Why not, right? It's the middle of the offseason, and it's tradition around these parts.
So in the space below, we are once again taking a look at the NFL's best QB-RB-WR/TE trios, grading the expected starters at quarterback and running back and their presumed top pass-catcher for the 2024 NFL season. For some teams, it was obvious who would fill each role. For others, less so. Where we had to make judgment calls on which player would start at quarterback or who would be the top target, we did. For the most part, that meant deferring to the rookie quarterback, while the skill-position slot went to the more experienced player unless it was clear that the younger one would be taking a significant step forward. (So for example, the running back for the Titans is Tony Pollard , but for the Lions , it's Jahmyr Gibbs .)
In the space below, you'll see our rankings of these triplets. The first number in parentheses is the team's average ranking based on the votes of several of our staff writers and editors at CBSSports.com, while the second number reflects the high and low end of where our staffers ranked that individual team.
For example, our No. 13 team, the Green Bay Packers had an average ranking of 11.7, with a high ranking of 4 and a low of 16. We have denoted tier breaks in any place where there was a significant gap between the two averages (i.e. the Falcons check in with an average of 15.2, while the aforementioned are at 11.7, so the Packers begin a new tier.
The panel of 12 voters for this season's rankings included myself, Will Brinson, Jeff Kerr, Tyler Sullivan, Jordan Dajani, Bryan DeArdo, Cody Benjamin, Shanna McCarriston, Kevin Steimle, Garrett Podell, R.J. White, Eric Kernish, and Zach Pereles. The rankings reflect the collective wisdom of this crowd, while the corresponding analysis is mine.
We began yesterday with the bottom half of the league , and we finish up today with the top. Without further ado...
We elevated the Falcons into their own tier because unlike all the teams in Part I of the rankings, they got at least one vote in the single-digits. This is right around where I had them in my own rankings (15th), but I have to admit to some skepticism of Cousins' ability to just get right back to his recent level of play so quickly after tearing his Achilles -- especially at his age. Hopefully, the Falcons use Robinson and London (and Kyle Pitts ) more often under their new coaching staff.
Tier 3: Apparent Upside
13. Green Bay Packers (Avg: 11.7, High: 4, Low: 16)
Thanks to Love's debut season, the offseason addition of Jacobs, and the greater certainty about whichever pass-catcher we were going to use in this spot (there was debate between Reed, Christian Watson , Romeo Doubs , and even internet favorite Dontayvion Wicks ), I knew the Packers were going to be one of our biggest risers. I'm a little bit surprised they didn't get even higher than this, given the leaguewide excitement about Love. But as you can see, they did get a vote as high as No. 4, so there's clearly a lot of optimism here.
Despite Prescott and Lamb having the best seasons of their respective careers, the Cowboys took a rather sizable step back in this year's rankings. Obviously, there is less excitement about Dowdle (and/or Ezekiel Elliott ) than there was about Pollard heading into last season, but I think a significant part of Dallas' fall is related to the general dissatisfaction with the team's offseason, which has been pretty disastrous. Dak and CeeDee should again play at a really, really high level, and the Cowboys should probably be a bit higher than this.
It's a bit odd to see Josh Allen's team outside the top five, let alone the top 10, but when you downgrade your top pass-catcher from Stefon Diggs to a second-year tight end who averaged 9.2 yards per reception last year, that's the kind of thing that happens. Still, given Allen's otherworldly talent, it feels like the Bills have a lot of upside beyond where they fall in these rankings.
We made the decision to go with Mostert here, rather than De'Von Achane , because we're looking for each team's presumptive leader at the position. Achane is an absurd talent, but he's also slight and the Dolphins seemingly managed his touches in Year 1, and he still missed a bunch of the season due to an injury. Still, Miami has a lot of explosiveness here; and if they had a more physically talented quarterback (our panel generally thinks Tua is slightly above average; he had a "4" grade in our offensive infrastructure rankings earlier this offseason), the Dolphins might be even higher on the list.
Look, this is just too high for me. (I was one of the two panelists who had New York at No. 13.) Rodgers will turn 41 years old in December, he is coming off a torn Achilles, and it's now been three years since we've seen him play at his peak. Hall made a terrific recovery from his torn ACL and Wilson is a superstar hiding in plain sight due to the horrendous quarterback play he's had to deal with to date, but the uncertainty about what we're actually going to get from Rodgers (and what plane of existence he currently occupies) makes me hesitant to expect big things from the Jets.
The single-biggest riser in our rankings, unsurprisingly, is the Texans. It looked like Stroud had one of the NFL's worst supporting casts heading into last season, but he both rose above it and revealed that Collins is actually a really, really good No. 1 receiver. Throw in Tank Dell and Diggs, and Houston is cooking with gas heading into 2024. Mixon, though, holds the group back a bit. His reputation outpaces his game at this point, as he has now been at 4.1 yards per carry or worse for five straight seasons, with two of those falling below 4.0 per carry.
Imagine telling someone at the top of the Matthew Stafford trade that three seasons later, not only would Goff still be the quarterback of the Lions, not only would the Lions be right next to the Rams in these rankings, but also that Detroit would be widely considered one of the best teams in the NFL. What a world! The Lions keep Goff well protected, and that allows him to get the ball to their cadre of explosive playmakers, with ARSB and Gibbs being two of the three top targets (along with Sam LaPorta ).
Speaking of the Rams... what a rise for L.A. after a wildly disappointing 2022 season. The dual breakout of Williams and Nacua was one of the best stories of 2023, and they, along with Cooper Kupp returning healthy from the injury that limited him last offseason and Stafford being able to stay upright behind a much-improved offensive line, led to an L.A. resurgence. I'll admit to being surprised about that No. 2 vote, but they deserve to be in this group of teams.
At their best, we know the kind of upside a Burrow-led Bengals offense featuring Chase has. But Burrow has now missed significant time in two of his four seasons, and played through injury in another. Coupled with the injury Chase suffered last year and the perceived downgrade from Mixon to Moss, and I suppose it's not surprise to see Cincinnati take a bit of a fall and reside just outside the top group of teams, all of which had at least one vote as the No. 1 trio.
This time last year, we weren't even definitely sure that Purdy would be starting under center for the 49ers, as he was still recovering from elbow surgery and Trey Lance was still on the roster. Then he hit the ground running and emerged as an MVP candidate, with another one of his top targets ( Deebo Samuel ) campaigning for him (and not McCaffrey) down the stretch of the season. San Francisco has an embarrassment of skill-position riches and Purdy is clearly good, but if he had more physical ability and/or if we were using the entire pass-catching corps instead of just one player, San Francisco would surely check in even higher than this.
Hurts took a step backward last season, but he remains extremely talented, and his blend of rushing ability and deep passing make him extremely dangerous. Brown is both an elite deep threat and an elite yards-after-catch creator. Barkley... has a reputation that overshadows his recent production, but he also has not played behind an offensive line as good as Philly's, nor with a quarterback as good as Hurts. If those factors can make him a more consistent runner than the boom-bust type of guy he has been for most of his career, that can add a whole different element to the Eagles offense.
The reigning MVP got himself a new backfield partner. Henry is old for a running back (30), has carried the ball 1,529 times over the last five years, and hit a career-low of 4.2 yards per carry in 2023. But he's also a physical marvel, and like Barkley, has not played behind a good line or with a quarterback as good as Lamar. He's still the type of guy who needs only a sliver of space to devastate a defense. And Andrews is one of the best pass-catching tight ends in the league, and likely still Jackson's top target, even with the emergence of Zay Flowers .
The Chiefs are back where they belong, right at No. 1. Mahomes is the best player in the world. Pacheco is clearly a quality back. And Kelce, even if he has his reps managed during the regular season, remains an absolute stone-cold killer of a receiver when it matters.
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