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If you asked any of the NFL analysts on social media or listened to any NFL specific podcast a year ago, there wasn’t as much positivity going into 2017 about the Los Angeles Rams’ offense and the captain of that offense, QB Jared Goff.
Then the 2017 shockseason occurred, and not only did the Rams resemble a capable offense from the first game of the season but Goff continually improved throughout the season. Instead of resembling the bust many proclaimed him to be heading into the season, he looked like the Rams’ solution for a long-term franchise quarterback.
With all that recapped, the guys at Bleacher Report scouted the NFL quarterbacks and ranked them based on various categories recently, and oh what a difference a year makes:
9. Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams
Accuracy: 20/25
Arm: 20/25
Under Pressure: 17/20
Decision-Making: 17/20
Position Value: 10/10
Overall Grade: 84/100
After being selected with the first overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft, Jared Goff seemed like he might be hit with the bust label after seven ineffective starts. Under the tutelage of new head coach Sean McVay, however, Goff flourished in 2017.
The second-year signal-caller took an impressive leap forward with respect to reading the field and showing anticipation on his throws, and he helped propel the Rams to the playoffs for the first time since 2004. Goff also displayed great feel and footwork in the pocket—something that was a point of debate during the predraft process.
He made mistakes, and at times, he was slow to get the ball out, leading to interceptions or strip-sacks. But the huge developmental leap Goff took from Year 1 to Year 2 cannot be denied.
—NFL1000 QB Scout Mark Schofield
There is no better example of the value of good coaching through the 2017 season than Goff’s transformative year.
With McVay defining his reads—and making it clear that Goff would benefit from a first-read open receiver on nearly every play—the signal-caller became far more comfortable and productive than he ever could have been in 2016 under then-head coach Jeff Fisher and his offensive coordinator, Rob Boras.
He’ll be a product of McVay’s system in the short term; how Goff is able to transcend it over time is what will become really interesting.
—NFL1000 Lead Scout Doug Farrar
This ranking was pretty interesting to me, I have not had a chance to watch enough of the other quarterbacks in the NFL in 2017, yet. Seeing Goff ranked above Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan, Los Angeles Chargers QB Philip Rivers and former Washington QB Kirk Cousins was a slight surprise. It also appears to be the beginning of a new guard in the NFL with Carolina Panthers QB Cam Newton and Philadelphia Eagles QB Carson Wentz finishing ahead of Goff in the top 10.
The most interesting part of this evaluation is that there is still a lot that Goff can improve on which could translate to him consistently finishing in top ten or higher on these types of list.