Business Insider India has updated its Privacy and Cookie policy. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the better experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we\'ll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Business Insider India website. However, you can change your cookie setting at any time by clicking on our Cookie Policy at any time. You can also see our Privacy Policy.
Football season is nearly upon us, and several teams are still wondering who will be leading their offense in when kickoff comes in September. Quarterback has become the most important position in the NFL and having a quality signal-caller can make all the difference when it comes to staying competitive.
After months worth of speculation, five rookie quarterbacks were selected in the first three rounds of the 2019 NFL Draft and they could all see playing time at some point this year.
Of course, we wont know for sure how the picks played out until the season is underway, but "Madden 20," the top NFL video game, has preliminary ratings of this year's quarterback class based on their college performance and combine stats. The game won't be out until August 1, but Electronic Arts has revealed its ratings for this year's rookies.
The Giants surprised many when they chose Jones with the No. 6 overall pick in this year's draft. Analysts had projected Jones as a late first-round or second-round pick, but he was the second quarterback taken in the draft.
Eli Manning will still be the Giants' starting quarterback when the season begins, but Jones could see playing time if he shows strides in his development and the Giants have an underwhelming start.
5. Tyree Jackson, Buffalo Bills — 64 overall
The Bills are still hoping that Josh Allen, last year's No. 7 overall pick, will be their quarterback of the future, but the team signed former University at Buffalo quarterback Tyree Jackson in April after he went undrafted.
Jackson was the 2018 Offensive Player of the Year in the Mid-American Conference and managed to earn a better "Madden" rating than Jones, the 6th overall pick.
4. Will Grier, Carolina Panthers — 66 overall
While the Panthers already have their franchise quarterback in Cam Newton, the former MVP was plagued by shoulder injuries last year.
Drafting Grier in the third round gives the team some extra security, and the former West Virginia University star could eventually develop into a quality talent.
3. Drew Lock, Denver Broncos — 67 overall
John Elway has struggled to draft a franchise quarterback during his tenure as the Broncos general manager; both Paxton Lynch and Trevor Simian failed to establish themselves as reliable NFL starters after being drafted in consecutive years.
At University of Missouri, Lock was a stand-out quarterback in the highly competitive SEC, facing off against top college teams like Alabama, Georgia, and Florida.
2. Dwayne Haskins, Washington Redskins — 72 overall
Haskins was drafted 15th overall after a dominant 2018 season at Ohio State University. Haskins set Big 10 conference records for passing yards and touchdowns, and was the 2019 Rose Bowl MVP.
After drafting Haskins, Washington now has five quarterbacks on the roster, which should make for some interesting competition. Veteran Alex Smith is expected to miss the 2019 season after fracturing his fibula and tibia midway through 2018, and his replacement, Colt McCoy, is also recovering from a fractured tibia.
According to ESPN, 27 players have started at quarterback for Washington in the 27 seasons since they last won the Super Bowl in 1991.
1. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals — 73 overall
Unsurprisingly, this year's No. 1 draft pick is also the top-rated rookie quarterback in "Madden 20."
Murray dazzled fans and scouts alike with an amazing season that earned him a Heisman Trophy, college football's top individual honor. Though Murray briefly considered leaving football for a Major League Baseball career with the Oakland A's, the Cardinals made it clear that Murray was their most coveted prospect.
He'll mostly likely step into the Cardinal's starting quarterback role right away, since Arizona traded Josh Rosen, last year's No. 10 pick, to the Miami Dolphins.
