Next Man Up: Ranking The NFL's Backup Quarterbacks

With training camp nearly a week away, and nothing better to do, I spent last night compiling my 2010 pre-training camp backup quarterback power rankings. Yeah, backups. Here's my best shot.

1. Minnesota Vikings: Tarvaris Jackson - In my opinion, Jackson is better than a lot of starting quarterbacks in the NFL. Jackson has appeared more mature since Favre arrived in Minnesota, and his accuracy has definitely improved.

2. Philadelphia Eagles: Michael Vick - Vick played well with the limited passes he threw last season. Vick has a strong arm, but he lacks great leadership and accuracy, and his decision making (obviously) is not very strong.

3. Baltimore Ravens: Marc Bulger - Bulger's stats have not looked pretty recently, but I don't think many quarterbacks could put up strong numbers in the Rams supporting cast. Bulger should preform much better behind the Ravens strong offensive line.

4. Tennessee Titans: Kerry Collins - Collins has a strong arms, and some powerful leadership, but he failed to add a spark to the Titans offense in 2009. His accuracy could be better. Collins has a very easy-to-catch spiral.

5. Miami Dolphins: Chad Pennington - Pennington is one of the best game managers in the league, and I won't forget to mention his laser accuracy, but his arm strength is very questionable.

6. San Diego Chargers: Billy Volek - Volek does not have the strongest arm, and he lacks great size, but he has solid experience and a very good grasp of the Chargers' offense. He is a very smart player.

7. Dallas Cowboys: Jon Kitna - Kitna is the most experienced backup quarterback in the NFL, but he is not the best. The Cowboys offense would not have to make much changes if Kitna had to replace Tony Romo.

8. Detroit Lions: Shaun Hill - Hill is a very hardworking player. His 2-1 touchdown-interception ratio is impressive considering most of his action was in San Francisco. Before 2009, he had a 7-3 record as a starter.

9. Cleveland Browns: Seneca Wallace - Wallace had some impressive games in Seattle, but he might have trouble putting up those numbers with the Browns receiving corp. Wallace has solid arm strength and the best mobility in the game.

10. Seattle Seahawks: J.P. Losman - Losman will face heavy competition from Charlie Whitehurst to be the Seahawks No. 2 behind Matt Hasselbeck. Losman spent 2009 in the United Football League.

11. Pittsburgh Steelers: Byron Leftwich - Leftwich will probably start the season as the Steelers starting quarterback due to Ben Roethlisberger's suspension. He has a strong arm, but he has been unpredictable in his career.

12. San Francisco 49ers: David Carr - Carr played well in limited action in New York, and it seems like he plays much better without pressure.

13. Arizona Cardinals: Derek Anderson - Anderson has a rocket arm and he has proved that he can be a starter in the NFL, but his accuracy is very poor. He has solid experience and has quality leadership traits.

14. Atlanta Falcons: Chris Redman - Redman is a capable veteran who can fire passes into tight windows.

15. Cincinnati Bengals: J.T. O'Sullivan - O'Sullivan has some starting experience, but his accuracy and decision making lead to interceptions.

16. St. Louis Rams: Sam Bradford - It would be sad if the most expensive player in NFL history was not one of the top half backup quarterbacks as a rookie.

17. Washington Redskins: Rex Grossman - Grossman did not play well last season, but he has some physical traits of a solid NFL quarterback. Don't forget that he lead his team to a Super Bowl.

18. Buffalo Bills: Ryan Fitzpatrick - Fitzpartrick has a solid arm, but his accuracy is questionable. He is a solid backup, but he has a tendency to throw interceptions.

19. Houston Texans: Dan Orlovsky - Orlovsky has some talent, but he was not able to beat out Rex Grossman last season. Orlovsky is best know for his boneheaded safety against the Minnesota Vikings.

20. Jacksonville Jaguars: Luke McCown - Rumors swirled this off season that McCown would compete with David Garrard to start at quarterback. Those rumors were not true; Garrard is obviously the better quarterback. McCown is smart and athletic.

21. Kansas City Chiefs: Brodie Croyle - I keep hearing good things out of Kansas City about Croyle. He probably was put into the lineup too early under Herm Edwards. I think he could one day be an NFL starter.

22. Oakland Raiders: Bruce Gradkowski - Gradkowski played well last season considering his surroundings, but he does not have a whole lot of experience and he has not always been very consistent. Gradkowski has solid mobility, but he lacks a great arm and is coming off a serious injury.

23. Denver Broncos: Brady Quinn - Quinn was a very streaky passer in Cleveland, but a change of scenery could help. Quinn has a strong arm and a great physical makeup, but Cleveland has scared him.

24. New York Jets: Kellen Clemens - I don't expect Clemens to make the Jets roster, but as of now, he is their second quarterback. Clemens is fairly accurate, but he lacks a strong arm and looks uncomfortable in the pocket.

25. New York Giants: Jim Sorgi - Sorgi compiled a great completion percentage and quarterback rating in Indianapolis, but if you look at his game tape, most of his passes were short dump offs.

26. New England Patriots: Brian Hoyer - Hoyer is a smart player and he put up good numbers last season, but I don't think that he could play well under pressure. Hoyer is a smart and hard-working player who could be a longtime NFL backup.

27. Carolina Panthers: Jimmy Clausen - I am very cautious about ranking Clausen any higher because he has not even beat out Hunter Cantwell yet.

28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Josh Johnson -Johnson is a very raw player, and he looked very bad last season. The good news is he is very young and very athletic.

29. Green Bay Packers: Matt Flynn - Flynn has shown improvement in each of his first two NFL seasons.

30. Chicago Bears: Caleb Hanie - The Bears like Hanie, and it seems like they will stick with him as their second quarterback again in 2010. Hanie's passing ability comes into question, but he has solid mobility.

31. Indianapolis Colts: Curtis Painter - Painter looked horrible in his Colts debut in 2010. He looked shaky in the pocket and his accuracy and arm strength is not top notch, but he is smart enough to have a career in the NFL.

32. New Orleans Saints: Chase Daniel - Daniel has no NFL experience, and it should be that way. He has no business being a No. 2 quarterback in the NFL.