On the latest episode of "Best Podcast Available," ESPN's Dan Orlovsky builds the ideal QB for today's NFL by pulling traits from some of the league's best.
Building the Ideal Franchise QB for the Modern NFL originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The modern NFL requires more than ever from its quarterbacks, but despite these high standards, the league is overflowing with talented playmakers who give their respective teams a chance to compete at the highest level on a weekly basis.
On the latest episode of "Best Podcast Available," I asked ESPN's Dan Orlovsky to build the ideal franchise quarterback for today's pro game, giving him a list of six individual traits (processing, anticipation, arm talent, athleticism, leadership, and "the clutch factor"), and asking him to pull those skills from current starting signal-callers from throughout the league.
Orlovsky threw a wrinkle in the process by tossing out the consensus top four quarterbacks in the league (Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow and Josh Allen), as well as any current passers who have already won a Super Bowl.
For processing, Orlovsky called a tie between Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders and Geno Smith, now with the Las Vegas Raiders.
"Daniels, that was my favorite trait of his at LSU," Orlovsky said. "I think that carried over immediately into the NFL. It's one of the reasons why he played so fast, and why he had such remarkable fourth-quarter performances. And the last four or five years, I've just felt that way about Geno Smith. He sees it so well, and he throws it so good. I think those two guys are in that category, and at least for processing, we could put them up there with those 'Big 4' that I mentioned, and those Super Bowl winners."
When it comes to anticipation, Orlovsky gave the nod to Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
"Tua just sees things before they happen, so much faster than everybody else" Orlovsky said. "Part of it, yes, is that scheme and system, but you've gotta go do it, all the time. And he does it, all the time. He cuts the ball loose so early. I think there's a trust level with what his eyes tell him that's pretty unique."
In the arm talent category, Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers was Orlovsky's pick.
"Herbert's ability to just take a football and throw it is rare," Orlovsky said. "It reminds me of Stafford in many ways. The one gripe I would have is that sometimes it's too much. But his ability to just pick it up and throw it is in a class that's not a very populated class."
In a somewhat surprising move, Orlovsky picked Bo Nix of the Denver Broncos for his athleticism.
"I think his athleticism last year was one of the most under-talked-about stories in the NFL," Orlovsky said. "Designed runs weren't a huge part of it, but some of the scrambles that he had were wildly impressive."
When it's time to come through in the clutch, Orlovsky wants his theoretical franchise quarterback to bring what Baker Mayfield does to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
"There were so many times where I'm like, 'Baker's got it, they've got a chance,'" Orlovsky said. "That goes back to his moxie, and his competitiveness."
And to finish things off, Orlovsky wants his franchise passer to have the leadership qualities that Jared Goff of the Detroit Lions brings to the table.
"I think it's rare to take two organizations, in a short period of time, to championship games," Orlovsky said. "To be cast off, to fall on your face at the second place a little bit early on, and now become one of the cat's meows."
Put all of those traits together, and Orlovsky thinks any NFL team would love to have that quarterback leading the way.
"That's a No. 1 pick at some point," Orlovsky said with a laugh.
To check out the entire conversation, including a deep dive on traits and development for modern NFL quarterbacks, watch the full episode of BPA here:
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 24, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Football
