The following is a piece in a series of articles ranking each division’s starting quarterbacks.
Carolina became the first team in the NFC South to ever win the division in back-to-back seasons, thanks in part to a great defense, and their franchise QB, Cam Newton, who took a giant step in his development last season. But was it enough to claim the No. 1 spot in the QB Class for the NFC South?
GuruQB ranks the entire starting QB Class for the NFC South, one through four.
4- Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay
You have zero expectations with Jameis Winston in his rookie season. If he throws 30 touchdowns, great! If he throws 30 interceptions, that’s ok too. What you’re looking for is growth over the course of the season. He’s got some nice, big targets in Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson, so that should help with jump balls in the end zone. For now, patience is the key word.
3- Matt Ryan, Atlanta
Matt Ryan was everything you wanted in a “franchise quarterback”. Big, strong, smart, durable, and above all, productive. Think Drew Bledsoe and Troy Aikman. Ryan has established himself as the face of the franchise in Atlanta, and back in 2012, had the Falcons up 10 at halftime of the NFC Championship game.
He’ll look to rebound the Falcons from a 6-10 record last year.
2- Cam Newton, Carolina
Despite the Panthers winning the division last year, statistically, Cam Newton, who missed two games, put up the worst season of his career, tossing for a career low in yards, touchdowns, total touchdowns (23 passing and rushing combined), and QB rating. His performance against Seattle in the Divisional playoffs was a microcosm of his entire season, nice throws followed up by bad interceptions. However, that loss showed that Newton has matured since coming into the league in 2011. He’ll face an uphill climb now that he’s lost his No. 1 wide receiver (Kelvin Benjamin), but Cam has always been solid, and should continue to keep the Panthers in contention.
1- Drew Brees, New Orleans
Playoffs or no playoffs, Drew Brees is still the head of the NFC South QB Class. He’s also the only starting QB in the division who wasn’t a first round pick, not that it should mean anything, it’s just interesting that in one division with so many first round picks, the best there is, is a second round pick.
Brees will have work to do in 2015 after losing his favorite target, Jimmy Graham, but Drew, like Aaron Rodgers, will be just fine. He’s one of the best pure passers in the league, and rules the NFC South.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
