Ranking the NFC South Quarterbacks Worst to First

Bryce Young, Derek Carr, Baker Mayfield, and Kirk Cousins...who's the best in the south?

The NFC South saw three new starting quarterbacks with Bryce Young taking over in Carolina, Baker Mayfield in Tampa, and Derek Carr in New Orleans. Kirk Cousins is the new guy this year, signing a four-year, $180 million deal with Atlanta after spending six seasons in Minnesota.

So, who is the best signal caller in the NFC South division? Who is the worst? Let's dive right in to our preseason QB rankings.

4. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers

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Young had absolutely no help as a rookie in 2023. In addition to having 11 different starting offensive line combinations, Young couldn't find any comfort in the offense with the constant back-and-forth of play calling duties between Frank Reich and Thomas Brown. Oh, and to make matters worse, the receivers rarely got separation. I'm not writing off Young just yet, but he has to be No. 4 on this list. I do believe, however, he will close the gap and perhaps make the jump to No. 3 if all goes well. Having a coaching like Dave Canales in his corner will help immensely.

3. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Baker Mayfield had a career year across the board last season with 4,044 yards, 28 touchdowns, and a completion percentage of 64.3%. As well as he played, I'm having a hard time believing this is the Mayfield we'll see year after year. Dave Canales played a big part in getting Mayfield back on track and now that he's in Carolina, I expect we'll see a slight dip in production. For comparison, look at Geno Smith's numbers in his one year with Canales versus what he did last year without him.

2. Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints

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The Saints expected big things from Derek Carr and while the numbers were on par for his career averages, he failed to get them over the hump and into the playoffs. There were times last season where Carr was booed by his own fans when he would take the field as he struggled to keep the offense on the field. Carr has always been an above average quarterback, but he doesn't elevate the play of those around him. He's not the type of guy to lead you to a divisional crown or a deep run in the playoffs. He needs help from the run game and defense.

1. Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons

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Cousins is without a doubt the best quarterback in the NFC South. Sure, he's had his fair share of struggles in primetime and has a career playoff record of 1-4, but he's accomplished the most and is the most consistent of the four. The only concern with Cousins heading into 2024 is how he will respond from suffering a torn Achilles that prematurely ended his season in 2023.

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