NFC South 2023 Quarterback Rankings

In a new-look NFC South, here are my quarterback rankings for the division as we head towards the 2023 season.

It wasn't long ago that the NFC South boasted a Who's Who of quarterbacks. As recently as 2020, the division had two of the league's all-time greats in Drew Brees and Tom Brady, a potential Hall of Famer in Matt Ryan, a first overall draft choice in Jameis Winston, and another first-round pick in Teddy Bridgewater. 

Times have changed. 

Brees retired after the 2020 campaign. Brady hung up his jersey after last season. A fading Ryan was dealt away after 2021. Bridgewater is a free-agent journeyman. Winston is a New Orleans backup after failing to secure the starting job.

All four NFC South teams will have different players behind center to open 2023. In fact, of the eight projected starters and backups, only two were on their current teams last year.

These are my top-5 quarterbacks in the NFC South as we head into the 2023 season. 

5. Desmond Ridder, Falcons 

Dec 18, 2022; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder (4) drops back to pass against the New Orleans Saints. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY

Most projected Ridder to be a first-round choice in the 2022 NFL Draft coming out of Cincinnati. Instead, he slipped to the third round as the Number 74 overall pick by the Atlanta Falcons. He was still the second quarterback drafted, after Pitt's Kenny Pickett went in the first round to the Steelers. 

Ridder sat for most of his rookie year behind veteran Marcus Mariota. He'd get his first career action when starting at the New Orleans Saints in Week 14, completing 13 of 26 attempts for 97 yards with no touchdowns, no interceptions, and getting sacked four times.

Ridder started the last four games for the Falcons, winning the last two. He completed 63.5% of his passes for 708 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. At 6'4" and 215-Lbs., Ridder is a strong-armed passer with prototype size and above average mobility. 

Atlanta didn't ask much of Ridder in their run-based attack. They also don't have a lot of receiving weapons outside of second-year WR Drake London and Pro Bowl TE Kyle Pitts, although they did add free-agent WR Mack Hollins this offseason. 

Atlanta wants to run the ball and control the clock. Ridder has shown that he can take care of the ball, but also hasn't shown much playmaking ability in a limited sample size. If he falters, the Falcons could turn to former Washington spot starter Taylor Heinicke, signed during the offseason.

4. Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers 

Nov 20, 2022; Carolina Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) throws against the Baltimore Ravens. Mandatory Credit: Jessica Rapfogel-USA TODAY

Mayfield entered the NFL as the top overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft out of Oklahoma by the Cleveland Browns. He had a promising start in Cleveland, which included their first playoff win since 1994. However, inconsistencies and a limited upside led to him being jettisoned by the Browns in favor of the controversial Deshaun Watson. 

Mayfield was traded to the Carolina Panthers last season, where he'd begin the year as their starter. In six starts and seven appearances for the Panthers he completed just 57.8% of his throws for 1,313 yards with six touchdowns, six interceptions, and a 1-5 record. He defeated New Orleans in Week 3 for his only win, but passed for over 220 yards just once before being released by Carolina after Week 12.

The L.A. Rams picked Mayfield up to finish the year. He'd enter a game after just three days with the team and put out a strong performance in two of the next three weeks. However, he'd revert back to erratic play to end the season. 

Mayfield will compete with third-year QB Kyle Trask for the monumental challenge of replacing the retired Tom Brady. A second-round choice in 2021, Trask has just nine career passes, while Mayfield has fallen far short of expectations. Unlike New Orleans, Carolina, and Atlanta, Tampa Bay also has a roster in decline and has suffered a ton of personnel losses this offseason. 

3. Jameis Winston, Saints 

Sep 11, 2022; New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston (2) throws a pass against the Atlanta Falcons. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Another top overall draft choice (2015) that hasn't met expectations is Winston. After five up-and-down seasons with Tampa Bay that included a 5,100-yard and 30-touchdown campaign but also tons of turnovers, Winston joined the Saints in 2020. Despite a lack of weapons, he played reasonably well as Brees' replacement in 2021 before having his year ended by a knee injury. 

Winston returned with a stirring comeback win over Atlanta in the 2022 season opener. However, he was responsible for five interceptions and just two touchdowns over the next two games while dealing with serious back and foot injuries. Those ailments caused Winston to be sidelined for a few weeks and he was never really healthy enough to regain his starting job.

Now relegated to a backup role thanks to the signing of Derek Carr, New Orleans possesses perhaps the best Number 2 quarterback in the league. Winston is experienced in the team’s system, has proven productivity, and magnificent big-play ability. 

The Saints pulled off an underrated move in reworking Winston's contract to keep him on the roster. It's also a testament to the rest of the division that he's the third best quarterback in the NFC South as a backup. A case could be made that he's the second best signal caller in the division if you value production and experience over recent draft status.

2. Bryce Young, Panthers 

May 12, 2023; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) throws during the Carolina Panthers rookie camp. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Young may not have been able to repeat his Heisman Trophy from 2021 last year, but he was still one of the nation's best players and the top overall pick in this year's draft. Over his two years as Alabama's starter, he completed 65.9% of his passes for 8,200 yards with 79 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and a 24-4 record. 

The few detractors that Young has can really only point to his slight build (6'0" and 194-Lbs.) possibly not being able to withstand NFL punishment. Otherwise, Young is an extremely accurate passer, has good mobility, decent arm strength, plus the ability to break down defenses through both his progressions during a play and pre-snap reads.

Draft position obviously doesn't guarantee success for Young. Just ask Mayfield, Winston, and Sam Darnold, another high draft choice whose career bottomed out in the NFC South the last two seasons. Carolina is also in the midst of a rebuild, so success may not be immediate for either Young or the team.

The Panthers added veteran QB Andy Dalton this offseason to back up their prized rookie. Dalton, who started 14 games for New Orleans last year, brings reliable experience should Young get hurt or not be ready to start the year. Make no mistake though, Carolina's season is largely dependent on how quickly their rookie quarterback develops. 

1. Derek Carr, Saints 

Oct 30, 2022; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) directs traffic against the New Orleans Saints. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

The most publicized move that the New Orleans Saints made in a busy offseason was signing QB Derek Carr. The 32-year-old Carr was drafted in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft out of Fresno State by Saints coach Dennis Allen, then coach of the Raiders. 

After nine years with the Raiders where he missed just one game because of injury, Carr was granted his release from the dysfunctional franchise. His record as a starter is sketchy, just 63-79 with two winning seasons, but he never had the talent around him that he will in New Orleans. 

Carr comes to the Saints with a career completion percentage of 64.6%, 35,222 passing yards, 217 touchdowns, and 99 interceptions. He's had five different head coaches and four different offensive coordinators but continued to be productive, proving he can quickly grasp any system. 

New Orleans has been searching for a replacement for Brees since he retired. They're betting $100 million dollars in guaranteed salary that Carr is that player. They've also aggressively surrounded him with tons of talent on both sides of the ball in an attempt to get back to championship contention. 

The Saints have the best quarterback situation in the division and one of the better starter/backup duos in the league. The onus will now be on Carr to now prove he's the division's best quarterback in order for New Orleans to regain control of the NFC South.