Welcome to For the Win’s ranking of all 32 NFL starting quarterbacks. These rankings are based entirely on film study, with each passer being graded on six attributes: Accuracy, arm strength, athleticism, pocket presence, field vision and pre-snap ability. For a more thorough explanation of the grading click here.

NOTE: Because we don’t know who will be starting in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Denver, we’ve included both players fighting for those jobs.



Keenum is the favorite to win the starting quarterback job in Los Angeles, but it’s only a matter of time before he’s overtaken by the more talented Jared Goff. Keenum is solid when it comes to the mental side of the game, but he does not have enough arm talent to be a starter in the NFL. His deep passes hang in the air and consistently fall short of the intended target. When he tries ramp it up and thread the ball through a tight window, his accuracy suffers.



Projecting rookie quarterbacks is always tough, and Goff is currently sitting below Keenum on the depth chart. But Goff is too talented to stay on the bench for very long. At Cal, he showed an NFL-level command of the pocket and good arm strength. He got away with some questionable decisions and transitioning to a pro-style offense from a pure college spread will take some time.

That Sanchez may actually lose a training camp battle to Trevor Siemian tells you everything you need to know about his ability. The Broncos will not ask much from whomever they elect to start come Week 1: Just don’t turn the ball over too much and complete some simple play-action passes. But even that may be too much for Sanchez, who, even at an advanced age, is just a mess in the pocket, melting down at the first sign of pressure. And, unlike his predecessor Peyton Manning, Sanchez offers very little in the way of pre-snap adjustments.

We do not have a lot of tape on Siemian, which makes this evaluation difficult. He was sharp from the pocket in his first two preseason appearances, showing the ability to deliver the ball on time and on target. A so-so arm limits his ceiling but should not prevent him from winning the Broncos’ starting quarterback gig.



Gabbert looks the part of a franchise quarterback, but that’s about where his positives end. A big arm and good athleticism only get you so far in the NFL. Pressure melts Gabbert, causing him to drop his eyes from downfield and just go into full-on survival mode. Even when he does have a clean pocket, Gabbert rarely attempts to read and react to the defense. He’ll force throws to his first read, whether it’s open or not. On the off chance he does get past his first read, Gabbert goes straight to his checkdown for minimal gains.

The big question in Cleveland is whether Hue Jackson can get Griffin back to his 2012 rookie of the year form. But here’s the thing: Griffin is still the same player he was back then, and that’s not necessarily a good thing. Washington just happened to run an offense that played to his strengths and masked his weaknesses — specifically reading defenses from the pocket — before Griffin demanded the offense to keep him in the pocket. That clearly didn’t work out for him. But Jackson’s offense should be similar to the one we saw Griffin pilot four years ago. The reads will be clearly defined and Jackson will put Griffin’s legs to good use.



Apparently, 31 touchdowns doesn’t get you what it used to. Fitzpatrick is the poster child for why it’s important to supplement statistical analysis with the eye test. His volume stats in 2015 paint him as an above average passer. His tape tells a much different story. Fitzpatrick is an inaccurate, one-read quarterback who makes mind-numbingly bad decisions because of his irrational confidence in an arm more suited for slow-pitch softball. There’s a reason he stayed unsigned well into the summer.

Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker should prop up Fitzpatrick yet again in 2016. Their ability to adjust to poorly thrown passes and win in jump ball situations can mask Fitzpatrick’s weaknesses. Just imagine what those two could do with even a league-average quarterback.



We have yet to see Kaepernick in preseason, so this evaluation is based entirely on his 2015 performance. And that’s not necessarily a good thing. The 28-year-old still lacks comfort in the pocket. At even the slightest hint of pressure, Kaepernick’s first instinct is to go into full-on survival mode. That makes things more difficult on his offensive line. Compounding his problems in the pocket, Kaepernick does not see the field clearly. He rarely, if ever, scans the entire field when looking for an open receiver.



Don’t get too bummed out by this ranking, Texans fans. Osweiler is the best quarterback Houston has had in a while. The former Bronco is smooth in the pocket and can execute basic reads. His accuracy is a major issue, and his problems stem from poor lower body mechanics and a wonky release. Bill O’Brien has a well-earned reputation as a quarterback whisperer and should be able to iron out those issues.



Mariota’s rookie season has to be considered a successful one. He checked all of the physical boxes (no surprise there) and flashed potential as a pocket passer throughout his 12 appearances. He’ll go through his progressions if given the time, but that was rare with Tennessee’s porous line. At this point in his career, Mariota lacks fluidity. His pocket movement is rigid, which affects his mechanics and ability to get through his reads in a timely manner. When he gets more comfortable playing in the pocket — and that will only come with live game reps — Mariota should develop into a top-15 quarterbacks. It could happen as soon as next season.



Winston shook off a poor start to his rookie campaign thanks to an advanced understanding of defensive coverages. He’s not the smoothest athlete in the league and his mechanics are a mess, but Winston knows how to find open receivers. He anticipates windows in the defense like a 10-year vet. But those anticipatory throws do require a fair bit of guesswork. And his willingness to throw a receiver open led to some of those awful interceptions that littered his 2015 season. As he learns what is and isn’t open at the pro level, expect his interception totals to drop. Winston’s biggest obstacle will be ridding his throwing motion of all those years of baseball. Winston winds up his throws and even has a bit of a leg kick on some attempts.



Cousins has a somewhat boring game. He’s the football equivalent of a role-playing point guard. Cousins is not going to create much, but he will get the ball in the right player’s hands.

The Redskins coaching staff does an excellent job of simplifying the game for Cousins, who, while clearly a heady player, is a little slow to react to the defense after the snap. He’ll stick on his first read too long, which causes him to miss an open receiver deeper in his progression. When he is able to get a good pre-snap read or his first read is available, Cousins gets the ball out on time with machine-like efficiency.

But what happens when he has to make a play himself? He still hasn’t proven he can produce in those situations, which is a big reason the front office has yet to commit to Cousins long-term.



The Jaguars think they have found their franchise quarterback. I’m not convinced yet. Bortles clearly has the physical profile to play the position. He has a big arm and doesn’t lose any arm strength when operating on the run. And when his feet are in order, Bortles is generally accurate. He’s still not entirely comfortable reading defenses, which leads to a few inexplicable decisions per game. He led the league in interceptions with 18 interceptions. Bortles was actually lucky he did not throw more. According to Football Outsiders, he tied for Ryan Fitzpatrick for the most dropped interceptions (9) in 2015.



Bradford showed some signs of life down the stretch in 2015 after a disappointing start. He grew more comfortable behind center, which led to improved accuracy and arm strength. Bradford did a pretty good job of avoiding sacks, even if that meant taking huge hits in the pocket. He’s 28, but injuries have limited his reps, and that’s evident in his tape. Bradford is slow to react to defenses and doesn’t anticipate his receivers coming open like most passers his age do.



Taylor is the perfect quarterback for the Bills offense. He makes quick decisions, avoids sacks and can create with legs when his receivers fail to get open. Sure, he’s not going to sit back and pick a defense apart from the pocket, but he will stretch the field vertically. He throws one of the prettiest deep balls you’ll ever see.



Smith might be the most frustrating quarterback on this list. His aversion to risks is almost comical at this point. While Smith avoids the costly mistakes, he limits the potential of an intriguing offense. With Jeremy Maclin and Travis Kelce, he has weapons that deserve the benefit of the doubt on those tight window throws.

When Smith isn’t hesitating to let the ball rip, he’s supremely accurate and able to tear up defenses on the ground. He is a big reason the Chiefs running game actually improved after Jamaal Charles’ season-ending injury.

This ranking may seem a little low, but Carr’s on track to becoming a certifiable franchise quarterback. He could be more accurate — and that will come when he fully eliminates those flat-footed throws from his game — and could do a better job of reading defenses before and after the snap. But other than that, Carr seems to have the other nuances of the position figured out. He navigates the pocket smoothly, which keeps him clean and gives his talented receivers more time to come open.

Bridgewater’s 2015 stat line isn’t very impressive. He barely topped the 3,000-yard mark and threw only 14 touchdowns. But let’s give those numbers some context. He threw the fewest passes of any full-time starter in the league. Bridgewater also threw the fewest red zone passes, which is where other players pad those touchdown totals. The 23-year-old played in an offense that doesn’t suit his skill-set behind a bad offensive line and while throwing to an unpolished receiving corps.

Bridgewater throws a bad deep ball, but there aren’t many other clear weaknesses in his game. He moves around the pocket with ease, he’s one of the more accurate passers in the league on short-to-intermediate throws and he’s not easily fooled by defenses.

When watching Bridgewater on tape, you’ll find yourself wondering, “What else could he have done on that play?”

And the answer is usually, “Nothing.”

The Dolphins are still waiting on Tannehill to make the leap, even after signing him to a big-money extension last offseason. There’s nothing overly impressive about the 2012 first-round pick, but he’s solid in almost every aspect of the position. Tannehill will leave the pocket too early at times or get lazy with his lower body mechanics, but he does a good job of throwing his receivers open by anticipating openings in the coverage.

Flacco hasn’t gotten any better since the Ravens made him the highest-paid quarterback in the league back in 2013. He’s still got a bazooka for an arm and is more mobile than he’s given credit for, but that’s where the positives end. His sloppy footwork has led to declining accuracy. Even at 31, he doesn’t do much work before the snap, and he’s still not great at making adjustments after the snap either.

Flacco is talented. If you put the right team and coaches around him, he’ll look good. He’s not going to elevate those around him, though, and that’s what the Ravens are paying him to do.

For the first time in nearly a decade, Cutler showed some legitimate improvement in his game. Critics say he doesn’t care, but he clearly worked hard at improving his mobility in the pocket last offseason and the work paid off. Now if he can only clean up his accuracy and start to take more ownership of the offense pre-snap, the Bears might have themselves a quarterback capable of winning some playoff games.

Dalton put up MVP number thanks to a talented supporting cast and a brilliant play-caller in Hue Jackson. That’s not to say he didn’t improve in 2015. He threw a better deep ball and continued to increase his mastery of the offense. But his lack of patience in the pocket and field vision are still causes for concern. Don’t be surprised if Dalton falls back to league-average this season.

Stafford is much more than a gunslinger. He gets his team out of bad plays thanks to shrewd pre-snap diagnostic skills. He doesn’t get fooled much before the snap. The Lions signal-caller doesn’t always see the field clearly and his accuracy is inconsistent, but he’s good enough to carry this offense without Calvin Johnson.

He’s been in the league for so long, it’s easy to forget he’s only 28. He has plenty of room to improve on what is already an impressive skill set.

Manning still has problems consistently hitting his targets and will make some confounding decisions, but is there a more under-appreciated quarterback in this league right now? The guy is in full control of the Giants offense, he’s not afraid of anything and, over the last two years, he’s put up impressive numbers with just one legitimate receiving threat and no semblance of a running game.

I’m not even going to try to explain some of the interceptions Ryan threw last season. It’s surprising to see those rookie mistakes from a quarterback who has an unmistakable handle on the mental aspects of the quarterback position. He works the pocket well, throws with anticipation and works hard to get his team into good plays before the snap. Expect a big bounce-back year for Ryan and the Falcons offense.

Luckily for Romo, health is not one of the deciding factors for these rankings. When he is healthy, Romo is a playmaker who also knows how to protect the football and keep his team out of bad plays. With first-rounder Ezekiel Elliott and that offensive line, Romo won’t be asked to carry the Cowboys offense in 2016, which should allow him to play an efficient brand of football.

Watching Palmer throw a football is like watching a teaching tape on proper quarterback mechanics. That’s a big reason why he’s still one of the best deep-ball throwers in the league at 36. He’s the perfect fit for Bruce Arians’ aggressive scheme. Those deep passing plays take a long time to develop, and Palmer — despite his lack of mobility — does a good job of subtly moving in the pocket in order to buy time for his receivers to get downfield.

Rivers is like a mad professor. Before the snap, he’s constantly tinkering with his protections, changing his receivers routes and putting his backs into motion. With his waning physical tools, it’s imperative that Rivers wins before the snap if he has any chance of succeeding after it. And more often than not, Rivers makes the right calls. And if he doesn’t, the 34-year-old will quickly figure out another way to attack a defense thanks to remarkable field vision.

Wilson is the biggest creative force in the league. His offensive line doesn’t block? His receiver can’t get open on time? No worries. Wilson will elude the pass rush, keep his eyes downfield and eventually find an open receiver.

Now that improvising causes its fair share of problems, too. He is too quick to leave the pocket at times, which causes him to miss receivers running wide open and run into sacks. Those problems are mitigated by Wilson’s ability to find mismatches before the snap and exploit them with quick, accurate throws from the pocket. He gets into trouble when those quick throws aren’t available.

We’re not going to overlook Luck’s poor 2015 season entirely, but there’s been a massive overreaction to what was essentially a stretch of five bad games. Those games did expose some weaknesses in Luck’s play, though. He threw far too many inaccurate balls, and he’s gone to work on his footwork to rectify the issue.

He also holds the ball too long in the pocket, which is just a side effect of one of the best parts of his game: His presence in the pocket. Luck is a master at finding space in the pocket, which allows him to work later in the down and keep plays alive for his receivers working to get open. The more time he spends in the pocket, the more vulnerable he is to hits, which lead to negative plays. Luck has to find a balance there if he’s every going to live up to his considerable hype.

Newton is starting to figure out the nuances of the quarterback position, which should terrify the rest of the league. His accuracy (and lack of touch) remains his greatest weakness, but it’s improving every season — even if his completion percentage does not reflect that. The Panthers threw the fewest screen passes in the league, per Football Outsiders, opting for a more vertical passing game. And Newton has the arm strength and patience in the pocket to run such a scheme.

Roethlisberger just keeps getting better. Sure, having the best receiver in the game (Antonio Brown) and the league’s most versatile running back (Le’Veon Bell) makes things easier, but let’s not sell Big Ben short. He’s grown into a cerebral quarterback over the past few years. Roethlisberger doesn’t rely on those sandlot plays to get the Steelers offense going anymore, but he’s still capable of pulling off those impossible escapes when it looks like the pass rush has him corralled.

Can we take a moment to appreciate what Brees did last year? This is a guy a lot of people were writing off at this time last year, and he goes out and throws for nearly 5,000 yards while throwing to Brandin Cooks and little else. He’s still the most accurate quarterback in the league. His height has never been an issue thanks to deft pocket movement. And Brees is computer-like in his ability to diagnose and exploit defenses.

Missing Jordy Nelson clearly hurt Rodgers in 2015. His receivers couldn’t get open quickly, and Rodgers didn’t look very comfortable in the pocket. His pocket presence grade took a bit of hit because of that, which is the biggest reason he’s not No. 1 on this list for the second year in a row. Rodgers still boasts the most impressive combination of physical tools and mental acumen in the league. He should be the favorite to win league MVP in 2016.

Brady’s 2015 season defied all logic. At 38, he somehow got better. The four-time Super bowl champ is more mobile than he was in his “prime,” which has only enhanced his mental abilities. The guy had no problem reading a defense and going through his progressions in a matter of seconds, but now he can buy extra time in the pocket and give his receivers second and third opportunities to get open. It’s almost unfair.

Methodology

Rankings like this are always going to be subjective in nature, but we tried to eliminate any preconceived notions by disregarding stats and team success, which can be influenced by a number of factors outside of a quarterback’s control.

Instead, quarterbacks are judged based on film study. Every evaluation was based on all-22 game film from a few of that player’s most recent starts.

Emphasis has been placed on process rather than result. If a quarterback made the right play but was let down by a teammate or a defender made a spectacular play, he was graded positively. Conversely, if he made a poor decision but was bailed out, he was graded negatively.

Based on this film study, each quarterback is graded in six categories on a scale of 1-to-100, the averages producing the final scores determining the overall rankings. Here’s how those grades were weighted: Accuracy: 20% Arm Strength: 15% Athleticism: 10% Pocket presence: 20% Field vision: 20% Pre-snap: 15%

Attributes

Accuracy:

This category is self-explanatory, but it goes beyond simply getting the ball to a target. How well does a quarterback place the ball? Does he allow the receiver to run after the catch? Can he consistently hit on deep balls? All of these factors go into a passer’s accuracy grade.

Arm Strength:

We’re not only grading a quarterback on how far he can sling it but also how he harnesses his arm strength. Does he know when to fire it in a tight window and when to throw a touch pass? Can he make the staple NFL throws, like a 15-yard out? Does he a throw a tight, wind-cutting spiral or is he prone to throwing ducks?

Athleticism:

Similar to the arm strength grade, a quarterback’s athleticism is graded on his ability to apply it. Can he throw on the move? Does he know when to leave the pocket?

Pre-snap:

A quarterback’s job starts before the ball is snapped. Winning before the snap is almost as vital as winning after it. Does the quarterback see blitzes before they occur and act accordingly? Can he pick out mismatches or weaknesses in the defense and take advantage? If so, he’ll get high marks in this category.

Field Vision:

Maybe the most important category on this list, and certainly the most holistic. This grade factors in a quarterback’s ability to read defenses, find open receivers, anticipate openings before they occur and make sound decisions. A passer who can see the field clearly can overcome his physical shortcomings.

Pocket Presence:

This category is all about how a quarterback commands a pocket. Can he go through his progressions with bodies around him or does he bail at the first sign of pressure? Does he climb the pocket or fade back, making his tackles’ jobs more difficult?