Simms’ Top 40 QB Countdown Culminates on Wednesday, June 7; In-Depth Breakdowns for Each Ranking Weekly on Chris Simms Unbuttoned Podcast
Deshaun Watson (No. 9), Matthew Stafford (No. 10), Daniel Jones (No. 11), Kirk Cousins (No. 12), and Dak Prescott (No. 13)
“He is good at everything but not elite at anything.”– Simms on Prescott at No. 13
“(The Giants) could not have won and played the way they did without Daniel Jones’ skillset last year.”– Simms on Jones at No. 11
STAMFORD, Conn. – June 2, 2023 – Two-time Pro Bowler Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys, four-time Pro Bowler Kirk Cousins of the Minnesota Vikings, Daniel Jones of the New York Giants, Super Bowl LVI champion Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams, and three-time Pro Bowler Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns highlight the latest installment of Chris Simms’ countdown of the top 40 quarterbacks in the NFL, available now on the Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast and on “PFT Live.”
Simms’ quarterbacks ranked 9-40:
Still a Superstar? | 25. | Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh | |
9. | Deshaun Watson, Cleveland | 26. | Brock Purdy, San Francisco |
10. | Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams | Backup Supremes | |
What’s Your Ceiling? | 27. | Sam Darnold, San Francisco | |
11. | Daniel Jones, New York Giants | 28. | Andy Dalton, Carolina |
12. | Kirk Cousins, Minnesota | 29. | Tyler Huntley, Baltimore |
13. | Dak Prescott, Dallas | 30. | Davis Mills, Houston |
Clock’s Ticking | What is Love? (Baby Don’t Hurt Me) | ||
14. | Russell Wilson, Denver | 31. | Jordan Love, Green Bay |
15. | Geno Smith, Seattle | Buzzworthy Backups | |
16. | Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee | 32. | Jarrett Stidham, Denver |
17. | Jared Goff, Detroit | 33. | Taylor Heinicke, Atlanta |
18. | Derek Carr, New Orleans | 34. | Gardner Minshew, Indianapolis |
19. | Kyler Murray, Arizona | 35. | Mike White, Miami |
Sh!t or Get Off the Pot | Rookies | ||
20. | Mac Jones, New England | 36. | Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis |
21. | Tua Tagovailoa, Miami | 37. | CJ Stroud, Houston |
22. | Jimmy Garoppolo, Las Vegas | 38. | Bryce Young, Carolina |
23. | Justin Fields, Chicago | Show Me More, Sophomores | |
24. | Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay | 39. | Sam Howell, Washington |
Sophomore Supremes | 40. | Desmond Ridder, Atlanta |
Over the course of a month, Simms unveils a group of quarterbacks on each Chris Simms Unbuttoned episode and discuss his rankings on “PFT Live” with Mike Florio, culminating Wednesday, June 7.
Simms, a third-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2003 NFL Draft who played eight NFL seasons, will also offer in-depth player breakdowns and rankings explanations throughout each week on Chris Simms Unbuttoned.
Simms has had recent success in projecting quarterbacks – including those coming out of college by naming Patrick Mahomes as his most exciting prospect in 2017, listing Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen as his top-two QBs in 2018, and having Justin Herbert as his No. 2 QB in 2020.
The rankings will continue Monday, June 5, on the next episode of Chris Simms Unbuttoned.
The following are highlights from this week’s edition of Chris Simms Unbuttoned:
No. 13: Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
“He is good at everything but not elite at anything. More missed throws this past year than ever before. He played not his best football in some of the biggest moments. The Buccaneers playoff game was good, but the 49ers playoff game was horrible. That’s where Dak Prescott fell off just a little bit this year. They’re paying him like a superstar, and he has not come through in some of the superstar moments…A positive is that he’s a tremendous leader for their franchise. He’s one of the better leaders in football. His arm is good but it’s not in the upper crust of the NFL, same with his athleticism and his variety of releases. He’s a polarizing player and he gets more hate than he should, and I think that can lead to analysts giving him more love to squash that, but the truth is somewhere in between that.”
No. 12: Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings
“He had a phenomenal year. Ridiculously quick defense reader and more aggressive than last season. Dak Prescott is a better athlete, but Dak Prescott could not hit the mark on some of the high-level throws as consistently as Kirk Cousins does. His aggression and their offense were more dangerous this year…He’s not a superstar but he’s one of the most underappreciated players in football. ‘Kirk Cousins is the reason the Vikings can’t get over the hump’? I don’t buy that. There’s not a sexiness about his style of play, but if you give him a system, he will tear you apart. There’s a certain formula in which he can exist and overcome, but he has limitations. He’s always the guy that everybody’s looking to blame or not give the credit to.”
No. 11: Daniel Jones, New York Giants
“He made more with less as much as anybody in football. Daniel Jones is in a small class of quarterbacks in the NFL where he can throw over the line of scrimmage. It keeps a variety of throws still available to him that are not available to most quarterbacks. It’s a short list – him, Justin Herbert, Trevor Lawrence, (Tom) Brady could kind of do that. It’s that kind of guy…He’s a high-level thrower of the football. Incredible control and accuracy. (The Giants) could not have won and played the way they did without Daniel Jones’ skillset last year. His running is in the upper echelon of runners in football. He’s right there with Josh Allen…He rarely put the team in bad situations. His ability to read coverages, like Kirk Cousins, is high-level.”
No. 10: Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
“He’s still one of the 10 best quarterbacks in football. His arm is still all-time. Of all the top quarterbacks on this list, no one was under pressure more than Matthew Stafford. Other than (Patrick) Mahomes, he probably has more release (points) than anybody in football. His arm talent and his toughness are a gift and a curse. Sean McVay had to protect Stafford from himself…He makes some of the damndest throws you’ll ever see in your life. He moves really well in the pocket – (Dan) Marino-ish – but he’s probably the worst runner in football out of all quarterbacks…His ability to throw the football is up there with anybody in the game. He’s in the class of (Patrick) Mahomes, (Josh) Allen, Lamar (Jackson), and (Aaron) Rodgers where I go, they can have an awkward release and still be accurate and powerful.”
No. 9: Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns
“He’s a superstar who’s rusty and I’m betting on the superstar to come back this year. I still see a guy who has one of the best arms in football. He’s an incredible athlete. He’s one of the best scramblers in the sport…I could tell he wasn’t comfortable the whole year. He’s gotta knock some rust off and it won’t be perfect at first, but his talent is real. I’d be shocked if it doesn’t go right for him in Cleveland.”
To listen to the full player breakdowns on Chris Simms Unbuttoned, click here.
-NBC SPORTS-