The Best QB Draft Classes in NFL History

[TOLIVO]

Saw this story linked up on Football Outsiders. Pretty cool look. The article kinda parenthetically acknowledges that it's really measuring the "most prolific" QB classes in terms of era-adjusted yards (not necessarily "the best," though I guess that makes for a better title).

https://www.eldo.co/analysis/the-best-quarterback-draft-classes-in-nfl-history 

1st place goes to the 1971 QB class (Ken Anderson, Jim Plunkett, Joe Theismann, Archie Manning, Lynn Dickey, Dan Pastorini). 2nd place to the 1983 class (Dan Marino, John Elway, Jim Kelly, Ken O'Brien). 3rd place to the 2004 class (Eli Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Philip Rivers, Matt Schaub).

The 1983 QB draft class had three Hall of Famers (Marino, Elway, Kelly) but the 1971 class (with six really solid starters) was deeper and had a longer collective peak. Interesting chart in there that shows the peaks and their duration. The 2004 class has a chance to catch 1983 in a couple seasons. 

What do you think? If the 2004 class manages to pass the 1983 class in era-adjusted yards and maybe squeaks out one more Super Bowl, can they be considered the best? Or least definitive top two or three?

[ronjon1990]

The 83 Class still tops in my book and its not even close. Elway, Kelly, and Marino all had HOF worthy careers.

O'Brien was meh. 

The 04 Class gives us Roethlisberger as the only true HOF worthy Qb in my book.

Rivers has been really good but lacks the rings and isn't considered in the same light as Marino.

Eli has had a couple really good seasons, but just as many terrible ones. And his bad days are absolutely laughable. He gets by with the combination of skill, name, and getting carried to multiple rings. He's the ultimate benefactor of the skill surrounding him. His closes comp in that class would be Jim Kelly. Eli won't likely make a 5th Pro Bowl to match,  has never made All-Pro. Kelly's only negative was folding in Superbowls. 

 

Why is Matt Schaub even listed?