By now, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton is a known commodity and it isn’t too shocking when he lands ranked in the 20s among NFL starters.
At Pro Football Focus, Dalton ranks 20th in a new set of rankings from Steve Palazzolo, which places him in Tier 3, which is defined as “Volatile or conservative quarterbacks whose production will rely even more heavily on supporting cast and play calling. Tier 3 quarterbacks can post top-10 production in any given year in the right situation.”
Dalton’s ranking explanation includes the following: “A new scheme may instill even more life into Dalton’s game, and head coach Zac Taylor and company must take advantage of Dalton’s accuracy in between the numbers, particularly on seam routes.”
The Tier 3 description fits Dalton well on its own, especially in the context of grades taking into account his entire career and forming projections. Joining Dalton in that tier are the likes of Matthew Stafford, Jameis Winston, Derek Carr and Marcus Mariota.
The hope is indeed Dalton meshes well with Zac Taylor and he can reach for another top-10 season. But multiple retirements across the offensive line and injuries to Cordy Glenn, Jonah Williams and even A.J. Green mean Dalton and his new coaches have a big wall to scale if he’s to improve on this sort of ranking this time next year.
