NFL QB rankings: Is Kirk Cousins an upgrade for Raiders over Geno Smith?

[ASFN Admin]

No one expects Kirk Cousins to light the world on fire in Las Vegas. He is being asked to be a passable starter until top pick Fernando Mendoza is ready to take over. But what they do expect to get from Cousins is something more than what they got from Geno Smith.

Smith took every struggle the Raiders offense had last season and made it worse. His poor decision-making led to an NFL most 17 interceptions and by midseason, he was literally flipping off th fans.

Even still, if you look at several recent QB ranking pieces, you'd think the Raiders downgraded when they traded away Smith to the New York Jets and signed Cousins as the top free agent QB on the market.

Pro Football Focus had Smith ranked 26th; one spot ahead of Cousins. They essentially gave Smith a pass for his performance last season, blaming his issues entirely on the Raiders offensive line play.

Saddled with poor offensive line play in Las Vegas and without Brock Bowers for much of the season because of injury, Smith was one of the NFL’s worst quarterbacks after a successful three-year run as Seattle’s starter. Smith certainly felt the effects of Las Vegas’ decimated offensive line, and the negative plays quickly piled up.

Cousins at 27 in PFF rankings. While they say mostly positive things about him, his low ranking doesn't bear that out.

Across those 10 appearances, Cousins earned a 75.0 PFF passing grade, ranking 14th among 43 qualifying quarterbacks. While his arm strength isn’t what it once was, Cousins’ ability to protect the football remains paramount to his success. His 1.7% turnover-worthy play rate ranked third among qualifying quarterbacks. Having previously worked with new Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak should help Cousins find success as long as he remains the starter ahead of first overall pick Fernando Mendoza.

NBC Sports put even more separation between the two quarterbacks. In their rankings, Smith was ranked higher (24) and Cousins lower (34).

Like PFF, NBC predicts a "bounce-back" season for Smith in New York, while saying that Cousins's "arm strength and athleticism are declining"

CBS Sports opted not for numbered rankings, but rather tiers, with Cousins and Smith both sitting in the "holdovers and placeholders" tier.

Here's what they said about Cousins:

In 2023, Cousins was playing some of the best football of his life before an injury prematurely ended his season. Cousins continued to deal with injuries in 2024, which led to him losing his starting job to Michael Penix Jr. He parlayed his success last season (after Penix sustained a season-ending injury) into his current placeholder position in Las Vegas.

And about Smith:

After a nightmarish 2025 season, Smith still managed to land another starting opportunity in the Big Apple, where his NFL career started. It's safe to say, though, that Smith's starting days will be in the rearview mirror if this season mirrors what happened in Las Vegas.

It's interesting because I don't think there's a person you could ask who wouldn't choose the situation at QB in Las Vegas over the one with the Jets in New York. Geno proved in his single season in Las Vegas that adversity like that was not something he was able to handle. He crumbled under pressure, both on the field and off of it. And a quarterback who is only good when everything is going great is not of much value. That's also the last thing you want as a mentor or example for your young hopeful franchise QB.

So, if, as it appears to be the suggestion that both quarterbacks are looking to have a bit of a bounce-back year of sorts, I'd choose a Cousins bounceback to Smith's anyday.

This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: NFL QB rankings: Is Kirk Cousins an upgrade for Raiders over Geno Smith?

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