Jared Goff (No. 31), Teddy Bridgewater (No. 32), Drew Lock (No. 33), Tua Tagovailoa (No. 34) & Tyrod Taylor (No. 35) Ranked #31-35 in the Simms Top 40 QB Countdown
“I do know he knows how to win football games and lead a team…But for all his play, he doesn’t play the game like a really experienced quarterback.” – Simms on Jared Goff
“There is a charisma aspect that he brings to the field…He knows how to play the game.” – Simms on Tua Tagovailoa
“His high-end talent is real…I look at Drew Lock as having a chance of maybe being a superstar in this league.” – Simms on Drew Lock
Simms’ Top 40 QB Countdown Culminates with the Top Four on Monday, June 21
STAMFORD, Conn. – May 26, 2021 – NBC Sports’ Chris Simms continues to unveil his list of the top 40 quarterbacks in the NFL on the Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast and “PFT Live” with the QBs ranked 31-35.
Beginning earlier this week and culminating Monday, June 21 with his top five quarterbacks in the league, Simms will unveil five selections on each Chris Simms Unbuttoned episode and discuss his rankings on “PFT Live” with Mike Florio.
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.
To kick off the countdown, Simms unveiled his quarterbacks ranked 31-35:
| 31. | Jared Goff, Detroit | 36. | Marcus Mariota, Las Vegas |
| 32. | Teddy Bridgewater, Denver | 37. | Kellen Mond, Minnesota |
| 33. | Drew Lock, Denver | 38. | Trey Lance, San Francisco |
| 34. | Tua Tagovailoa, Miami | 39. | Justin Fields, Chicago |
| 35. | Tyrod Taylor, Houston | 40. | Case Keenum, Cleveland |
The rankings will continue Tuesday, June 1 with numbers and 26-30 on the next episode of Chris Simms Unbuttoned.
The following are highlights from this week’s editions of Chris Simms Unbuttoned:
No. 35: Tyrod Taylor, Houston Texans
Simms: “Like I said about Case Keenum, this is one of the best backup quarterbacks in football...In a lot of ways, where I have him ahead of Case Keenum, Tyrod Taylor is the same in theory as that guy, expect he really has better physical talents…For me, he’s the ultimate backup too, in that he is one of those guys that you can just throw out there…We’ve seen him lead teams to the playoffs.”
No. 34: Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
Simms: “He rose from last year’s rankings (No. 40). He grew as a player, he got to play in the NFL. He did some good things. He played in some big moments, made some big throws in some big moments, had some big runs in some big moments…He got better as a football player, but I still have my questions…I like his talent, I don’t love it…There is a charisma aspect that he brings to the field and of course he does have a presence on the field. He knows how to play the game. Even as a rookie, he didn’t mess up many situations…But he’s got to get more aggressive.”
No. 33: Drew Lock, Denver Broncos
Simms: “His high-end talent is real. I think people in Denver are panicking a little bit, or maybe are overly critical of the play I saw from Drew Lock last year. I know it wasn’t perfect…Not every throw has to be a 35-yard missile into double coverage. That’s where Drew Lock has to get better at just playing the position and taking what the defense gives you. But he does have a real upside to be a big-time quarterback. I thought that’s what we were going to see more of last year...He’s boom-or-bust right now. It’s a huge year for him. He has the talent to be a consistent top-half of the league starting quarterback.”
No. 32: Teddy Bridgewater, Denver Broncos
Simms: “I don’t think his high-end talent is as good as Drew Lock’s, but I trust Teddy Bridgewater. He falls into that category of maybe he’s not going to win you games, but he’s not going to lose you games either. There’s value to that…I look at Drew Lock as having a chance of maybe being a superstar in this league. Teddy Bridgewater has no chance of being that for me, but right now, I do think he’s a better overall player than Drew Lock.”
No. 31: Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
Simms: “There is experience. We know he’s played in big games, but there’s a number of questions about Jared Goff, certainly. First off, there’s no redeeming, unbelievable physical qualities or traits…So that’s why he is No. 31 to me. Obviously, you know you can win games with him, but it has to be within a certain formula or a certain way in my opinion, to win those games. There is good arm strength. He can throw the ball hard and far, but it’s one of the least catchable balls in the game and it can be inaccurate at times…I do know he knows how to win football games and lead a team. Those are the things I like…For all his play, he doesn’t play the game like a really experienced quarterback. That’s I think the thing that maybe bothers me more than anything – just knowing the situation or knowing the game.”
To listen to the full player breakdowns on Chris Simms Unbuttoned, click here.
-NBC SPORTS-
