Who is the NFL’s best quarterback right now? Power ranking for Week 7
The Carolina Panthers’ 2022 quarterback room is shaping up to be the roster equivalent of the Washington Commanders’ 2013 coaching personnel.
In 2013, Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay, Matt LaFleur, Mike McDaniel and Raheem Morris – all of whom are current NFL head coaches – were all members of head coach Mike Shanahan’s coaching staff.
This year, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold – both of whom were on Carolina’s roster three years ago – have played like two of the best gunslingers in football.
Mayfield has led the Buccaneers to a 5-1 record, which tops the NFL, amid an MVP-caliber season through six weeks. Darnold, meanwhile, is both PFF’s highest-graded quarterback (93.7) and most efficient quarterback by EPA/play (0.367).
They’re just two of the top five quarterbacks in the Week 7 edition of quarterback power rankings. The other three rounding out the group are two veterans whose positions won’t raise many eyebrows and a second-year rising star whose spot in the top five is more of a surprise.
Here’s how the NFL’s 32 starting quarterbacks rank through six weeks:
NFL quarterback power rankings: Week 7
1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Last week: 3
Mahomes’ average depth of target in Week 6 was 5.1, the lowest mark this season by far, and he still threw for 257 yards and three touchdowns. Mahomes also continues to be the Chiefs’ lead rusher, with his 222 rushing yards ranking third among all quarterbacks.
2. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Last week: 6
Through six weeks, Mayfield has led the Buccaneers to a 5-1 record that includes four game-winning drives and four fourth-quarter comebacks. Those marks – record included – all lead the league.
3. Drake Maye, New England Patriots
Last week: 5
Maye finished his day against the Saints with a 92.6 QBR that led all quarterbacks in Week 6 and a 92 PFF passing grade. The Patriots’ second-year quarterback also became the fourth quarterback in history to string together five straight games with more than 200 passing yards and a passer rating above 100 before turning 24.
4. Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks
Last week: 7
Darnold leads all quarterbacks that have started all six games with a 10.1-yard average depth of target, per PFF.
5. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Last week: 8
Herbert had 264 yards and two touchdowns against the Miami Dolphins in Week 6. He finished sixth among all quarterbacks in expected points added (EPA) for his performance in Week 6.
6. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
Last week: 1
Despite losing to the Chiefs, Goff still leads the NFL in completion rate (75.9%) and passing touchdowns (14) after a night with only six incompletions on 29 attempts and two more touchdown throws.
7. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Last week: 2
On Monday night, the Falcons blitzed Allen more than any team has since 2021 – a 56% clip according to Next Gen Stats. The result was a season-low 57.7% completion rate and a season-high two interceptions.
8. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Last week: 4
Stafford still leads the league with 1,684 passing yards this year, but he only managed to throw a season-low 181 yards in Week 6. And that was against a Ravens defense that had been vulnerable to passing attacks all year. Notably, lead receiver Puka Nacua missed some time with a foot injury before returning but only recorded two catches for 37 yards.
9. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
Last week: 12
On Sunday, Love completed two more ‘big time throws,’ which PFF defines as ‘a pass with excellent ball location and timing, generally thrown further down the field and/or into a tighter window.’ He ranks fifth in the NFL in the category through six weeks with 11 of them so far, and he’s made at least two such throws in all but one game this season.
10. Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts
Last week: 10
Jones leads the NFL with a 79.7 QBR through six weeks. His 212 passing yards against the Cardinals on Sunday extended his streak of 200-yard games to six straight to open the season.
11. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Last week: 9
Prescott ranks second in the NFL in QBR (79.2) this year and ranked second in the metric this week (90.2). He also ranks third in big-time throws, with 14 of them, per PFF, and leads all quarterbacks with 48.5 EPA through six weeks. Notably, Prescott also leads the NFL with 229 pass attempts and 164 completions.
12. Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons
Last week: 15
Penix made two turnover-worthy plays against the Bills Monday night, per PFF, but he didn’t throw any interceptions in the Falcons’ upset of the Bills as Atlanta came out of its early bye. That snapped a two-game stretch of contests with an interception for the second-year quarterback.
13. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
Last week: 13
No change for Williams, who also played a turnover-free game coming out of the Bears’ bye week despite also making two turnover-worthy plays. The Bears’ second-year quarterback has made at least one big-time throw in every game so far this year and is sixth in the league in big-time throw percentage (5.2%) when excluding backup quarterbacks.
14. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
Last week: 11
Hurts and the Eagles lost a second straight game. The quarterback threw his first interception of the season in the red zone in the fourth quarter on Thursday night, all but sealing a win for the divisional rival Giants.
15. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
Last week: 14
Daniels threw a season-high three touchdowns Monday night and extended his streak to four straight 200-yard games in the air. But his interception just outside the red zone on Washington’s first possession and his failed-handoff fumble on the Commanders’ last possession led to six total Bears points in a game Chicago won by one point.
16. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
Last week: 16
Lawrence leads the NFL with 16 of his passes dropped by receivers through six weeks, including two more on Sunday. But he continues to look more comfortable in new head coach Liam Coen’s offense, throwing for 258 yards and two touchdowns. Lawrence’s 97.1 passer rating in Week 6 was a season high.
17. Spencer Rattler, New Orleans Saints
Last week: 18
Despite a 1-5 record, Rattler is tied with the Bears’ Williams with nine big-time throws. He’s also 10th in the NFL among starters with his 78.2 PFF grade and 16th with a 60.2 QBR through six weeks. Rattler’s 72.1 QBR on Sunday ranked eighth in Week 6.
18. Jaxson Dart, New York Giants
Last week: 24
Dart followed up the worst performance in his short career with his best in an upset over the Eagles on Thursday. His 195 passing yards, 58 rushing yards and two total touchdowns carried him to a 90.0 QBR this week (third in the NFL) with 10.2 EPA (second among QBs). PFF graded his performance as a career-best 89.7.
19. Mac Jones, San Francisco 49ers
Last week: 17
The 49ers had Jones drop back to pass 47 times on Sunday as their run game continues to struggle. He threw for 347 yards but also threw two interceptions and lost a fumble.
20. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
Last week: 19
Stroud and the Texans were on a bye this week. Houston’s quarterback got bumped down slightly thanks to Dart’s big day.
21. Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers
Last week: 21
Rodgers’ outing against the Browns in Week 6 was his first this season without a turnover-worthy play, per PFF. It also included a season-high three big-time throws en route to a 23-9 Steelers win.
22. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
Last week: 22
Nix has the second-lowest pressure-to-sack rate (10.3%) of any quarterback with at least 200 dropbacks, per PFF. His ability to avoid sacks contributed to the Broncos securing an ugly win over the Jets in London.
23. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
Last week: 25
Young matched a season high with three touchdown passes against the Cowboys. He also led a game-winning field goal drive that included a crucial fourth-down conversion with a bullet pass to squeeze his throw between two defenders.
24. Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals
Last week: N/A
Brissett threw for 320 yards and two touchdowns while filling in for an injured Kyler Murray. His passing yards total and 65.4 QBR in the game were both higher than Murray’s season-high marks.
25. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
Last week: 23
After two games without one, Tagovailoa threw three interceptions. One of them was not entirely his fault – receiver Jaylen Waddle bobbled one pass straight at a Chargers defender – but it was still a performance to forget. Through six weeks, his 11 turnover-worthy plays lead the league, per PFF, though he’s also sixth with 10 big-time throws.
26. Carson Wentz, Minnesota Vikings
Last week: 28
Wentz and the Vikings were on a bye in Week 6. He moves up the rankings after poor performances from quarterbacks previously ahead of him.
27. Dillon Gabriel, Cleveland Browns
Last week: 30
Gabriel did not get much help from his receivers in a 23-9 loss to the Steelers. Browns pass-catchers tallied five drops on Sunday, per PFF, which made up nearly 15% of Gabriel’s pass attempts. The rookie quarterback also faced 25 defensive pressures in the Week 6 game.
28. Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans
Last week: 26
Ward threw his fourth interception of the season and lost two fumbles on strip sacks against the Raiders on Sunday. His four lost fumbles are the most in the NFL through six weeks. The Titans fired head coach Brian Callahan after the Week 6 loss.
29. Geno Smith, Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 31
Smith is tied for Tagovailoa with their league-leading 11 turnover-worthy plays, per PFF, but he only has five big-time throws to Tagovailoa’s 10. The Raiders quarterback extended his league lead with a 10th interception on Sunday.
30. Joe Flacco, Cincinnati Bengals
Last week: N/A
Flacco’s first start with the Bengals ended in a loss, but it also featured his highest QBR (68.5) and passer rating (90.9) in a game this season. His two touchdown passes were a season high, and the Week 6 outing against the Packers was Flacco’s first game this year without an interception.
31. Cooper Rush, Baltimore Ravens
Last week: 29
Rush’s performance filling in for the injured Lamar Jackson has been rough enough to earn third-string Tyler Huntley some snaps.
32. Justin Fields, New York Jets
Last week: 27
Fields threw for just 45 yards and lost 55 yards on the nine sacks he took in London on Sunday. That meant he finished the game with -10 net passing yards.