Who Has The Strongest Arm In The NFL? Power Ranking All 32 Projected Starting Quarterbacks Based On Pure Arm Strength

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It’s always fun to debate about quarterbacks, isn’t it? Football fans booze themselves up at stadiums or bars across America alike, sparking dialogue that can drag on for time immemorial about who’s “elite” who’s a “franchise QB” and what have you.

In glimpsing my beloved Cincinnati Bengals surefire elite quarterback Joe Burrow delivering this dime in training camp, it struck me: His arm strength is slept on.

Wouldn’t you know it, I got quite a bit of blowback from haters insisting that Joey B has a noodle arm, when really the perception of his abilities is warped by the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Justin Herbert, and other generationally freaky specimens in the sport.

That brings us to now. If we had to rank all 32 of the projected starting QBs in 2024 by arm strength alone, how would they stack up? Understand that in many instances, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, there are only so many cutups I can spam you with, and we’re really probably splitting hairs from about Nos. 29 through 20, and from 17th to No. 8 before we get to the true cannon-armed field generals.

Good-enough setup. Will try to keep this succinct so that you can race to the comments and flame me.

32. Gardner Minshew, Las Vegas Raiders

Maybe Aidan O’Connell beats out Gardner Minshew for the Raiders’ starting job. His arm is bigger than Minshew’s, but I just feel like Vegas needs the more diminutive, free-wheeling signal-caller as QB1 to keep 2024 interesting. Minshew can buy time with his legs, and has just enough juice in that arm to be a spot starter.

One thing to bear in mind as we get started here: Arm strength doesn’t necessarily translate to deep accuracy (20+ yard throws). Minshew has actually flashed well in that area throughout his career. However, to me, he clearly has the weakest arm among expected starters.

31. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers

Don’t need to spend much time on the smallest QB in NFL history. Bryce Young showed an advanced football IQ, stellar accuracy and exotic out-of-structure playmaking ability at Alabama. Notice how “arm strength” wasn’t listed as one of his best attributes there. That was self-evident during his rocky rookie campaign in Carolina. We’ll see if he can pump some iron and get a little better in that department. Not holding my breath, though.

30. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers

Another instance of somebody who can air it out deep with excellent accuracy but doesn’t have that extra gear for the true “wow” throws. All of Brock Purdy’s “wow” factor comes from how well he plays with anticipation. There are occasional pinpoint dots down the field, such as the clip that ends this section. Still, Purdy turned down a few too many longer tosses in 2023 that could’ve been the difference for the 49ers winning the Lombardi Trophy. I think that’s part of the reason why Brandon Aiyuk wants to play elsewhere.

29. Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons

Here’s where we start getting a little granular. You could shuffle around the next eight or so guys in any order.

For me, Captain Kirk Cousins has plenty of arm to “make all the throws” to use common NFL parlance. Maybe it’s because he’s such a pure pocket passer and can’t really move, especially coming off a torn Achilles. I don’t know. I guess that caps his upside and ability to showcase off-platform throws, which can be a big help in determining how strong somebody’s arm is.

The best instance of velocity on a tight-window throw I could find from Cousins was from quite a few years ago. Will be interesting to see how he fares post-Achilles injury and as he continues to age.

28. Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns

Maybe it’s just the “he’s such a scumbag human being” voice in my head knocking down Deshaun Watson this far. However, I don’t think it’s that out of pocket. He’s coming off major shoulder surgery, and to say the least, he’s looked like a shell of his former superstar self since coming back from that, ahem, hiatus from football.

Can Watson ever get back to the form he flashed in Houston? The Browns bet a pretty penny on that. Alas Cleveland, highlights like the one below that show true top-tier arm power feel like such a distant memory.

27. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins

Is it possible to hold Tua Tagovailoa’s arm strength in pretty high regard, yet still have him in the bottom-five? Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle have benefited from Tua’s uncanny downfield precision. Like Purdy, though, Tua makes his hay as an intermediate anticipatory thrower, boasting a just-strong-enough arm to stretch the field with his Ferrari-fast weapons. I love me some Tua.

26. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

Last year’s MVP runner-up will never wow you with his physical tools. However, America’s quarterback Dak Prescott is a savvy, fairly accurate distributor when he’s at his best. He can throw with touch to all areas of the field. That takes a certain amount of arm strength. I just don’t think he can threaten defenses vertically the way so many of the other top-flight QBs can.

25. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos

Many would likely expect Bo Nix to be scraping the bottom of this list, since he didn’t have an arm on par with his draft classmates. Once he transferred from Auburn to Oregon, some of the chaos and off-schedule playmaking got sucked out of Nix’s game. Nevertheless, it’s still in there — and this cross-body deep shot is proof of a slept-on arm.

24. Daniel Jones, New York Giants

The classic case of “good, actually quite good; not special” here for Daniel Jones. The deep ball and occasional chunk runs have been his calling cards throughout his turbulent career in New York. Danny Dimes feels like the baseline of where you’d want to be arm strength-wise if you were building a QB in a lab. The thing is, his arm doesn’t quite match up with his massive 6-5, 230-pound frame. He ain’t bad in that department.  Just wouldn’t put him above anyone else I’m about to name.

23. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

Can already hear the faint cries of Eagles fans from the future lambasting me for this one. Jalen Hurts can definitely hit his target on long tosses to A.J. Brown. To me, the ball tends to die on Hurts when he really puts all his might into it, and he doesn’t have the effortless power a lot of other elite, handsomely-paid QBs do. Like with Jones, it’s not a weak arm by any means. Just not upper-echelon.

22. Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints

There was a time where I’d consider Derek Carr to be among the better arm talents in the sport. Although he’s still one of the more accurate throwers, Carr doesn’t do great under pressure, and it exposes his somewhat lacking arm strength at times. If you give him a clean pocket, however, Carr can crank it out there pretty good.

21. JJ McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings

Right you are, Sam Darnold is the current QB1, but it’s only a matter of time before we see JJ McCarthy. The rookie first-rounder was taller and bulkier than expected at the Combine. For that reason, I believe his arm strength is among the most underrated in the whole league now that he’s here. Look at this dime from camp — a low-key shot at the haters who believed McCarthy couldn’t throw with precision to his left.

In fact, McCarthy almost leans on his raw velocity too much at times to where he doesn’t throw with enough touch when it’s appropriate. I think he’ll iron that out under a guru like Kevin O’Connell in Minnesota. For now we can just appreciate McCarthy’s bazooka, which was on full display at Michigan.

20. Jacoby Brissett, New England Patriots

Haven’t seen much of Jacoby Brissett and there’s probably a reason for that. The rawness of Drake Maye and the dire state of the Patriots franchise have created a perfect storm for Brissett to earn another starting gig in New England.

Arm strength was Brissett’s calling card earlier in his career. He certainly has those tools. Kind of reminds me of Blake Bortles back in the day, where you expect somebody so big to produce more power. This isn’t a knock on Brissett as much as it reflects how many superior passers there are around the league.

19. Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks

This might be a little low for Geno Smith. Oh well. We already know if I write him off, he won’t write back. As a preemptive apology to one of the most inspiring comeback stories in recent sports memory, I’ll attach a wholesome NFL Films clip below Geno’s cutup of dimes.

18. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

It makes me sad to admit that my guy Joe Burrow has what must be considered slightly below-average arm strength relative to his current contemporaries. I thought for sure he was top-12 at least. Again, it’s a reflection of the freakish, high-end talent we have in the NFL today.

Below are just a couple throws to Ja’Marr Chase that showcase Joey Franchise’s arm power in spades. A perfect-touch downfield strike to the far sideline in the Super Bowl, plus a ball that traveled some 50 yards without much air under it. Mind you, that latter dime wasn’t far removed from Burrow’s calf injury in 2023.

17. Russell Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers

I initially had Russ lower, but the bomb in the video below convinced me otherwise. Don’t think he’s necessarily washed, nor has he lost a lot of raw arm strength from his prime. That’s not to say Wilson is the answer to the Steelers’ QB woes. But like…dude’s still got a rocket on that right shoulder.

16. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders

The reigning Heisman Trophy winner was a deep ball savant at LSU. Commanders fans are praying Jayden Daniels’ playmaking in that regard wasn’t the result of chucking it to Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. — both first-round picks in this year’s draft as well.

Rave reviews are coming from Washington’s camp at least. Daniels’ teammates are noticing how precise he can be on those shot plays, and that downfield accuracy is a reflection of how good Daniels is at throwing with touch and making balls more catchable for his receivers.

15. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

I’m amazed how much Trevor Lawrence is being written off in general after that 2023 collapse. He was injured when the Jaguars went on that skid to miss the playoffs. Although his mechanics get a little wonky at times and there are questions about whether he’ll live up to his No. 1 overall pick billing, you can’t deny Lawrence’s arm strength. It’s on full display from 2022’s stunning rally to beat the Ravens. See myriad examples for yourself from that game alone.

14. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

Quite reminiscent of how I felt about Kirk Cousins, compared to other athletes at the position, Jared Goff is a statue. If he’s off his spot, he can easily cave to pressure. That’s why I was surprised to see several savvy moves from Goff and sound footwork that allowed him to launch absolute seeds from Downtown Motor City in the reel at the end of this section. Goff has a massive arm. Don’t sleep!

13. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

Perpetually overlooked as a passer because of his historic running ability, Lamar Jackson didn’t become a two-time MVP as a ball-carrier alone. He has a somewhat unorthodox throwing motion, yet it still more than gets the job done. It doesn’t take much effort for Lamar to quick-release a 60-yard dart. Man is a stud with a big right arm. Big Truzz.

12. CJ Stroud, Houston Texans

The best rookie quarterback in NFL history is all CJ Stroud laid claim to in his maiden pro campaign. Can he keep it up? We shall see. Sure seems like it, particularly when you can uncork perfect deep balls like this one:

Or how about lofting it about 40 air yards, with no room to step into the throw, and connecting on a big-time TD pass that allowed zero margin for error? Yeah, CJ can sling that pill.

11. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

If you went off size alone, you’d never think Baker Mayfield had one of the NFL’s better arms. He was a number one overall pick for a reason, though. Check out the couple Hail Mary attempts below and you’ll see magnificent power coming from that short-ish-by-QB-standards frame.

Couldn’t find more recent examples of frozen-rope passes, so this one from Baker’s Cleveland dog days will have to do.

10. Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets

The gap between Cousins off an Achilles tear and Aaron Rodgers off an Achilles tear may seem unfair to many. Rodgers is frankly one of the most gifted all-around passers ever. The torque he can generate from any platform, or while he’s on the move, gives him effortless power. I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt for now. Until he shows me that his arm has really fallen off, Rodgers has still gotta be top-10.

9. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals

All jokes about Kyler Murray’s love of video games aside, the young man’s raw throwing ability jumps off the screen. It’s especially jarring since Kyler is so diminutive in stature. As I wrote back in 2014 when he initially committed to Texas A&M — predicted him as a Heisman Trophy contender, said he had the potential to be of the better QBs in recent history, NBD — his mechanics were pretty damn sound in high school. Kyler has that flick of the wrist gift, a seemingly effortless throwing motion that you can’t help but be in awe of.

8. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers

Circling back to Rodgers for a second, what a job Jordan Love is doing as his successor! Undressing the Cowboys in the playoffs. Ranking second in the NFL in TD passes in his first season as a starter? That’ll do just fine. Sky’s the limit for Love, who can make any throw imaginable and uncork lasers off his back foot with the best of them.

7. Will Levis, Tennessee Titans

No idea what will become of Will Levis in the NFL. A rather reckless play style in terms of decision-making and contact-seeking could mean he’s a bust. What I can tell you — as can anyone with functional eyesight — is that he has a freaking howitzer of an arm. This was known back in his college days at Kentucky. The Titans were sort of in f**k it mode last season, so once Levis got the nod to start, it was a dizzying display of the most “YOLO” professional football you might ever see. What a beautiful mess.

6. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears

I almost couldn’t believe I put Caleb Williams this high up. However, let’s remember we’re only talking about pure arm strength in this exercise. There are countless Williams highlights out there where he’s contorting his body and putting unreal amounts of heat on passes while in a full sprint. The one throw I’ve included from X/Twitter summed it all up for me. That blend of distance and air beneath the ball underscores why the hype is so through the roof for the reigning No. 1 overall pick to save the Chicago Bears.

5. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

Poor Matthew Stafford. He won me three or four fantasy leagues over the years on those bad Lions teams. I knew they’d always be trailing and force Matty Staff to throw a ton.

The man trooped through a dozen years of Andy Dufresne sh*t crawling before coming out of that long, dark tunnel to Sean McVay, the Rams, and a long-awaited Lombardi Trophy. At 36 years old, there’s no question in my mind Stafford still has a top-five arm.

4. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

A sterling reputation as a gentleman and a brainiac scholar doesn’t preclude Justin Herbert from the occasional boneheaded decision on the field. The good news for him? Herbert’s arm is such an outlier in the best way that he can often overcome the wrong read, because his physical tools result in an explosive play anyway.

You just won’t find many dudes who can chuck a ball this far, in pads, against professional defenders, with any sort of precision:

The QB School is the only Patreon I subscribe to. It’s worth hearing J.T. O’Sullivan’s detailed breakdowns of these Herbert lasers, or at least seeing the angle from behind the line of scrimmage. Gives you an idea of the ridiculousness of Herbert’s arm.

3. Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts

This first throw by Anthony Richardson throw reminds me of that deep in down the hash from Stafford, except it’s a four verts concept that Josh Downs bends in to beat the pursuing safety before the ball catches him.

Nobody on Planet Earth has more public-record stock on Richardson being a superstar than yours truly. I was crestfallen when his rookie year got cut short by injury.

Whether it’s Aaron Donald hanging off him on a 40-yard completion or any number of other highlight-reel missiles, Richardson is a freak of freaks. Don’t overlook his passing ability just because he’s a dynamic runner. The breakout is coming. The long balls will be aplenty. Buckle up, y’all.

2. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Sadly, I was not on public record with my full-throated endorsement of Patrick Mahomes when he first came out in the draft. I have ex-roommates to vouch for me at least. Anyway, the guy has turned out to be pretty good at football. Although he doesn’t launch nukes like when Tyreek Hill was a Chief, Mahomes still has the capacity to sling it with anyone in the history of the game. Maybe Xavier Worthy’s speed will help open up the deep balls this year.

1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

I’m sad that I can’t find this one pass from Josh Allen’s rookie-year preseason. Probably because it was an incompletion, but I’m being serious when I say I’ve never seen a ball thrown that hard. Ever. It was straight-up stupid. Thankfully, there are plenty more examples as to why Allen has the strongest arm in today’s NFL. The two throws below are the mere tip of the iceberg.

Argue with a wall if you think Mahomes’ arm is stronger. I won’t actually debate you. They’re more like 1a and 1b to me. Had to choose one, though, and I went with one Joshua Patrick Allen. Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed.

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