• Dak Prescott is the most valuable quarterback in the NFL: The Cowboys quarterback leads the league in big-time throw rate through 12 weeks.
• Josh Allen ranks high despite the Bills’ struggles: Allen is on track to record a career-low turnover-worthy play rate.
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Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
It goes without saying that quarterback is the most important position in football, which is shown by how much higher they rank in PFF wins above replacement versus other positions.
With 12 weeks of the 2023 NFL season in the books, we are looking at the most valuable players at the quarterback position, starting with Dallas Cowboys signal-caller Dak Prescott.
1. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Through 12 weeks, the Cowboys quarterback leads all quarterbacks in both PFF grade (92.1) and PFF passing grade (90.8). His 6.9% big-time throw rate is the best among all starters.
2. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
The fifth overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft is having a career year and trails only Prescott in PFF passing grade (90.5). His 25 big-time throws are already seven more than he has ever had in a single season.
3. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
The primary reason why the Bills still have any hope of success this season is that Allen is currently on pace for a career-high PFF passing grade. He has significantly reduced his turnover-worthy play rate, which now sits at 2.3%, with his previous career-best coming in at 3.2%.
4. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
Almost a lock for Offensive Rookie of the Year at this point, Stroud has inserted himself into the MVP race with an incredible rookie season. His 82.9 PFF passing grade trails only six players at the position in 2023.
5. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
Lawrence's 85.7 PFF grade is tied for seventh among quarterbacks through 12 weeks. He’s on pace to post career-high marks in both PFF passing grade and overall grade and has taken another step forward in 2023.
6. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
The third-highest-graded player at the position this season, Mahomes is being impacted by what he has around him. The Chiefs signal-caller has produced a 7.2-yard average target depth, on track for a career-low, and the 20 drops by his receivers are tied for third-most at the position.
7. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Herbert is on track to post a career-worst turnover-worthy play rate, but that mark of 2.6% is still the fourth-best in the league this season. His 4.9% big-time throw rate would be tied for a career-high if the season ended today.
8. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Dak Prescott is the only quarterback in the NFL with a better turnover-worthy play rate than Stafford (1.7%) through 12 weeks. He started the season strong, producing 18 big-time throws in the first six games, but he has just three over his past four games.
9. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
Two of Goff's three worst performances have come in the past three weeks, but he is still on track for his highest-graded season since 2018 — when he went to the Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams.
10. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings
Cousins was having one of the best seasons of his career before it was ended by injury. His 2.3% turnover-worthy play rate from the 2023 campaign is the best mark of his career.
11. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Jackson ranked far higher earlier in the season, but his three lowest-graded games of the year have come in the past five weeks. After racking up 14 big-time throws in the first seven games of the season, he has just three in the past five.
12. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
Hurts has posted a 2.7% turnover-worthy play rate in 2023, higher than his 1.8% rate from last season, but he’s also delivered a career-best 6.1% big-time throw rate.
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