Unquestionably the biggest surprise last year was the emergence of Geno Smith as a viable starting quarterback. Smith earned “Comeback Player of the Year” honors, as well as a legitimate Pro Bowl nomination. Not one born out of players dropping out, but a first round of balloting.
Folks around the league are starting to notice Smith, and in The Athletic’s quarterback tiers ranking, Smith improved 15 spots. He went from No. 35 to No. 20 overall.
Geno Smith made quite the leap in @SandoNFL annual QB Tiers, which combines rankings from 50 league evaluators and insiders.
He landed in Tier 3 this year after being voted dead last, the only Tier 5 guy in 2022. https://t.co/AwhAmsIthJ pic.twitter.com/bm7NgXJdp8
— Dugar, Michael-Shawn (@MikeDugar) July 31, 2023
One could argue perhaps No. 20 overall is a bit too low for Smith. After all, he did set a Seahawks franchise passing yard record in 2022.
By no means am I arguing Smith should be considered among the likes of Patrick Mahomes or Joe Burrow, but to think there are 19 quarterbacks ahead of him – such as Daniel Jones, Jimmy Garoppolo or Tua Tagovailoa – feels incorrect.
Regardless, Smith is getting legitimate recognition these days, and he has earned it. Perhaps another strong season could turn a few more heads.
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