There’s been a lot of talk regarding the quarterbacks of the NFC South lately. Jameis Winston was the top pick in the 2015 NFL draft, Cam Newton just signed an extremely lucrative new contract, there was that report that the Saints are worried about a potential Drew Brees decline, and Matt Ryan’s always in the spotlight.
With that in mind, we figured we’d rank those four starters.
1. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints: The perception that Brees is declining is actually extremely unfair. The league’s third-oldest starting quarterback has the NFL’s second-highest interception total since 2010, but according to Pro Football Focus, Brees was the league’s most accurate passer in 2014. The Saints have also taken some big hits off the field of late, which is the primary reason why some of Brees’ numbers have dropped. He’s still the only All-Pro-caliber quarterback of this batch.
2. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons: Atlanta hasn’t been good the last two years, but Ryan’s numbers have still been quite strong beyond a relatively weak offensive line. Brees still beats him across the board, but the 30-year-old Ryan isn’t the problem in Atlanta. With a little help, he could bring this team to the Super Bowl.
3. Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers: Four years in and Newton’s still never had a passer rating above 90. Injuries and a lack of support factor in, but the man was the league’s eighth-lowest-rated qualified passer while completing fewer than 60 percent of his passes last season.
4. Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Winston has yet to throw an NFL pass, so he remains in the fourth spot for now. But if Newton doesn’t do more in his fifth season and Winston can deliver as a rookie, he could remove himself from the bottom of this list by the time 2016 arrives.
