NFC South Quarterback Power Rankings: Saints situation the wildcard

NFC South Quarterback Rankings – No. 3: Jameis Winston (New Orleans Saints)

If Drew Brees was still the starting quarterback of the Saints, he’d be in the No. 2 spot (maybe even No. 1 considering how good he’s been against the division in recent years) but he’s off to retirement.

No matter who the quarterback of the Saints is, they’d probably sit squarely in the No. 3 spot of these rankings. They’re not better than Brady or Ryan and they’ve proven more than Darnold thus far. I’m going with Winston for this list since he’s been the favorite to win the job throughout most of the offseason.

Winston is such a wildcard and that’s what makes him an intriguing player. On the one hand, here’s a guy who threw for over 5,100 yards during his final year with the Buccaneers and is no stranger to slinging the ball down the field. On the other hand, he threw 30 interceptions that year too and turnovers have been his Achilles heel.

If Sean Payton goes with Winston as the starter, it’s because he trusts that Winston can cut back on the turnovers and take better care of the football. This is a big year for Winston because a good season can earn him a big contract from a quarterback-needy team next offseason. If he performs poorly, however, then his time as a starting quarterback is probably officially over.