Ranking the NFL's Top 10 QBs: Where Trevor Lawrence Stands

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence is one of the most gifted passers in the NFL and has remained as such since being drafted No. 1 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft as a generational prospect at his position.

The Jaguars have been fortunate at times throughout the last five years with some of the best quarterback play they have seen since Mark Burnell in the franchise's early years. However, some inconsistencies and injuries have led to this upcoming season to be a critical one for the Jaguars franchise quarterback.

How does Lawrence stack up to the rest of the NFL? I decided to go through the exercise of ranking the 10 best passers in the league and establish where I believe the former Clemson standout lists among the best. Let's begin starting at an obvious No. 1.

No. 1: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

This shouldn't come as a surprise, even after having one of the worst games of his career in the Super Bowl five months ago. Mahomes is the best quarterback on the planet with the best play-caller and head coach on the planet. That is a lethal combination on any Sunday.

Mahomes is in his own tier until he isn't as the three-time Super Bowl MVP enters his 30s at the top of his game. It will be hard to unseat him anytime soon and with a young crop of weapons, he and the Chiefs will be hard to defend against for a long time.

No. 2: Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

No. 3: Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

I decided to lump the two passers together because these two had unbelievable seasons in 2024. Jackson had a career year as a passer with the argument for QB1 in the NFL while Josh Allen had just as good of a year with a low turnover rate and came away with the league MVP.

Jackson has a great argument to have gotten the illustrious award. These two have yet to get by Mahomes in the postseason when it matters most but the two will have their day in the sun at some point before their Hall of Fame careers are completed.

No. 4: Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

Part of me wanted to call Burrow the modern-day Tom Brady with how he manages and plays the game but that would sound disrespectful to the greatest quarterback to ever live. It is unfortunate that Burrow's MVP-level season was hindered by a horrific Bengals defense that improved too late in the season.

I'm confident that if the Bengals had an average defense, they might've played in Super Bowl LIX with Burrow as the league's most valuable player. This is a passer with an elite combination of pocket navigation, accuracy, and football intelligence that is hard to beat any week.

No. 5: Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

Some people will come after me for this ranking on social media but Herbert is a supremely talented quarterback who can put his team on his back and rally. He is a true ceiling-raising, "win games because of him" passer who has shown to be clutch at times.

Many will look at his postseason performances against the Jaguars and Houston Texans in recent years, including a missed opportunity to get in over the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021. Yet, he is the fifth-best passer in the league based on pure talent and playmaking ability with his arm and on occasion, his legs.

No. 6: Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

Stafford enters his age-37 season still playing at a high level, and may not have the same mobility he did earlier in his career but the former Detroit Lion and Super Bowl champion from four years ago has stayed constant as a passer that is difficult to defend against and defeat, maintaining his stay on a Rams team that has experienced a shake up on the roster and 20 wins in the last two seasons to put them in championship contention.

No. 7: Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

As much fun as it is to argue with Eagles fans about where Hurts is listed at among the best signal-callers in the game, you can't argue about their Super Bowl LIX victory. Hurts was the game MVP and has remained an incredible playmaker for the Eagles offense over the last four seasons. His growth as a passer can comparable to that of Dallas Cowboys' Dak Prescott and Hurts arrow is still pointed upward.

No. 8: CJ Stroud, Houston Texans

Stroud, despite a "sophomore slump," is still a great quarterback who can do a lot with less. His rookie campaign was incredible and despite having lesser numbers in 2024, he still remained the accurate, aggressive three-level passer that made him a sensational rookie the season before. This is a future league MVP and someone that can lead the Texans to their first Lombardi trophy.

No. 9: Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

I am a believer in Lawrence and have been from the start. This is a passer that kept the Jaguars in plenty of games last season when healthy (and lost some of them, too). That is the nature of his gunslinger play-style, however, under head coach Liam Coen, he has a great chance to put up career-high numbers with a sufficient and talented crop of skill players at wide receiver.

No. 10: Geno Smith, Las Vegas Raiders

It has been a joy to watch the career resurgence of Geno Smith. The Seattle Seahawks gave him a chance a few years ago and he ran with it, becoming an above-average passer and a beloved fan-favorite across the league. After being traded to the Raiders this offseason, Smith will look to prove he can still remain a top passer in the league late into his career.

Honorable Mentions

Jared Goff, Detroit Lions; Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders; Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys; Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers

Putting the back end of this list together was difficult as the league is currently filled with outstanding talents at quarterback. Daniels looks like a future MVP while Goff and Mayfield have enjoyed great resurgence in their respective new-ish homes. Prescott, when healthy, is among the 10 best players at his position while Purdy is the top "game manager" in the league.

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @JaguarsOnSI and @_John_Shipley and never miss another breaking news story again on the QBs.

Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.