Scout's verdict: These three NFL quarterbacks are underrated

3. Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans

If you were Mariota’s defense attorney in the hypothetical Court of the NFL, you could make a strong case that he has yet to break out because of circumstances out of his control. That list includes injuries and coaching scheme changes as well as a lackluster supporting cast over his first four years in the league.

If you were a prosecutor in our hypothetical court, you would tell the jury that he can’t be trusted to stay healthy and, hey, after four years in the league, can’t we finally stop making excuses for the second overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft? Shouldn’t a franchise quarterback overcome these obstacles?

The reality is that both sides of the argument have valid cases, and the jury would have a tough time deciding on Mariota. In fact, the Titans might be having a difficult time deciding on Mariota, too, as they soon must decide whether to sign him to a new deal. They also brought in Ryan Tannehill to back up Mariota for insurance.

But it is time to be swayed in Mariota’s favor, and this very well could be the year, with a much improved group of receivers and more three-wide sets, that he makes all of us believers. Mariota is an excellent deep passer, but the Titans haven’t had great deep threats.

He routinely displays high-level anticipation and timing and plays the game with a coolness and poise from the pocket. He escapes pressure well as a runner but more importantly as a passer while keeping his eyes downfield. Trust me: I'm not making excuses for him, but he did play much of last season without feeling in his injured throwing hand. Yet he still demonstrated pocket-passing traits that are instrumental for long-term success.

Prediction: Mariota, who completed 68.9 percent of his passes last season, will have his best season in 2019.

2. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

There has been a lot of back and forth whether Dallas should give Prescott a massive long-term contract. The short answer is a resounding yes. Not only is Prescott the most important player for the Cowboys, he is their most valuable player, too.

There are several striking misconceptions about Prescott. One is that he isn’t an accurate passer. That couldn’t be any further from the truth. He does miss throws here and there that don’t look real pretty, but that gets harped on far too much. In reality, Prescott is accurate to all levels of the field -- he is a 66.1 percent career passer -- and consistently demonstrates excellent ball placement.

• Where's Dak? Football Hall of Fame crystal ball
• Yardbarker's Ultimate NFL Hall of Fame tiers
• Yardbarker's Ultimate Hall of Fame tiers

Second, many feel that Prescott is just a product of a run-heavy system that makes his life as a quarterback much easier behind a star-studded offensive line. He hands off  to Ezekiel Elliott a lot. What's so hard about that? There was much truth to that during Prescott’s rookie season, but the quarterback has been handcuffed by Dallas’ somewhat archaic scheme.

For example, despite being exceptional in the passing game at Ohio State, Elliott didn't catch more than 32 passes as a Cowboy until Dallas wised up last season. Elliott caught 77 passes for 567 yards in 2018, typically easy throws from Prescott. With all due respect to future Hall of Famer Jason Witten, Prescott’s wide receivers and tight ends have been well below industry standard. It isn’t a coincidence that Prescott began lighting it up after Amari Cooper (53 catches, 725 yards in Dallas) was added into the mix last season.

Tough as a $2 steak, Prescott plays through injuries. His teammates clearly recognize this, and his competitiveness overall is infectious. And, oh by the way, and this is down the list of importance of what Prescott does well, he's also an outstanding playmaker with his legs (75 rushes, 305 yards last season). It is about time he gets much more credit for his work within the pocket and as a passer.

Dallas must lock up Prescott, who could be in for a big season with Cooper on board for a full season, Elliott finally a major contributor in the passing game, Travis Frederick back as one of the NFL’s best centers and coordinator Kellen Moore helping direct the offense.

1. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons

Ryan is the poster boy for underrated. Rarely is the 34-year-old ranked among the “elite” quarterbacks. That's flat-out wrong. Ryan’s style of play isn’t flashy. He offers little as a runner (384 yards in 11 seasons), doesn’t possess overwhelming arm strength and his highlight plays won’t wow the average fan. But Ryan is master craftsman from the pocket with outstanding consistency and reliability, particularly late in games. That's something many fans and media rarely properly credit him for.

• Where's Ryan in Yardbarker's Ultimate Hall of Fame tiers?

Ryan throws an extremely catchable ball and is among the most accurate passers in football year after year (65.3 percent career completion %), particularly deep downfield. He has a great understanding of defenses and rarely puts the ball in harm’s way (2.1 % interception percentage) while orchestrating Atlanta’s offense. That is elite quarterbacking.

Only 11 quarterbacks have thrown for more yards than Ryan's 46,720. He shows little effects from aging.  Ryan struggled quite a bit on the road in 2018 -- we should monitor that -- but he plays 13 of 16 games this season in domes. 

With Atlanta's major offensive line improvements, RB Devonta Freeman back in action, and WR Calvin Ridley ready to take a big step in his second year, don’t be surprised if Ryan throws for more yards in 2019 than any other NFL QB.