successful the apical 10 was a bold move. Now, it's uncommon to find a ballot without his sanction connected it. Goff appeared connected 82% of the top-10 submissions.

"He's developed into 1 of the game's champion axenic passers," a seasoned NFC antiaircraft manager said. "He doesn't crook the shot implicit similar helium utilized to. He's a reliable backmost with a existent arm. He's not conscionable a dropback passer who makes s--- happen. He's go much than that."

Goff ranked 2nd successful the NFL successful yards per effort past play (8.6) and threw for the second-most yards successful the league (4,629). He was particularly bully connected play-action, completing 75.4% of his play-action passes for 1,978 yards and 15 touchdowns, starring the NFL successful some categories.

Coming from an Air Raid discourtesy astatine Cal, Goff entered the league arsenic a rhythm-and-timing thrower. He struggled erstwhile walk rushers disrupted that timing. He has countered that weakness and elevated his game.

"He's improved successful his quality to reset his feet and present the shot accurately, and it's changed his career," a seasoned AFC scout said. "The coaching unit successful Detroit gave him a greater consciousness of calm successful the pocket, and he's capitalized connected it."

Goff's occurrence has travel with 2 of the game's champion playcallers, Sean McVay and now-Bears caput manager Ben Johnson. Now, helium indispensable beryllium helium tin bash it without them, and his vocation adaptability suggests he'll beryllium up to the challenge.

9. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

Highest ranking: 6 | Lowest ranking: unranked
Age: 26 | Last year's ranking: honorable mention

Hurts' presumption is cemented. He's a Super Bowl victor who plays large successful large moments. He's the astir potent short-yardage backmost rusher successful NFL history. His streak of 4 consecutive seasons with 10 oregon much rushing touchdowns is the league's longest ever for a passer.

He's besides 1 of the game's astir close passers, ranking archetypal successful completion percent implicit expected (+6.6). And helium throws a beauteous heavy ball. That touchdown walk to Devonta Smith successful Super Bowl LIX was a Superdome-sized enactment of art.

"He had a amended twelvemonth moving the ball, and the mode helium played down the agelong erstwhile steadfast was impressive," said an AFC enforcement who voted Hurts successful the apical five. "Better throwing the shot successful wide this twelvemonth and chopped retired the turnovers."

When asked to beryllium a high-volume thrower successful 2023 (538 attempts), Hurts struggled taking attraction of the ball, resulting successful 15 interceptions. To his credit, helium chopped that fig down to 5 successful 2024, though connected acold less attempts (361).

The question isn't whether Hurts belongs successful the apical 10 -- helium undoubtedly does. It's whether helium has the quality from the pouch to vault into the apical 5 eventually, arsenic his Super Bowl pedigree would suggest helium could.

More than a fewer voters spot shades of a Russell Wilson vocation arc -- Hurts has galore traits that lend to winning astatine a precocious level but needs a dependable moving crippled astir him and wouldn't needfully thrive successful a pass-heavy system.

10. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Highest ranking: 5 | Lowest ranking: unranked
Age: 30 | Last year's ranking: unranked

Baker Mayfield walked truthful Sam Darnold could run. The erstwhile No. 1 prime is emblematic of the NFL's capableness for vocation resurgences astatine the game's astir important position, mounting the blueprint for adjacent busts to 1 time scope $100 million.

When Mayfield signed a humble one-year woody with Tampa successful 2023 and led the Bucs to the playoffs, it was a bully storyline astir a erstwhile No. 1 prime regaining his footing. When helium did it doubly and his show improved, that's impervious of concept.

Only Allen and Jackson person much touchdowns implicit the past 2 seasons than Mayfield's 73.

"Fearless arsenic a thrower and a runner," an NFL unit evaluator said. "He's got on-field enactment wherever teammates privation to enactment him. Much amended limb than fixed recognition for. Good mover successful the pouch and tin unreserved for yards. Attacks the 3rd level of the defense. When he's got clip [in the pocket], he's arsenic bully arsenic astir anybody close now."

Last season, Mayfield joined Brady arsenic the lone quarterbacks successful Buccaneers past with 40 passing touchdowns successful a season. Mayfield dominated against the blitz, starring each quarterbacks successful completion percent (72.3%) and passing touchdowns (18) against 5 oregon much walk rushers.

"He honestly reminds maine of Favre a small spot arsenic acold arsenic benignant of play," the unit antheral said. "He's got a moxie to him, like, 'F--- you, I'm connected the attack.' And antiaircraft guys consciousness that presence."

Honorable mention

C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans: The voting for spots 8 done 11 was close. Stroud appeared connected astir fractional the ballots but struggled to seizure the aforesaid momentum that landed him successful the No. 7 spot aft his rookie year. While his accumulation was down from the erstwhile twelvemonth successful astir categories, Stroud had to flooded issues with Houston's discourtesy successful 2024. Most doubters expect him backmost successful the apical 10 adjacent year.

"That tin impact your assurance erstwhile the extortion and the playcalling astir you isn't great," an NFL quarterbacks manager said. "It tin each necktie together. But the model of what made him large his rookie twelvemonth is inactive determination ... Such a earthy thrower of the shot with elite shot placement."

Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers: Love appeared acceptable for top-10 presumption by the extremity of 2023. "He was f---ing outstanding," said an NFL unit evaluator of that stretch. "Play-action connected time, large arm, confidence." That shifted somewhat successful 2024, owed successful portion to a Week 1 genu wounded that outgo him 2 games. "It looked similar it took him clip to enactment done managing that injury," the unit evaluator said. "Another afloat offseason with [head manager Matt] LaFleur and much receiving options and he'll beryllium fine."

Also receiving votes: Kyler Murray (Arizona Cardinals), Brock Purdy (San Francisco 49ers), Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys), Aaron Rodgers (Pittsburgh Steelers), Tua Tagovailoa (Miami Dolphins), Bo Nix (Denver Broncos)