Field Gulls
The annual ESPN survey of top 10 players at every position on offense and defense is rolling along with the quarterback position. After compiling over 70 votes from league executives, coaches, and scouts, the top 10 quarterback rankings does not include Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl champion Sam Darnold.
Here’s the order from 1-10: Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Matthew Stafford, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, Dak Prescott, Justin Herbert, Drake Maye, Jared Goff, and Caleb Williams. For some reason, one voter had Jackson outside the top 10 completely, which is wild but not the point of the article.
Darnold is on the outside looking in at No. 11/honorable mention:
Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks: “What a career bounce-back. He’s been lights-out for two years. Deserves to be in the top 10.” — High-ranking AFC team official
“Playing to his strengths while playing disciplined, can beat you with his arm. I think he can use his legs more. He’s mobile.” — NFL personnel evaluator
You might see this as disrespect, but keep in mind the strong season (well, minus the last two games) Darnold had with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024. He didn’t receive a single vote at the time for top 10 inclusion, so this is major progress for someone who was written off as a bust and has more than turned his career around.
For what it’s worth, Jalen Hurts was also an honorable mention and he’s been a league MVP runner-up and Super Bowl MVP. Maybe there’s a lesson to be learned about consensus non-top 10 QBs at the helm for the last two Super Bowl champions…
Here is the full rankings list based on the number of votes received:
I think Caleb Williams shouldn’t be anointed a top 10 quarterback just yet. It’s actually bizarre that Jordan Love is ranked below him when he has an established track record of good play. Love being below Jayden Daniels is also just outrageous.
If you were to put Darnold in the top 10, and we’ve made our own case for his inclusion, who would you boot off the list? I’d send Williams out without hesitation and he’d round out the list. I think it’s also worth admitting that the gap between, say, Dak Prescott and Jordan Love is not particularly vast, so a good chunk of this list is incerchangeable.
