Is Jimmy Garoppolo a Top 10 NFL Quarterback?
Jimmy Garoppolo didn't crack my list of top-five quarterbacks in the NFL. Will he crack my top 10?
In the latest episode of The Cohn Zohn, my dad, Lowell Cohn, and I listed the top quarterbacks currently in the NFL. The top five, in order, were Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson, Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Matt Ryan. Plus no. 6 was Aaron Rodgers.
Here is the rest of the list:
7. Lamar Jackson
He's a running quarterback, but here's the difference between him and Colin Kaepernick: Jackson takes the art of passing seriously and has improved. His quarterback rating rose from 84.5 in 2018 to 113.3 in 2019. Kaepernick never improved his passing that drastically. In fact, Kaepernick regressed.
Jackson still has lots to prove in the playoffs, but he's only 23 -- younger than the first pick in the draft this year, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.
Jackson is a phenomenal runner -- he could be an All Pro running back. He has the quickest feet since Sugar Ray Leonard. Bill Walsh would love Jackson.
8. Deshaun Watson
Watson is similar to Garoppolo. Both take more sacks than they should and turn the ball over too much. And they're both play-makers. But Watson's big plays are gigantic. He runs around behind the line of scrimmage and throws deep passes like Wilson. Garoppolo's big plays are more modest -- a perfect 12-yard pass on third and nine.
9. Ben Roethlisberger
Roethlisberger missed all but two games in 2019, but missing most of a season doesn't mean he's bad now. Garoppolo missed all but three games in 2018, then rebounded nicely in 2019. Roethlisberger is a future Hall of Famer who is "only" 38 -- young in an era when great quarterbacks play into their 40s.
10. Philip Rivers
Another all-time-great quarterback who is 38. Rivers struggled last season behind a shaky offensive line -- he's an iron statue on the lawn. But he still is one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the NFL. And when he plays behind a good offensive line, he's deadly. The Colts have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. Rivers should have a big 2020 season.
11. Dak Prescott
He's mobile, poised, accurate, and he threw for 4,900 yards and 30 touchdowns last season. Big, big numbers. He reportedly wants $35 million per season, and no quarterback should earn that much money, but he's a fantastic player who has lots of experience for a 26-year-old. Prescott has started 64 games and won 40.
12. Carson Wentz
A another mobile, posed, accurate, strong-armed quarterback who has thrown 30 touchdown passes in a season. Wentz also hasn't throw more than seven interceptions in a season since 2016 when he was a rookie. In 2017, Wentz finished third in the MVP voting, but he tore his ACL and missed the playoffs. Since then, he's had more injuries and a shaky supporting cast. But the Eagles retooled their offense this offseason. If Wentz stays healthy, he should be an MVP candidate again.
13. Jimmy Garoppolo
No, Garoppolo is not a top-10 quarterback. Not yet. He's in the same tier as Matthew Stafford, Kirk Cousins and Derek Carr. Very good quarterbacks.
Garoppolo still has started only 26 games in the NFL. Hard to rank him ahead of more established players such as Wentz, Prescott and Rivers yet.
But Garoppolo already ranks in the upper echelon of quarterbacks relatively early in his career. And he's a genius on third downs and he rarely loses. And with a good season in 2020 -- if there is a season -- he could end up not only in the top 10, but maybe the top seven or top six. He could be better than Rodgers soon.
Garoppolo already is a better competitor than Rodgers and Cousins and Carr. Garoppolo is a supreme competitor. Now he just needs experience.
