As a feature in the 2024 Sharp Football Preview Book, the Sharp Football Analysis team ranked positional units across the league for the 2024 season.

The ranking guidelines were up to the specific voter with the only requirement that the focus is on the upcoming season only, not the future outlook.

With a combination of numbers, film, and projections, the rankings were averaged for quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers/tight ends, offensive line, defensive front seven, defensive secondary, and head coach.

Next up: 2024 NFL quarterback rankings.

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2024 NFL Quarterback Rankings

Score based on average ranks of positional unit (on a 100-point scale) for all 32 teams, from Sharp Football staff voters. If all voters had a team at #1, that score would be 100. Ties are broken by the highest vote on any ballot. 

What team has the best quarterbacks in the NFL?

32. Las Vegas Raiders

If you want to put a positive spin on the Raiders’ quarterback situation, you could say they have a 2023 Pro Bowler starting at the position. Gardner Minshew is capable of winning games if there’s enough talent around him, but there just isn’t a high enough ceiling for him or Aidan O’Connell to have much hope for Las Vegas’ offense.

31. Tennessee Titans

Tennessee hopes Will Levis is the answer at quarterback, and the team deserves credit for building around his strengths. As a rookie, 22.4% of Levis’ attempts were 20 or more yards downfield, easily the league’s highest rate and nearly double the league average (11.7%).

30. New England Patriots

The Patriots believe they have their quarterback of the future in Drake Maye, but if he starts right out of the gate, expect to witness some growing pains. On throws 10 or more yards downfield, Maye’s on-target rate ranked 110th out of 137 FBS quarterbacks last season. Every other first-round quarterback from this year’s draft ranked in the top 50.

29. Denver Broncos

Votes for the Broncos quarterback situation ranged from 24th to 32nd. Although there are questions about Bo Nix’s long-term potential, the upside to the controversial first-round selection is his extensive experience. Nix is a quick decision-maker and probably better suited to start as a rookie than most prospects, even if his ceiling isn’t as high.

28. New York Giants

Daniel Jones and Drew Lock are the two quarterbacks atop a depth chart that fell 10 spots in our rankings, down from 18th a year ago. Jones started just six games after signing his four-year contract and is coming off ACL surgery. Lock signed with the Giants in free agency and is expected to compete for the starting job after two starts with the Seahawks last year.

26. Minnesota Vikings

With Kirk Cousins out, the Vikings quarterback of the future is No. 10 overall pick J.J. McCarthy. Minnesota also added Sam Darnold in the offseason, and there are rumblings he could be the starting QB when the Vikings break camp. The decision to move on from Cousins could pay off in the long run, but for 2024, it dropped Minnesota down 14 spots in our quarterback rankings.

26. Carolina Panthers

Bryce Young entered 2023 as our 23rd-ranked quarterback but fell three spots after a disappointing rookie campaign. His 33.4 QBR ranked 29th in the NFL, ahead of only Zach Wilson among qualified passers. Considering the amount of resources the Panthers spent to draft him, the pressure is on Young to turn things in a positive direction in 2024.

25. Pittsburgh Steelers

With Russell Wilson and Justin Fields competing for playing time, the Steelers quarterback situation received no votes higher than 25th. One of the issues is both players’ tendency to take sacks. Fields and Wilson ranked 25th and 27th, respectively, in sack rate versus pressure.

24. New Orleans Saints

Derek Carr enters 2024 as the undoubted quarterback, although the team did spend a fifth-round pick on former top prospect Spencer Rattler. In his first season with the Saints, Carr finished 15th among quarterbacks in total EPA, but his ranking fell five spots from last year down to 25.

23. Indianapolis Colts

The Colts 2024 season ultimately hangs on the development of Anthony Richardson. Votes for Indy’s quarterback situation ranged from 19th to 29th, which feels like a fair representation of the uncertainty Richardson brings to the table. Richardson’s on-target rate at 10 or more yards downfield ranked 45th out of 49 quarterbacks, per Sports Info Solutions. No matter how electric he is in the run game, the Colts can’t build a contender until they have a reliable downfield passing attack.

22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers entered 2023 at 31 in our QB rankings, but Baker Mayfield’s performance pushed that ranking to 22 heading into 2024. Mayfield also earned a three-yard, $115 million contract as well after throwing 17 touchdowns in his final eight games including six in his two playoff starts. He finished 2023 ranked 12th in total EPA and 18th in QBR.

21. Washington Commanders

One year after finishing last in our quarterback rankings, Washington jumped up to 21st in 2024 thanks to the selection of Jayden Daniels. The Commanders also upgraded their backup QB spot with the addition of Marcus Mariota.

20. Seattle Seahawks

Geno Smith was a revelation in 2022 but took a bit of a step back last year, throwing 10 fewer touchdowns and dropping his completion percentage by five points. The Seahawks allowed Drew Lock to leave in free agency and replaced him with Sam Howell.

19. Cleveland Browns

The Browns quarterback situation ranked no higher than 18th on any ballot, an indication of just how far our opinion of Deshaun Watson has fallen. On plays when he was not under pressure, Watson generated -1 EPA or worse 12.6% of the time last season, ranked 38th out of 45 quarterbacks.

18. Chicago Bears

Despite the addition of Caleb Williams with the first-overall pick, the Bears actually dropped six spots in our quarterback rankings from a year ago. However, that’s more of an indication of how high the expectations were for Justin Fields in the preseason as opposed to his actual performance.

17. Arizona Cardinals

Kyler Murray enters 2024 healthy after missing the first half of last season due to a torn ACL he suffered in 2022. Murray jumps two spots in our rankings to 17th after setting career lows in rushes and rushing yards per game. The Cardinals added Desmond Ridder in a trade to bolster their depth behind Murray.

16. New York Jets

We’re skeptical of Aaron Rodgers’ ability to bounce back from an Achilles injury, and the Jets quarterback situation dropped from ninth to 16th overall since last offseason. Votes ranged from 11th to 17th, so some aren’t even confident this unit falls in the upper half of the league.

15. Jacksonville Jaguars

Trevor Lawrence’s development appeared to stall last year, and the Jaguars quarterback situation dropped eight spots in our rankings as a result. On throws 15 or more yards downfield, 26.7% of Lawrence’s passes were inaccurate (league average: 24.6%). Not terrible, but expectations are much higher for the former No. 1 overall pick.

14. Green Bay Packers

The emergence of Jordan Love was the biggest story for the Packers in 2023. Love ranked 28th in our QB rankings last year but jumped up to 12th this season. In his final eight starts of the season, Love was 6-2, completed over 70 percent of his passes, and threw 18 touchdowns to just one interception.

13. Atlanta Falcons

After seemingly punting on the quarterback position, the Falcons took a pair of big swings, adding Kirk Cousins in free agency and Michael Penix Jr. in the first round. Cousins was limited to just eight games in 2023 due to injury but threw 18 touchdowns and five picks in those games. It was a shock to hear Penix’s name announced as the Falcons’ first-round pick after the contract they gave Cousins, but he represents the team’s long-term future and is a hedge if Cousins isn’t the same player he was before the injury.

12. Detroit Lions

Jared Goff slides up three spots to 12th in our rankings after throwing 32 touchdown passes and averaging 7.6 yards per attempt in 2023. Since arriving in Detroit three years ago as a castoff, Goff has completed 66.5 percent of his passes and thrown the seventh-most touchdowns in the NFL.

11. Miami Dolphins

Led by Tua Tagovailoa, the Dolphins quarterback situation lands 11th overall, one spot lower than a season ago. Votes ranged from 10th to 15th, so there was consensus this situation is in the upper half of the league but also consensus it falls below the top tier of quarterbacks.

10. San Fransisco 49ers

At quarterback, Brock Purdy slots in at the No. 10 spot in this year’s rankings, nine places ahead of last year. Purdy led all quarterbacks in total QBR last year and finished seventh in EPA. His 9.6 yards per attempt was also the best in the NFL. The 49ers did add Joshua Dobbs in the offseason to back up Purdy.

9. Los Angeles Rams

Expectations were low for the Rams heading into 2023, but a resurgent Matthew Stafford and company won seven of their last eight games en route to a playoff appearance and the 13 spot in our overall rankings.

8. Philadelphia Eagles

2023 was a weird season for Jalen Hurts, who was in the MVP conversation for most of the season before cooling off and posting a passer rating of 77.6 in the final six games. As a result, he drops from four to eight in our rankings this season.

7. Dallas Cowboys

Dak Prescott remains firmly entrenched in our top-10 quarterbacks and moved up one spot thanks to his second-place finish in MVP voting. In 2023, Prescott led the NFL with 36 touchdown passes and threw for over 4,500 yards for the second time in his career.

6. Los Angeles Chargers

We’re still optimistic about Justin Herbert, but the Chargers quarterback situation dropped two spots in our rankings from last year, getting jumped by Baltimore and Houston. Perhaps the new coaching staff can get Herbert trending toward an elite level again.

5. Houston Texans

It was unanimous among our voters that C.J. Stroud’s breakout rookie campaign was no fluke. The Texas quarterback situation landed in the top six on every ballot.

4. Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens climbed two spots in our quarterback rankings from a year ago and landed in the top four on every ballot. The only question for the unit is depth, as 38-year-old Josh Johnson is Lamar Jackson’s backup.

3. Buffalo Bills

Quarterback is the only unit in which Buffalo ranks in our top 10, a significant change from last year when the team entered the season with five top-10 units. Led by Josh Allen, the Bills quarterback situation checks in at number three for the second consecutive year.

2. Cincinnati Bengals

Anchored by Joe Burrow, the Bengals quarterback situation landed in the top three on every ballot. The key, of course, is keeping Burrow healthy, as we don’t need to see more of Jake Browning.

1. Kansas City Cheifs

Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are once again our unanimous top-ranked quarterback unit. This is our fourth year compiling unit rankings, and no other team has received a first-place vote in that time.