By: Jake Rajala

The NFL Top 100 team of all time was voted by gifted football minds in early 2018 and introduced to the football world through a TV series in November of 2019. The notable quarterback position featured ten gifted talents at its vital position. Here are the QBs that landed on the mythical list: Tom Brady, John Elway, Brett Favre, Otto Graham, Peyton Manning, Dan Marino, Roger Staubach, Johnny Unitas, Joe Montana, and Sammy Baugh. Keep in mind that these players were partially voted for the success they yielded in their decade. As expected, it is incredibly hard to judge the success and stats of Johnny Unitas in comparison to the production of Peyton Manning. 

Even if the Top 100 list held respected figures throughout the history of the NFL, they had a job to figure out how who deserved to be on the list and it couldn’t largely be separated into success in each decade. In other words, they likely had to pick more successful QBs in a certain period compared to other periods. So, the Top QB list rightfully had five out of 10 QBs that played and dominated in the 90s. The talent of those QBs in the 90s overweighed the success and level of competition portrayed by some QBs in the 60s or 2000s. 

With this being enunciated, I still believe there was a QB that deserved to be in the Top 100. This profile is none other than former Saints QB and future Hall of Fame QB Drew Brees. I believe that Brees clearly has to be over the similar time period signal-caller in Brett Favre and I also feel comfortable saying he should have a sliver more of praise over John Elway. 

It’s a joke that a large case against Brees is that “he played in an easier, passing era” (besides the fact that Favre played in a similar league). Yes, Brees did play in an era where CBs need to have very sound technique and WRs have more opportunities than ever before. Still, Brees decorated the NFL with his touch on the highest level for countless years. Here is a greek-god stat by the former Saints QB that is hardly ever mentioned. 

Drew Brees has five, 5,000 yard passing seasons. There is only one other QB that has thrown for more than 5,000 yards in a season and that’s Tom Brady, who did it twice. The seven-time Super Bowl champion, Tom Brady threw for 5,235 yards in 2011 and 5,316 yards in the 17 game season in 2021-2022.

Here is the more impressive aspect of Brees mowing down every defense in his 5,000-yard seasons. Here is the list of Brees’s top receivers in the receiving yards category: UDFA Lance Moore, third-round pick TE Jimmy Graham (twice), seventh-round pick Marques Colston, and then first-round WR Brandin Cooks. It’s very simple and clear that Brees played with modest talent, but he was able to uplift the talent around him. 

Brees is also second in all-time passing touchdowns, passing yards, pass completions, and fifth all-time in passer rating. Favre is 42nd in passer rating and Elway is 87th all-time in passer rating. 

Brees also has 53 game-winning drives, which is just second behind Peyton Manning (54 game-winning drives). That is absolutely nuts. Brees went 7-9 in four of the five seasons from 2012-2016. To say he was in a plethora of non-winnable games over that time period would be an understatement. But, he still accumulated 53 game-winning drives in his career. Elway’s reputation is largely known for his comeback drives and he put together 40, which is just a bit below Brees’s mark. 

Brees is arguably the best “regular-season” QB in NFL history.

It’s no shock that Brees is a stat machine and even winning machine throughout most of his career, but he does not compare well in playoff success to the likes of Tom Brady and 49ers legend Joe Montana. A championship victory should be a significant factor, but it shouldn’t tell the whole tale of each legendary QBs. Playoffs are truly a very short season that can resemble teams that are largely aided by elite defensive play. For example, we’ve witnessed the Steelers and Giants arguably carry their QBs in Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning. So, the younger Manning brother does have two Super Bowl victories ”“ which is one more than Brees. Still, there shouldn’t be a world where anyone believes Eli has a legacy close to that of Brees. 

With that said, there is a lot of speculation that there is a grand difference between that of Brees and two-time Super Bowl champion Elway. It’s well noted that Brees has had Gregg Williams, Rob Ryan, and Free Safety Marcus Williams giving up big offensive plays in the postseason like candy. But, let’s put that aside. Even if we pretend Drew Brees deserved a historically low defense for many years and a non-championship caliber defense was left to support him in the playoffs, he’s still been disrespected other ways at large in the playoffs. A very interesting and not talked postseason moment for Drew Brees lies in the 2019 NFC Championship game where the Saints were basically stripped of an NFC Championship trophy. The infamous no-call of clear pass interference by Nickel Robey-Coleman on Tommy Lee Lewis kept the Saints from attempting a chip shot field goal to edge out the Rams in the NFC championship. That is a fact.  

So, if Brees went to his second Super Bowl against the Patriots (who scored 13 pts in the game) and won, wouldn’t it be obvious that Brees had put together a better career than Favre AND Elway at that point? Of course, Brees didn’t win a second Super Bowl. I still don’t quite see a noticeable difference in Brees playing for a second Super Bowl and Elway winning two SB trophies (hypothesizing if there was a pass interference call on Robey-Coleman). Brees performed like a quality QB leading up to that penalty (excluding overtime) and “basically put his team in the seat for a Super Bowl competition”. Could there be any difference in judgment in his play leading up to the worst non-pass interference call in NFL history based on that penalty? The answer has to be no. 

Keep in mind that I’m not comparing his performance in a game to that of the “Minneapolis Miracle” or even the “49ers miracle” when Vernon Davis scored a last-minute touchdown against the Gregg Williams-led Saints defense. I’m straight up mentioning the same Saints-Rams game that had Boomer Esiason stating that the Saints got cheated out of a Super Bowl appearance on CBS after the game. Furthermore, the New York Post properly stated that the Saints were cheated out of a Super Bowl berth.

Even with Brees claiming only one SB trophy, he still ought to be recognized more profoundly in comparison with Brett Favre “in the playoffs”. Favre has a passer rating of 86.3, 5,855 passing yards, and 44 passing touchdowns to 30 interceptions in his playoff pocket (24 games). Meanwhile, the Black and Gold QB legend accumulated a 97.1 passer rating, 5,366 passing yards, 37 passing touchdowns to 15 interceptions in his 18 playoff games. It’s clear that Brees has been even more productive than Favre in his “frozen tundra” playoff showdowns. This is besides the fact that Favre lost to Brees in the 2009 NFC championship. 

It can be easy to pretend there’s magic dust with very talented QBs who record playoff prominence and numerous Super Bowl victories. The Super Bowl-winning QBs will often perform at a high level, but it’s truly a vital team game in a very short-lived season. It isn’t Elway’s fault that a ref didn’t blow a game for him, or that he had a talented defense and 2,000-yard rusher in Terrell Davis to help him, but utterly odd factors should be more recognized, and supporting casts truly play a slight factor. On a side note – the top 100 NFL team of all time was voted prior to the 2019 NFC playoffs.

Supporting casts are also a modest factor and it should be recognized that Brees had a much less talented crew in the playoffs and regular season than the likes of Favre and Elway, as well. If we can point out that Dan Marino performed like a rockstar in an age where passing attempts weren’t at large, it’s fair to say Brees was a titan with a god-awful supporting cast for a large period of his career. It’s especially worth noting external factors when there is only a slight difference of postseason riches between that of Brees and some other HOF QBs with similar talent.

Brees truly deserved to be in the NFL Top 100 team. Yes, it’s easy to simply acknowledge that Elway has one more Super Bowl ring. It’s also unchallenging to know that Favre and Elway were like Sports Illustrated cover boys or white knights for many, many years in their playing days. It’s still more clear at this day in age that Brees deserves to be credited with a spot over Favre and Elway in the illustrious all-time QB list.

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by Michael Obermuller

The lead-up to the NFL Draft is a sports process like no other. The speculation, the intrigue, the misinformation and strategy used by different franchises and general managers. Considering the diverse crop of quarterback talent available in 2021, this offseason has been as wild as ever. I mean, just look at this curveball from Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer a few days before draft night.

Trevor Lawrence has been the consensus number one pick for what feels like years, and Jags owner Shad Khan has seemed pretty intent on marketing the rebirth of the franchise around the Clemson star, so why then is Meyer still choosing between three players at No. 1 overall?

It could just be due diligence from a first year NFL head coach, or maybe Lawrence to Jacksonville isn’t as much of a lock as most people thought. After all, there is certainly no reason to play mind-games with opposing GM’s when you’re the one picking first. Yet here we are left with this mysterious quote.

Don’t you worry though, I’ve seen through all the GM mumbo jumbo of the past few months and I’m confident in saying that I have figured out where each quarterback will end up ”” I think. Either way, I’ll give it a whirl, starting with the aforementioned Jaguars.

1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence (No. 1)

I know, after all that in the introduction, I’m still predicting T-Law to DUVAL? That’s right, because if Meyer wants to pull off the most shocking move in recent draft memory, he can do it without my blessing. There are a couple important things to note here though. One, Meyer is not considering Mac Jones or Trey Lance in the top spot. Could this have an influence on other franchises behind him? Urban was a premier college recruiter for a long time after all. Or perhaps he has yet to gain the respect of his fellow NFL peers, and his opinion means very little to them. Two, the former Ohio State HC and program director is likely passing on his former QB, Justin Fields. Meyer actually ranked the quarterbacks in a preseason show in June of 2020, with Lawrence first in his ranks and Fields second. His reasoning at the time was this;

The Jags could certainly throw a wrench in the entire draft by taking either Zach Wilson or Fields, which would probably send Lawrence to New York at No. 2, but it’s highly unlikely and I’m not buying it. Size, accuracy, speed, raw ability, intelligence, drive ”” Lawrence is the consensus number one for a reason. I’m not saying that he’s guaranteed to be the most successful NFL product, he’s not, but he is the safe bet for Jacksonville. For the sake of all our sanities, let’s move on and assume this sticks.

2. New York Jets: Zach Wilson (No. 2)

GM Joe Douglas and the New York Jets have traded 2018 first round pick Sam Darnold, so yes they are 100 percent taking a quarterback at two (for those who haven’t been paying attention). They have been linked to the BYU Cougars signal-caller more and more since Week 17, and I personally don’t see this changing on Thursday night. Wilson checks all the boxes for the Jets. He is an accurate passer and a competitive winner (albeit against lesser competition), known for his on-the-fly decision-making and pocket presence as well as an arm that throws just as far on the move as it does standing upright. Wilson has drawn recent comparisons to Patrick Mahomes for some of these intangible traits, but there’s a contingent of fans that still have doubts that scouts and GM’s are once again sleeping on in-your-face talent.

If Fields can translate his OSU skillset to the pros, it wouldn’t be the first time that the best and brightest NFL minds in the game are totally wrong. I mean he did run a 4.44 forty with a 70.2 completion percentage in 2020. For the record, as you’ll see throughout this article, Fields is my personal QB1 in this class, but that doesn’t mean he appeals to the teams picking in the top three.

3. San Francisco 49ers: Mac Jones (No. 3)

Is the infamous “smokescreen tactic” being utilized by Kyle Shanahan, John Lynch and the San Francisco 49ers? It’s quite possible, in fact Joe Douglas and the Jets could be using it too for all we know. If Fields truly is the quarterback with the most upside potential, it would make sense that every GM behind the Jaguars is trying to keep Meyer off their trail by talking up Wilson, Jones and Lance. At the same time, it seems even more likely that the NFL brass are once again scared off by an Ohio State product who has been labeled as a runner that struggles with his progressional reads. If Lawrence and Wilson do indeed go one-two, Fields should be the pick at three in my opinion, but he may not be according to reports.

There’s something fishy about this developing story, because Jones and Lance couldn’t be more different as prospects. I can’t deny that Mac Jones makes sense as Shanahan’s favorite option. The Niners HC has highlighted his on-field and NFL-ready intelligence, citing that the Alabama product is the win-now choice for a team that was in the Super Bowl two seasons ago. Jones is also the most similar to the quarterbacks that have flourished in Shanahan’s system in the past (Matt Ryan, Jimmy Garoppolo). Lance on the other hand makes me scratch my head. He’s from a small program that did not play against NFL-type talent, he’s not game-ready by most estimations, and he’s athletic rather than accurate or experienced. The fact that San Francisco is torn between these two, but not interested in the player that is pretty much the combination of both (Fields) is odd to say the least. For these reasons, I do think there’s a chance that the 49ers are under-selling Fields on purpose, but I’ll begrudgingly stick with Jones here anyway because of how well he fits the Shanahan mold.

4. TRADE ”” Denver Broncos: Trey Lance (No. 4)

Some have the Atlanta Falcons taking Lance at four, but in the end I think Arthur Smith’s new offense stands pat with the reliability of Matty Ice for a couple more seasons and trades down to reconstruct this roster from the inside out. That process may not start with an inexperienced QB, but it could begin with a haul of present and future draft picks. The next question is their trade partner, and although it has not been mentioned as much as a New England or Washington Football Team, the Denver Broncos are my under-the-radar candidate to make the jump from ninth to fourth. George Paton is taking over as GM for the Broncos, and he may try and make a splash in his first NFL Draft having the final say.

Everything about Paton’s thinking for his first draft screams Lance to me. It’s unexpected, out-of-the-box, and hopefully solves the problem that John Elway failed at for years in the same position ”” finding a franchise quarterback. Drew Lock has yet to display any qualities that separate him from the rest of the league, so I expect Paton to jump at the opportunity to bring in someone that can compete not only with Lock, but long-term with division rivals like Mahomes and Justin Herbert. Of course, the Broncos could also go with Fields here, but I’m sticking with my theme that this inexplicable stigma drops my QB1 down to QB5. I also like the fit for Lance in Denver. He played at North Dakota State, a similar climate, and his build and physicality as a runner bear some resemblance to Elway himself. Although I’m sure Broncos fans would also take his Josh Allen comp.

5. Detroit Lions: Justin Fields (No. 7)

So where oh where will Mr. Fields land? No he won’t fall out of the top 10, and I don’t expect the Cincinnati Bengals or Miami Dolphins to trade down either when they can grab the players they covet most (Kyle Pitts and Ja’Marr Chase by all reports) at five and six. That leaves the Detroit Lions, who could choose to trade down with the Patriots or the highest bidder, but honestly why would they? The Lions roster moves have signaled a total overhaul rebuild under the new regime of Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes, and they already have enough future draft capital from the Matthew Stafford trade where they don’t need more first round picks. They need a franchise quarterback. The wrinkle that you may point out is that they also received back Jared Goff and his contract in that same deal. Let’s be honest though, Goff is a placeholder in Detroit at best. At worst, he’s a cap casualty after 2022 (when cutting him would only cost $10 million). So why not accelerate the process if Justin Fields falls into your lap?

A player with as much potential as Fields could be a dream for Holmes at No. 7 in his first NFL Draft, and the young QB could even learn under Goff as a rookie before jumpining into the NFL head-first. He can truly do it all; whether it’s his accuracy as a passer or his agility as a runner, his escapability in the pocket or strong arm on the run, his competitiveness as an premier athlete or his confidence in primetime games. I’m not sure why every team is insistent on looking past Fields, and maybe it all is a smokescreen and he goes top three, but it just feels like the NFL scouts and decision-makers are talking themselves into passing on another superstar.

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