On Friday, NFL Network analysts Shaun O'Hara and David Carr decided to rank the quarterbacks in the NFC West. The San Francisco 49ers' signal caller, Jimmy Garoppolo, came in at No. 3 within the ranking behind Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks and Jared Goff of the Los Angeles Rams.
Garoppolo's resume as a starter, which includes just seven games, is not as extensive as the two quarterbacks above him. Wilson has started every game for Seattle since being drafted by the team in 2012. He has accumulated four Pro Bowl selections and a Super Bowl championship along the way. Goff has started 22 games since Los Angeles made him the first-overall pick in 2016 and led the Rams to a playoff appearance last season.
Garoppolo has been impressive in his limited number of starts, including a five-game winning streak to end last season with the 49ers. He is preparing to enter his first full season as a franchise quarterback after San Francisco secured him with a five-year deal this offseason.
The only quarterback ranked below Garoppolo within the list was Sam Bradford of the Arizona Cardinals.
"We've got a huge sample size with Sam Bradford, not a huge sample size from Jimmy Garoppolo," said O'Hara. "I really like his accuracy, and I like his understanding of the defense and how to work the offense ... He could end up being a little bit higher (within the ranking) depending on how the season goes."
"Jimmy's got a big-time upside," Carr added. "Super excited to see what he does."
Carr had Garoppolo at No. 10 in a recent top-10 NFL quarterback ranking. Unlike the ranking by O'Hara and Carr, Goff was not included within the latter's top-10 list while Wilson was ranked at No. 5. Nor was Goff listed among the quarterbacks who just missed the list – like Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
"Garoppolo instantly changed the feel of the season for a 49ers team that didn't get its first win until Week 10," wrote Carr in his earlier ranking. "This is a prove-it season for him."
O'Hara and Carr's NFC West quarterback ranking
- Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
- Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams
- Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers
- Sam Bradford, Arizona Cardinals
You can watch O'Hara and Carr break down film of each quarterback, including Garoppolo, here.