Power Ranking NFL QB Depth Charts

With the draft over and summer camp beginning, the NFL season is nearing its official start. The league prides itself on being fair and balanced, striving for parity, but its success largely revolves around one position: quarterback.

Using Ourlad's depth chart database, we'll take a look at all 32 teams' status with their quarterback unit. This means digging into starters, backups and reserves, including the new rookies on the rosters. Some of those low level players are legitimate developmental passers and some are camp arms.

We'll do this by ranking the units from worst to best, taking heavily into account of who the starter of the team is, as backup throwers really only see the field in blowouts or due to injury. Consistency, tools, upside and track record are all important factors when judging players at the position.

32: Buffalo Bills

Rogelio Solis/Associated Press

Projected starter: Matt Cassel or E.J. Manuel

Backups: Tyrod Taylor and Jeff Tuel

The Buffalo Bills moved back a round in Day 3 of the 2015 draft and gave up a seventh-round 2016 pick for Matt Cassel, who was previously of the Minnesota Vikings. Cassel is best known as the quarterback who led the New England Patriots to a 11-5 record when Tom Brady went down in the 2008 season, but he has had minor success outside of the Boston area, earning himself a Pro Bowl bid in 2010 with the Kansas City Chiefs.

By 2013, though, he was cut and joined with Minnesota. At 33 years old, it's hard to imagine that a new spark gets lit in his later career. In all likelihood, he's a stop-gap player. The Bills didn't have a first-round pick in the 2015 draft, which could be one reason why they're fine with "settling" for a season.

E.J. Manuel was the team's 2013 first-round selection, but he was benched for the fifth game of his sophomore season. In 2014, he didn't throw one pass after September 28th. With a new coaching staff in Buffalo, it's safe to say his career is on the hot seat. The days of Manuel in northern New York may be numbered.

Tyrod Taylor and Jeff Tuel are long-shots to compete for playing time. Tuel is a second-year undrafted player who was forced into the lineup last season, but posted only a 45.1 quarterback rating. Taylor has spent his time as a professional in Baltimore, where he's pieced together a 47.2 quarterback rating over four years coming off the bench.

31: Cleveland Browns

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

Projected starter: Josh McCown or Johnny Manziel

Backups: Thaddeus Lewis and Connor Shaw

Last season, Josh McCown was the starting passer for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In part due to his performance, Tampa Bay had the worst record in the league, earning them the first overall pick. In the offseason, the team terminated his contract, despite the fact he still had one year remaining on his deal, then they drafted their new quarterback, Jameis Winston, with their top selection in the draft.

McCown is 35 years old and is on his ninth franchise as a professional. I don't think anyone imagines that he will be the savior of the franchise. It seems foolish to even expect him to keep the starting gig in Cleveland through his three-year contract.

Johnny Manziel was the biggest name in the draft last season. Manziel declared as a redshirt sophomore, which rarely happens with quarterbacks, and was drafted 22nd overall. He started two games, but fell to injury almost as soon as he won the starting job.

He turned the ball over three times as a rookie and got his only score on the ground. With a 42.0 quarterback rating for his season's performance, many questioned if the Browns should have cut ties with him immediately. He's since gone to and returned from rehab. In some ways, his career trajectory is similar to Brett Favre's, but for many reasons, Favre is the exception, not the rule.

Taddeus Lewis has spent time with three other teams after his 2011 to 2012 stretch with the Browns. In limited time, he's earned a 81.4 quarterback rating, but on the field, he's an underdog to see a shot on the field with McCown and Manziel on the roster. Connor Shaw competed half of his passes in his only time on the field in 2014: the season-closer against the Baltimore Ravens. He had a 55.2 quarterback rating, which isn't bad for an undrafted rookie, but it's still not enough to "prove" that he belongs in the league.

30: New York Jets

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Projected starter: Geno Smith or Ryan Fitzpatrick

Backups: Matt Simms, Bryce Petty and Jake Heaps

Many had Geno Smith as the top passer from the 2013 draft class. The former West Virginia Mountaineer was drafted 39th overall, behind E.J. Manuel, who was taken 16th by the Buffalo Bills, the Jets' in-division rival. As a whole, though, the 2013 pool was poor, and there's a shot that not a single passer from the draft class will start a game in 2015.

Smith hasn't had a great career to this point, posting a 25 touchdown to 34 interception mark in 29 starts, but he ended his 2014 season on a high note. In the season-closer, he posted his best game to date: a 158.3 quarterback rating game against the Miami Dolphins in Sun Life Stadium.

He may be improving, but the staff which drafted him to New York is no longer with the team. In the offseason, the squad added Ryan Fitzpatrick, a former starter with the Rams, Bengals, Bills, Titans and Texans, by way of a low-level trade. Fitzpatrick figures to push Smith for the top gig, but his sub-80 quarterback rating at the age of 32 years old doesn't connote that he's a long-term option for the team.

Behind those two, the franchise has Matt Simms, who wasn't even a full-time starter at the University of Tennessee, Jake Heaps, who was a backup at the University of Miami after stints at Brigham Young University and the University of Kansas, and Bryce Petty, who is a fourth-round rookie by way of Baylor.

29: Houston Texans

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

Projected starter: Brian Hoyer or Ryan Mallett

Backup: Tom Savage

At the top of the Houston Texans' quarterback depth chart are Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett, two former New England Patriots. After going undrafted out of Michigan State, Hoyer bounced around as a backup before landing as a mostly full-time starter with the Cleveland Browns. Mallett was a third-round pick, but was traded for a late round pick just before the 2014 regular season.

This should be no surprise, as head coach Bill O'Brien was a former quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator with the Patriots during the 2009, 2010 and 2011 seasons. Hoyer is more of a stop gap player who plays within structure, while Mallett is a developmental player who has a peak of Drew Bledsoe, but still lacks the experience to have put it all together.

Behind them is only one player: Tom Savage. Savage was compared to a raw version of Troy Aikman during the draft process. After playing at Rutgers, the University of Arizona and the University of Pittsburgh, Savage was a fourth-round pick by the Texans last season. Like Mallett, he has all the tools to win at the next level, but none of the polish.

The fact that the squad only has three quarterbacks on their roster is a good move, though. Limiting the reps to three hands instead of four or five will be good for Mallett and Savage, who need all of the snaps that they can get before heading into the 2015 season.

28: Jacksonville Jaguars

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Starter: Blake Bortles

Backups: Chad Henne, Stephen Morris and Jake Waters

Almost one year ago, the Jacksonville Jaguars shocked the NFL by taking Blake Bortles third overall. As the draft cycle played out, many assumed Bortles would have been a middle to late first-round pick, tabbing Sammy Watkins as the most likely selection for the Jaguars in 2014. The team went out of their way to select Bortles, though, which looks like a good move in hindsight, as the top passers available for their 2015 third overall pick would have all still have been on the board in the third round.

Bortles had an up and down rookie year and appeared to regress a bit down the stretch. Still, he has the potential to be a pocket passer with a big frame and some mobility. The comparison to Ben Roethlisberger isn't totally on point, but still has some legs.

Behind Bortles, there are Chad Henne and Jake Waters, who, on paper, should be able to run the same playbook as Bortles does. Henne is a veteran who was originally a second-round pick of the Miami Dolphins, while Waters is an undrafted rookie out of Kansas State.

The player who doesn't fit in on the surface level is Stephen Morris, who is a second-year undrafted quarterback. At the University of Miami, he was coached under Jedd Fisch, who was Jacksonville's offensive coordinator last season but was recently fired and has since taken the University of Michigan offensive coordinator job. With Fisch now gone, the seat may be warm underneath Morris, who might be passed up for Waters in camp.

27: Cincinnati Bengals

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

Starter: Andy Dalton

Backups: A.J. McCarron, Terrelle Pryor and Josh Johnson

The Cincinnati Bengals are firmly entrenched in quarterback purgatory. Andy Dalton isn't good enough to lead the team to a championship, but he's also not bad enough to tank the franchise. He's just talented enough to continue to cash checks from the team, which should continue through the 2019 season.

A.J. McCarron is fairly similar to Dalton. As far as a skill set, he's a west coast "system" passer, but doesn't have the same juice in his legs that Dalton does. McCarron is basically Dalton light, which is a good option for a consistent number two passer.

The next two quarterbacks are the change ups. Terrelle Pryor was once the top high school recruit in the country, but a college scandal forced him to declare for the supplemental draft. Taken in the third round by the Oakland Raiders, Pryor is now on his fourth team. He's only 25 years old and he's a physical specimen, so he's not a bad option to attempt to mold behind Dalton, potentially to surpass him and take the squad to the next level.

Josh Johnson is the middle ground between the two. Johnson can provide legs off the bench, a plus which forces the opposing defense to adjust on the fly, but is also consistent enough that he won't be a dumpster fire if he should be forced into the starting lineup. He may be sticking longer on the team during his second stint, after he only was on the roster for around a calendar year during his first visit.

26: Kansas City Chiefs

Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports

Starter: Alex Smith

Backups: Chase Daniel, Aaron Murray and Tyler Bray

Alex Smith is one of the quarterback purgatory players in the league. He does enough to keep his starting job, but not enough to keep the team in contention for any sort of title. The former first overall selection was sent from San Francisco to Kansas City in 2013 for multiple picks, but he hasn't been able to match his 100-plus quarterback rating he had in his last year in the Bay Area.

Smith did make the Pro Bowl in 2013, but, at the same time, the all-star game losing more credibility on a year-to-year basis. Smith is solid at keeping the ball away from his opponents, but he's not a creator, as his job description reads "just take what the defense gives you." Given his limited tools, other than his ground potential, that's probably the best route for him to contribute as a starter.

Chase Daniel and Aaron Murray are essentially the same quarterback. Both are lesser versions of Smith, west coast passers, but Murray is younger. Daniel has experience, but his contract runs out after this year. Murray was just drafted in the fifth round last season, so it would be safe to assume that he's going to hang around in Missouri for a while as a high-quality backup if nothing else.

Tyler Bray is the wildcard in this bunch. At the University of Tennessee, Bray displayed first-round tools and undrafted decision making, both on and off the field. If Bray is ever able to put it together, he might be an NFL starter, but injuries and the strong quarterback depth chart in Kansas City have held him back. He's a long-term developmental option.

25: St. Louis Rams

Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

Starter: Nick Foles

Backups: Austin Davis, Sean Mannion and Case Keenum

This past offseason, the Rams downgraded at quarterback by taking in Nick Foles for Sam Bradford, in exchange for some draft picks. Bradford was the former first overall pick, but injuries have been the theme of his young career. Foles had a solid season in Philadelphia in 2013, but how much of it was his talent, and how much of it was Chip Kelly's system?

The transition from the Eagles' offensive line, arguably the best in the league, to the Rams', arguably the worst in the league, should be an interesting test case to prove how much of that 2013 performance was actually on Foles.

Behind him are Austin Davis and Case Keenum, two undersized veterans who can get the team out of a pinch, but aren't full-time starters by any stretch of the imagination. Last season, Davis, a third-year player, had a quarterback rating of 85.1, while Keenum put up a 72.2 mark.

Drafted in the third round of this most recent class was Sean Mannion of Oregon State. Mannion is a statue at 6'6", but he doesn't have the arm that one would correlate with a project passer. He's more of a player who has the developmental upside of who Mike Glennon is currently than a Drew Bledsoe.

24: New York Giants

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Starter: Eli Manning

Backups: Ryan Nassib and Ricky Stanzi

Eli Manning has had one of the weirder career trajectories in recent memory. He was a first overall selection who went through some growing pains, but put together two of the best Super Bowl runs we have ever seen. After that, though, he's been pretty up and down.

Last season, at 33 years old, he posted a quarterback rating of 92.1, the third-highest in his career. Manning is going to continue to do enough to keep his job in 2015, but his 21 turnovers are an issue, and there's no telling when the team will attempt to shed his aging contract.

Ryan Nassib is the second quarterback on the team. Once talked about as a potential top-10 passer in the 2013 draft class, the Syracuse thrower stayed in-state as a fourth-round selection of the Giants. He's only thrown five passes in his NFL career, but he was once a favorite of Russ Lande, a former NFL front office member, who ranked him as the top player on his board when he was writing for the National Football Post.

The third passer on the depth chart is Ricky Stanzi, who has bounced around the league as a backup after being taken 135th overall in 2011 by the Kansas City Chiefs. That's his role at this point in his career. He's going to be disaster insurance, but that's all he should be.

23: New Orleans Saints

Brian Blanco/Associated Press

Starter: Drew Brees

Backups: Luke McCown, Garrett Grayson and Ryan Griffin

I think it's pretty common knowledge that Drew Brees has regressed recently, but I don't think people fully understand to what extent. When watching any Saints game from last season, or even the Pro Bowl when he was side-by-side with other "top passers" in the league, there's a huge drop off between his Super Bowl era film and what he's currently putting out on the field.

With 34 touchdowns and 24 turnovers, he still has enough in the tank to warrant another year or two in New Orleans, but he's not going to stay much longer than that. According to Spotrac, the team would save $20 million by cutting him in 2016, and I fully expect them to do so.

Behind him is Luke McCown, a long-time backup in the NFL. He's a safety net between Brees, the starter, and Garrett Grayson, the future. Grayson was drafted in the third round of this last draft out of Colorado State. He's a decent player who projects well into the Saints' spread system, but doesn't have great tools. He might take the starting job in the future, but he's not going to be a top-20 passer in this league.

Ryan Griffin is more than likely going to be a camp arm. He's stuck around the squad for a couple years after he was brought in as an undrafted rookie, but with Grayson in town, it's hard to find a slot for him on the roster. He might be the practice squad type if the team feels they need a fourth passer in-season.

22: Washington Redskins

Richard Lipski/Associated Press

Starter: Robert Griffin III

Backups: Colt McCoy and Kirk Cousins

At the top of Washington's depth chart is Robert Griffin III, a name everyone who follows football should know by now. Drafted second overall behind Andrew Luck in the 2012 draft, the Redskins gave up a fortune to select the former Baylor dual-threat passer. Injuries have impacted his career both in college and the professional level, though, and there are doubts if he will ever be "that" player again.

This is Griffin's final shot. He's been given opportunities, and some have been taken away from him due to circumstances which were out of his hands, but at some point, the NFL is a league draped with the cloud of job security over it, and the front office and coaches need to find "their guy."

Colt McCoy is another Texas legend at the quarterback position, but unlike Griffin, he was only given new opportunities in new jerseys. On his third team, McCoy has a career passer rating of 78.2, but posted a 96.4 effort in five games for Washington last season.

If anyone has had a steeper drop than Griffin, it's been Kirk Cousins. There was once buzz around the theory of trading Cousins for a high draft pick, but with a three-season sample size, it's fair to assume that he's a player on the level of Brian Hoyer, who signed just a two-year deal with the Texans this season as a free agent. He's an okay passer, but he's not someone you'd give up valuable assets for.

21: Chicago Bears

Jim Mone/Associated Press

Starter: Jay Cutler

Backups: Jimmy Clausen, David Fales, Pat Devlin and Shane Carden

Jay Cutler's career has been hopeful and frustrating at every turn. He has a giant arm, but plays outside of structure in a way that Brett Favre emulated backyard football. That's fine in certain occasions, but on first and second down, passers in the NFL need to just take what the defense gives them. Cutler has shown time and time again that he wanted to freelance too often to thrive in that situation.

Still, his contract shackles the Bears for at least the next year, when the money they'll have to eat to drop his contract is significantly lowered. Until then, they live and die with the arm of Cutler.

The next two quarterbacks behind him have interesting backgrounds. Jimmy Clausen was a second-round pick out of Notre Dame, but was only given a year to fight for his career in Carolina before the team drafted Cam Newton with the first overall pick. David Fales is a player with all the smarts and accuracy, but lacks the tools to be a top-20 passer in the league. Both are solid backup options, but I doubt either push Cutler in 2015.

Pat Devlin has bounced around since he was undrafted out of the University of Delaware and appears to be a camp arm who may have a shot to earn his way onto the practice squad. The other quarterback, Shane Carden, is a rookie from East Carolina who is a clone of Bruce Gradkowski. He's probably going to be a player who spends around a decade in the league as a reserve option.

20: Oakland Raiders

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

Starter: Derek Carr

Backups: Christian Ponder, Matt McGloin and Cody Fajardo

As a rookie, Derek Carr proved to be a worthy selection of a second-round pick by the team. If he didn't land in Oakland, there's no telling what their quarterback situation would look like. Still, with limited weapons around him, it was hard to tell just how good he was. He had a very low yards per attempt mark, but with 2015 first-round pick Amari Cooper now looking to catch balls from the former Fresno State Bulldog, one would expect that number to jump.

Now that an aging James Jones isn't his top receiver, the football world will get a better look at who Carr really is. Christian Ponder was added in the offseason, by way of Minnesota. Ponder is a former first-round pick who has legs, but isn't consistent enough to thrive in a west coast offense and doesn't have the arm to win vertically. Ponder is more than likely going to be the name just behind Carr on the depth chart, but Carr shouldn't lose sleep over that fact.

Matt McGloin was an undrafted player from Penn State who wound up as a starter for a stretch in Oakland. He's not a top talent, but he's good enough to hover around the cut mark on the roster. If the Raiders plan on keeping three quarterbacks, he has a good shot at making the team, but the benefit to keeping a third passer has dropped over the past couple of years due to rule changes for inactive throwers.

The last quarterback on the depth chart at this point is Cody Fajardo, an undrafted rookie from Nevada. He's a shorter dual-threat type, and Fajardo's final position might even be as a slot receiver or a defensive back. It will be interesting to see how his career plays out, but if he's in Oakland in 2015, I'd bet it's on the practice squad as a scout team passer who can mimic running quarterbacks.

19: San Francisco 49ers

Tony Avelar/Associated Press

Starter: Colin Kaepernick

Backups: Blaine Gabbert and Dylan Thompson

There was a point in Colin Kaepernick's career when we thought he was going to be the new mold in the NFL. A dual-threat quarterback who ran some read-option plays in just about every game, he looked unstoppable. He had wheels and a cannon, elite tools that only a handful of passers in the world have.

Still, his regression has been a fascinating one. Does he need a better stable of receivers? Was he only able to produce behind a talented offensive line? He doesn't look like the same passer anymore, and it's hard to pin down why. He's under contract through 2020, but the team would save around $9 million next season by cutting him.

Blaine Gabbert carries the weight of the "bust" label wherever he goes. Coming out of Missouri, some thought that he was a better option for teams than Cam Newton. The Jacksonville Jaguars traded up to acquire Gabbert, and within a few years he was shipped out of town for a late round pick. He might be an okay backup, but with Jim Harbaugh, the noted quarterback whisperer, now at the University of Michigan, the 49ers probably should have looked for a more consistent option behind Kaepernick.

The other passer on the roster is Dylan Thompson, a University of South Carolina product. The undrafted rookie probably won't make the roster, but should fill the need for another camp arm, and he has a strong shot at making the practice squad. If San Francisco should suffer injuries to Kaepernick and Gabbert, they need someone near the franchise to bring up.

18: Tennessee Titans

Eugene Tanner/Associated Press

Starter: Marcus Mariota

Backups: Zach Mettenberger, Charlie Whitehurst and Alex Tanney

Marcus Mariota was the second overall pick by the Tennessee Titans in this last draft. Coming out of Oregon's spread system, there are questions to how he translates to the professional game, but sitting with a 3-25 record in his last 28 games, head coach Ken Whisenhunt needs to do something to prove that he deserves to stick around the NFL.

Mariota has the ability to rip the ball into space and take off and run also, but his ability to diagnose "NFL open" compared to "college open" might be his biggest transition. Still, it would be pretty shocking if a pick as valuable as the second overall didn't start at the most important position in the sport.

Behind him is Zach Mettenberger, a tall quarterback with a rocket launcher, but he has slow feet and has a history of injuries. He's a developmental player, but is there a point to a "build-a-quarterback" when Mariota is already on the roster? Mettenberger probably ends up leaving Tennessee in a year and competes for a low level starting job somewhere else.

The final two quarterbacks have interesting narratives. Charlie Whitehurst, oddly enough, was once "the man" in Seattle. He's proven to be a solid backup, but he's not a player you want calling plays in the huddle for 16 games. Alex Tanney is known more for his trick shot videos than his NFL legacy, but he might have the ability to make the team's practice squad.

17: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

Starter: Jameis Winston

Backups: Mike Glennon and Seth Lobato

Tampa Bay's new starting quarterback might have been the most talked about prospect in a long time. With the first overall pick, the squad took Jameis Winston, who won a national title during his freshman year and declared as a sophomore, a rarity for quarterbacks.

Winston came from a pro-style offense at Florida State which will prepare him for the NFL, but he needs to tone down his interceptions, which forced him to play from behind often in the regular season, despite coming out of ACC play unscathed. He is the top quarterback, and he rightfully should be.

The quarterback behind Winston is Mike Glennon. Glennon is known as the passer who North Carolina State passed Russell Wilson up for during his senior season. Glennon is a statue pocket passers, but he lacks the big arm you'd like to see in someone his size. He might compete for a starting job down the line with another team, but he's a high quality backup in Tampa.

The last quarterback on the roster is Seth Lobato, an undrafted second-year player from Northern Colorado. Like Glennon, he's a giant pocket passer, but he also has the ability to move around a bit. He's either going to be a third quarterback on the roster by a fairly wide margin or end up on the practice squad.

16: Philadelphia Eagles

Matt Slocum/Associated Press

Starter: Sam Bradford

Backups: Mark Sanchez, Matt Barkley, Time Tebow and G.J. Kinne

While everyone expected a move for Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, Chip Kelly instead "settled" for Sam Bradford. Bradford was sent to the Eagles via a trade from the St. Louis Rams, who had previously selected him first overall. Bradford is an above quarterback when healthy, but that "when" should be heavily stressed.

Behind him are two former USC Trojans in Mark Sanchez and Matt Barkley. Sanchez was a former first-round pick by the New York Jets, but didn't prove to be worth a long-term investment as a starter. As a second passer, there's hard to ask for better, but he's not starting material for 16 games.

Barkley was once thought of as an elite quarterback, but his "draft stock" dropped during his senior season. He wound up as a Day 3 selection and has been buried in the depth chart in Philadelphia since. The most talked about quarterback on the roster is Tim Tebow, the former Heisman winner who looks to be a red zone specialist for the team.

All the way in the fifth quarterback slot is G.J. Kinne. He's a camp arm who may make the practice squad, but with four passers ahead of him, that seems unlikely.

15: Miami Dolphins

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

Starter: Ryan Tannehill

Backups: Matt Moore, Josh Freeman and McLeod Bethel-Thompson

Ryan Tannehill looks to be the future of the franchise. In Miami's spread system, his dual-threat ability is a premium, but he still can't hit the deep ball. In some ways, he's a plus version of Alex Smith, but he's on the fringe of Super Bowl run barometer.

In the coming years, Tannehill's "stock" in the NFL will be entrenched, but at this point, despite him being on his second contract, it's hard to tell just what he's going to evolve into. Behind him are two solid passers, but neither should press him for playing time anytime soon.

Matt Moore is a quality backup who might be able to battle for a low level starting gig elsewhere in the league, but is stuck behind Tannehill as a quality backup. The third quarterback is currently Josh Freeman, who had a historical spiral in Tampa Bay after looking like a franchise passer for a stretch.

McLeod Bethel-Thompson has bounced around the league as a low level passer, and that's probably what he is to the Dolphins. It's a stretch to imagine him on the roster if Freeman can hold his own and look like his old self, but there's still a slight shot he makes it to opening day do to Freeman's volitility as a thrower.

14: Detroit Lions

Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

Starter: Matthew Stafford

Backups: Kellen Moore, Dan Orlovsky and Anthony Boone

Detroit's starter is the one they've had for a long time now: Matthew Stafford. Stafford was the former first overall pick of the squad. He's something between Jay Cutler and Brett Favre at this point: A high-variance passer who can create on his own, but will lose some games for his squad down the line, too.

The second quarterback on the depth chart is Kellen Moore, an undrafted player from Boise State. He's been noted for his mental ability, but his pure tools are some of the lowest active in the league. Moore is someone you'd want in your quarterbacks room in-season, but not someone you want off the sideline during regular season.

Dan Orlovsky is a bit infamous in Detroit, as he led the 0-16 team which eventually led to the selection to Stafford. As a third quarterback, he's a quality option, though. The memories of him in Michigan will always surround the season when he ran out of the end zone for a safety.

The final quarterback on the depth chart is Anthony Boone, an undrafted rookie from Duke. Coached under Dave Cutcliffe, who molded the Manning brothers in college, Boone has some ability, but he shouldn't have goal set above being a camp arm or a practice squad passer.

13: Baltimore Ravens

Elise Amendola/Associated Press

Starter: Joe Flacco

Backups: Matt Schaub, Bryn Renner and Jerry Lovelocke

While Joe Flacco has proven that he can win a Super Bowl for his squad, the question surrounding his "elite" status is still an open book. Flacco is a passer who lives and dies with his ability to vertically stretch a defense, which can provide for massive production against certain teams, but causes him to struggle against others.

As a whole, he needs to build up more consistency in his game, but he does more than enough to be considered a franchise passer. He's solidified in the top half of the league as a quarterback.

The thrower behind the Super Bowl winner is Matt Schaub, who is best known as the Houston Texans' long-time starter, but he's had a rough stretch recently. Now, he's known as a player who consistently throws pick-sixes. Schaub is still a quality backup, but he's not a top-30 quarterback, which is mandatory to see consistent playing time in the NFL.

The third and fourth quarterbacks on the roster are fringe-rosterable players. Bryn Renner was undrafted out of North Carolina, but showed potential with the Tar Heels. Before his senior year, he was highly thought of, but his flaws were "exposed" during his last year.

Jerry Lovelocke, the final quarterback, is an undrafted passer from Pierre View A&M. He does enough to be a developmental type, but as a practice squad body, not a player on a 53-man roster.

12: Carolina Panthers

Ted S. Warren/Associated Press

Starter: Cam Newton

Backups: Derek Anderson and Joe Webb

Cam Newton, the former first overall pick of the Carolina Panthers, hasn't had much help during his tenure as a quarterback. Now that the front-seven of the squad seems to be set, though, the team is investing more for pieces around Newton, who should progress more.

Newton still has some tendencies of a spread quarterback, like throwing high balls due to throwing off of his back foot, but with receivers like Kelvin Benjamin and Devin Funchess now on the roster, those flaws should be hidden. Overall, look for Newton to take big steps toward being an elite passer in the coming years.

The thrower behind Newton is Derek Anderson, who once was "the guy" in Cleveland after developing as a late round pick out of Oregon State. Anderson is widely considered as one of the top backups in the league, posting a 100-plus quarterback rating in his four years in Carolina. It wouldn't be shocking if he took over as a starter for another team in a year or two.

Joe Webb was a starting quarterback for a short time in Minnesota, but proved he didn't have the talent to be a top-30 passer in the league. A dual-threat, he's a change of pace passer for if Newton and Anderson go down, emulating lesser, but similar, skills to Newton.

11: Minnesota Vikings

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

Starter: Teddy Bridgewater

Backups: Shaun Hill, Mike Kafka and Taylor Heinicke

Teddy Bridgewater looks to be the future of the franchise for the Minnesota Vikings. Despite slow growth, he had the best rookie season of any quarterback from the 2013 and 2014 draft classes. He's very efficient as an underneath thrower and struggles a bit with his deep balls, but so did Tom Brady when he was younger.

He seems to already have picked up Norv Turner's playbook well, and should be even better next year. It shouldn't surprise anyone if he quickly jumped into the top-10 quarterback conversation.

Directly following him on the depth chart is Shaun Hill, who has spent most of his time as a quality backup. In Minnesota, he should fill the same role, should Bridgewater's smaller frame go down with injury. Hill is the type of player who can keep a team competitive for three or four games before defenses get enough tape to pick apart his flaws in Turner's system.

Mike Kafka is a player who has been tabbed as a future coach, someone who is very intelligent, but doesn't have the skill set to having staying power in the NFL. He might make the squad if the team feels they need a third quarterback, but those roles have become fewer and fewer as the NFL has changed their rules on inactive third passers over the years.

Taylor Heinicke sits at the bottom of the depth chart. Heinicke was a "poor man's Johnny Manziel" for Old Dominion. He's a dual-threat player who can switch up a defense when he enters the game, but at this point, he's too raw to see the field on purpose.

10: Atlanta Falcons

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

Starter: Matt Ryan

Backups: T.J. Yates and Sean Renfree

The Atlanta Falcon's starter, Matt Ryan, has established himself as a force in the NFL. A former first-round pick, he's met his expectations as a professional. He doesn't do well on the deep ball outside of post routes, but he does well enough on first and second down to keep the chains moving.

He has enough skill to win the Super Bowl, but the Falcons must put the talent around him to make a run. Last season, the defense wasn't good enough to keep the offensive afloat, but recent additions may change that for the 2015 version of the squad.

T.J. Yates is the top backup on the roster. Yates was traded to the squad for linebacker Akeem Dent in the summer of 2014. With a career passer rating hovering around 70 points, it's hard to imagine he's more than just a second passer on any squad.

The final passer on the roster is Sean Renfree, a 2013 seventh-round pick from Duke. He has still yet to throw a live pass in the NFL, and looks to be a player who hovers on the practice squad level at this point in his career.

9: Arizona Cardinals

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

Starter: Carson Palmer

Backups: Drew Stanton, Logan Thomas, Chandler Harnish and Phillip Sims

Before his injury last season, Carson Palmer looked like a top-10 quarterback in the NFL. He has a giant arm, which fits perfectly into Bruce Arian's offense, and his veteran intelligence is top notch. Expect a repeat of that performance in 2015.

Palmer was the former first overall pick, but after an injury in Cincinnati, he never looked quite the same. Then a poor season led to him demanding a trade, which landed him in Oakland, where he had a cup of coffee before his arrival in Arizona, where he looked like the player who was worth the Heisman trophy.

Drew Stanton is one of the oddest quarterbacks in the league. Though most franchises press their players too quickly into starting roles, Stanton was taken in the second round and never really had an opportunity to win a starting job, as Matthew Stafford was chosen to be "the guy" in Detroit. He did well in replacement for Palmer, but also was injured to end the season.

The quarterback most likely to make the roster after those two is Logan Thomas, who was drafted on Day 3 out of Virginia Tech last season. He has all the ability to be a quarterback like Ben Roethlisberger, but none of the polish. He's as raw as they come, but could develop into a gem down the line.

The other two passers on the roster probably won't make the cut for the 53-man team. Chandler Harnish is a dual-threat from Northern Illinois who was Mr. Irrelevant in 2012. Phillip Sims is an undrafted rookie from Winston-Salem State, but previously played at Virginia and Alabama.

8: San Diego Chargers

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Starter: Philip Rivers

Backups: Kellen Clemens, Brad Sorensen and Cole Stoudt

After an offseason of rumor linking Philip Rivers to former San Diego Chargers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt, Rivers looks to be the starter in southern California, at least for 2015. In 2016, he'll be a free agent, but Rivers seems willing to bet on his skills, which made him a legitimate MVP candidate early on in 2014.

Rivers' game ages very well, as he's an intelligent passer, not one who relies on his physical skill. At 33 years old, he still has plenty in the tank to play through at least one more contract.

There are two quarterbacks behind him who are in a real competition to battle for the second job. Kellen Clemens is a former top quarterback out of Oregon who plays similarly to Rivers. On the other had, Brad Sorensen is the passer who has some upside and youth.

Cole Stoudt is an undrafted rookie out of Clemson who was a part-time starter during his senior season in college. At this point, it's hard to imagine he's anything more than a practice squad passer or a camp arm.

7: Pittsburgh Steelers

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

Starter: Ben Roethlisberger

Backups: Bruce Gradkowski, Landry Jones, Tajh Boyd and Tyler Murphy

Ben Roethlisberger has won multiple rings and just signed an extension. If anyone thinks he's not the future face of the Steelers, they're severely mistaken. Nearly cracking 5,000 yards last season through the air, no one is in a position to complain about his production as a starter.

The second passer on the depth chart is Bruce Gradkowski. Gradkowski is a veteran backup who is a top-45 quarterback in the league, just good enough to consistently earn new contract, but never compete for a starting job. With him sitting behind Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh has nothing to worry about.

The likely third quarterback is Landry Jones, who was drafted out of Oklahoma in 2013 in the fourth round. Once a draft media darling, Jones has proved little to nothing as a professional and is on the fringe of not making the roster cut. He has a nice frame, but at 26 years old, he's probably maxed out physically.

The last two passers on the list are Tajh Boyd, who was a sixth-round pick last season by the Jets, and Tyler Murphy, who finished his college career with the Boston College Eagles last season after transferring from Florida. Murphy is currently in the conversion process to be a receiver, and Boyd played in the FXFL last season after not making the Jets' opening day roster. Neither appear to be a threat to either Gradkowski or Jones.

6: Dallas Cowboys

Matt Ludtke/Associated Press

Starter: Tony Romo

Backups: Brandon Weeden, Dustin Vaughan and Jameill Showers

After a major back injury jeopardized his career, Tony Romo put up a great season for the Cowboys in 2014. Throwing only nine interceptions, tied for his fewest in 15 or more games in a season, he looks to have taken that next step while at the same time aging, a rarity in today's NFL.

Behind what looks to be the best offensive line in the NFL, he's turned the Dallas offense into one which can contend for a Super Bowl title. Do not be surprised if Romo leads the league in an any or all major passing categories in 2015.

Brandon Weeden is known for being the 28-year-old rookie that the Cleveland Browns drafted in the first round. Weeden didn't spend much time in Cleveland, quickly moving on to Dallas, where he became a backup. That's probably his best role in the NFL, but at least he has had plenty of live experience, which not many backups can say they have.

Dustin Vaughan and Jameill Showers are Texas college quarterbacks just looking for a crack to show what they have. Vaughan played at West Texas A&M, a small school, while Showers nearly beat out Johnny Manziel for the starting job at Texas A&M before he transferred to UTEP. Vaughan has the better tools of the two, as he has a strong arm and can move very well, which probably gives him a nod on cut day.

5: Seattle Seahawks

Doug Benc/Associated Press

Starter: Russell Wilson

Backups: B.J. Daniels and R.J. Archer

Coming out of college, Russell Wilson was labeled as "too small" to be a starting passer. At the NFL level, though, he's had no such issue. Wilson went from a third-round pick to a Super Bowl champions in a short time period.

Wilson's rookie contract also was the most valuable deal in the NFL since his addition to the Seahawks. Throwing only seven interceptions in 2014, he's one of the safest passers in the league, only throwing deep in easy one-on-one situations. Instead of forcing long throws, he makes plays with his legs to by himself and his receivers some more time to break free.

After him, the unit becomes a little shaky. B.J. Daniels is a player with limited experience in the NFL. Some even tabbed Daniels as a fullback prospect when he came out of South Florida, but, surprisingly, he was drafted late in the 2013 draft. Ideally, you'd like to see a more talented player behind Wilson, but the top passer has plenty of staying power.

R.J. Archer is the only other passer on the roster. Archer is a virtual unknown, last playing in the Arena Football League two years ago. It's a long shot to expect Archer, who going to be 28 years old when the season starts, to be anything more than an emergency passer.

4: Indianapolis Colts

Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

Starter: Andrew Luck

Backups: Matt Hasselbeck and Bryan Bennett

The top prospect in the 2012 NFL draft was Andrew Luck of Stanford. A fortune was spent on the second overall pick: Robert Griffin III. One has to assume that the price tag for Luck would have been worth at least another more first-round pick.

Luck has met his goals early on, too. Just one year ago, he was only a few games from winning a Super Bowl with an Indianapolis Colts team which largely leans on him. At this point, it's hard to make the case that he's anything other than the future face of the NFL.

Luck's backup, Matt Hasselbeck, was a long-time starter with the Seattle Seahawks. He's now one of the top backups in the league, providing veteran leadership in the quarterbacks room for Luck to bounce ideas off of. Because of that trait, there's a good shot that the team only rolls with two passers heading into the 2015 regular season.

Bryan Bennett is also on the roster. He's best known as the quarterback who Marcus Mariota beat out for the starting job at Oregon. Bennett then transferred to Southeastern Louisiana, playing as a starter for his final two years in college. He's a dual-threat passer who may transition to the defensive backfield later on, but for now he's a quarterback.

3: Denver Broncos

Joe Mahoney/Associated Press

Starters: Peyton Manning

Backups: Brock Osweiler, Zac Dysert and Trevor Siemian

Despite his rapidly declining arm, Peyton Manning is still one of the most efficient passers in the game. The one issue he gets hung up on now is late playoff runs when defenses for him to win on third and long, where he can't win with either his arm or his legs. After well over a decade in the league, though, his mental edge is better than anyone's.

Manning almost threw for 5,000 yards as a 38-year-old last season, which would have been an amazing feat. Throwing 39, 55 and 37 touchdowns since joining the Broncos, he's more than fine as far as putting points on the board goes. His 15 interceptions are his third-highest mark since 2002, though, which may raise concerns, but even a 2.5 interception percentage isn't much in today's NFL.

The second quarterback for the Broncos is Brock Osweiler, who was drafted as a developmental quarterback like Colin Kaepernick. Unfortunately for Osweiler, he hasn't seen the field much. He's a dual-threat, but it's hard to tell what he is when Manning seemingly wants to stay on the field, even during blowouts.

Zac Dysert was a player who many in the draft community liked coming into the 2013 draft cycle, but he was drafted in the seventh round out of Miami (Ohio) and hasn't thrown an NFL pass. On the other hand, Trevor Siemian is an undrafted rookie out of Northwestern who is a virtual unknown, but should provide his talents as a camp arm.

2: New England Patriots

David Goldman/Associated Press

Starters: Tom Brady

Backups: Jimmy Garoppolo and Garrett Gilbert

After four Super Bowl championships and 10 Pro Bowls, it's fair to say that Brady is at least a top-two quarterback in this era of the NFL with Peyton Manning, if he's not the best. Adding another Lombardi to New England's trophy case last season, he posted a 97.4 quarterback rating for the year, consistent with his 95.9 career rating.

He might be suspended for four games due to Deflategate, but when he gets back on the field, he's going to be a force. A rested Brady, one which has a more live arm later in the playoff, may even prove to be beneficial for the Patriots down the line.

The other two quarterbacks on the New England roster are second-year players who are inexperienced. The de facto starter if Brady is suspended is Jimmy Garoppolo, who was drafted in the second round last season out of Eastern Illinois, the FCS school which Tony Romo went to. In 2014, he threw just 27 passes, giving a small sample size to judge the then rookie off of.

The final passer is Garrett Gilbert, who first played at the University of Texas before transferring to Southern Methodist University. He has a giant arm, but he's never been coached on how to use it in a pro sense, as SMU's then head coach, June Jones, ran a wide open air raid system in Dallas. He was drafted by St. Louis in the seventh round last season, but ended his year in New England.

1: Green Bay Packers

Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

Starter: Aaron Rodgers

Backups: Scott Tolzien, Brett Hundley and Matt Blanchard

Aaron Rodgers is the reining MVP in the National Football League. It's hard to make the case that he's not the most talented player at the most important position in the sport. After throwing for 38 touchdowns and just five interceptions, his 112.2 quarterback rating was the second-best in his successful career.

The Packers were lucky to have Rodgers in the waiting immediately after Brett Favre retired. Considering his age, the team should have five to six more quality years out of the passer. In short, there's no reason why the squad should need to move on from the quarterback for what feels like an eternity in football years.

Scott Tolzien is the only returning veteran behind Rodgers, but he hasn't seen the field since 2013. In his four-year NFL career, he's only seen action in one season. His 66.8 quarterback rating doesn't connote a great backup, but with two years in Mike McCarthy's quarterback camp, he might have improved.

Behind Tolzien are two players who are battling for a spot on the roster. Brett Hundley was drafted out of UCLA in the fifth round this past draft, and has the tools to be a Colin Kaepenick type of player, but he's going to need plenty of elbow grease to get the job done. Matt Blanchard is a semi-local player from Wisconsin-Whitewater who has bounced around the league the past three years, but he hasn't seen the field in a live game at any stop.