Atlanta Falcons

NFL 2017: 5 Quarterbacks that can be 2017's Matt Ryan

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 1:27 p.m. ET

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Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan went from a good player to league MVP with no warning, which five guys can do the same thing in the NFL 2017 season?

Every season in the NFL it appears that the big names will be the ones to get crowned with the illustrious title of MVP. Big name quarterbacks like Tom Brady of the New England Patriots, Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers and before his retirement in 2015 Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos were the usual suspects. Then things changed some in 2015 when Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers was given the award.

Of course no one was too shocked about Newton. He had been an exciting player for a few years and everyone knew he would get it together eventually. 2016 though was more of a shock. With many experts thinking Aaron Rodgers had it wrapped up, a name not often discussed amongst the best in the game had a season to remember.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan threw for 4,944 yards with 38 touchdowns against just seven picks. He was the leader of the team that throttled Rodgers' Packers en route to a Super Bowl appearance. When the year was done, Ryan had some nice hardware to show off as the 2016 NFL MVP.

Heading into this season, the question is will it once again be one of the big dogs seeing their name called on award night? Or will there be a 2017 version of Matt Ryan? If so, here are five guys who could potentially do what Ryan did last year by going from average starter to league MVP.

Jun 13, 2017; Davie, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill (17) throws a pass during practice drills at Baptist Health Training Facility at Nova Southeastern University. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

5. Ryan Tannehill, QB — Miami Dolphins

His name may not scream great at anyone, but really did Matt Ryan's before last season? Like the 2016 MVP, Ryan Tannehill has seen some doubters come out of the woodwork and question whether or not he has what it takes to be the starter for the Miami Dolphins.

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The 2012 first round pick has done all he can to squash those questions, but they keep coming. A lot is his own fault thanks to immature moves like him reportedly yelling at a practice squad player for picking off one of his passes. Still, some comes from him still learning the position after spending much of his collegiate career at wide receiver for the Texas A&M Aggies.

He's had some development issues along the way, but saw his completion percentage and quarterback rating hit an all-time high in 2016 when he converted on 67.1 percent of his passes and had a rating of 93.5.

An injury prematurely ended his campaign, and his shot at three-straight 4,000-plus yard seasons. Heading into 2017 he should have more confidence and now also has a running game to turn to. If he can limit the interceptions — which have been his downfall — Tannehill has a shot at turning some heads this coming year.

Dec 18, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor (5) before a game against the Cleveland Browns at New Era Field. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

4. Tyrod Taylor, QB — Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills wisely came to a common ground wit starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor after reports suggested they may be moving on from him after just two seasons. Had they done so, several quarterback-needy teams would have been fighting for a chance to bring him in for a visit.

After serving as understudy to Joe Flacco for four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, Taylor was picked up by Buffalo in 2015. He earned the starting job and quickly began to impress fans with his ability to move the ball with both his arm and his legs.

In two years for the Bills, Taylor has completed 62.6 percent of his passes for 6,058 yards. He has been great at protecting the ball as well as he has an oncredibly low interception percentage of just 1.4 per pass. In all, Taylor has 37 touchdown passes and just 12 picks. He's added 1,148 yards and 10 more touchdowns on the ground for good measure.

Now that the team has moved on from quarterback career killer Rex Ryan at head coach, the sky appears to be the limit for the talented kid from Virginia Tech. After giving him more weapons in rookie receiver Zay Jones and underrated free agent pick up wideout Andre Holmes, Taylor could get even better in 2017.

Jun 13, 2017; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton (14) runs drills during minicamp at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

3. Andy Dalton, QB — Cincinnati Bengals

2016 was a year to forget for the Cincinnati Bengals. Things just didn't go their way and a 6-9-1 finish was their first losing season since drafting Andy Dalton to be their quarterback in 2011. As a rookie Dalton came in and led the team to a 9-7 record. He followed that up with four straight seasons of 10-or-more wins.

His best year was easily 2015 when he had a career high in completion percentage of 66.1 and seemed to finally have his touchdown-to-interception ratio under control. Dalton had thrown 25 touchdowns and just seven picks in 13 games, but a broken thumb ended his season. The Bengals were 10-3 at that point, and some were hearing whispers about the Red Rifle being in the talks for MVP.

After getting healed up, he hoped to pick up where he left off. While Dalton stayed efficient with 18 touchdowns to just eight picks, he wasn't the same. Something felt off all season and a 6-9-1 record was the result. Now with a re-tooled offense, things could change.

With star receiver A.J. Green and tight end Tyler Eifert returning, Dalton will also have the speedy John Ross lining up as a receiver as well. He also will have a more dangerous running game with the addition of Joe Mixon. All that could lead to a repeat of the 2015 season, which could get Dalton back in the conversation for the prestigious title.

Dec 24, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) in action during the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. The Redskins defeat the Bears 41-21. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

2. Kirk Cousins, QB — Washington Redskins

Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins is in a similar boat as Matt Ryan was heading into 2016. He's put up some fantastic yardage, but people out there still doubt him. The problem for Cousins is some of the doubt comes from his own franchise as they just won't find common ground to lock him up on a long-term deal. Playing again under the franchise tag, Cousins has one of two ways to go.

After watching wide receivers Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson leave via free agency, Cousins could start to see a decline. He may not have the same rapport with second-year wide out Josh Doctson — who also has failed to stay healthy — or free agent Terrelle Pryor.

He could go the other way and have a third 4,000-yard season and prove that he's more than just a guy who relied on the people around him. Hitting the prestigious mark again with a whole new cast will only serve to propel him up the boards in terms of NFL quarterback rankings.

Of course, to find himself in the discussion for the ultimate individual award, Cousins has to get his team atop the NFC East standings. Despite his play, the team is just 9-7 and 8-7-1 the past two seasons with him under center. Should Cousins find a way to win some more against divisional foes, he could be discussed about amongst the best in the game today.

Dec 18, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston (3) throws a pass in the fourth quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Dallas Cowboys won 26-20. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

1. Jameis Winston, QB — Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Jameis Winston may be cheating a bit. He isn't in the same boat as Ryan, meaning there's no one questioning him long-term. He is, however, nowhere near the MVP discussion to this point in his career, so he finds himself not only on this list. But Winston is also the most likely to come from nowhere and win the award.

In two NFL seasons Winston has shown to have a great NFL arm. He's gone over 4,000 yards in both seasons and has 50 touchdown passes. The problem is, he throws too many picks (15 as a rookie, 18 this past season). In order to find himself in the discussion, he needs to clean that up.

The 2017 Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster has the people around him to aid him in doing just that. Wide receiver Mike Evans returns, and with him will be free agent pickup DeSean Jackson and rookie Chris Godwin.

If that wasn't enough, they also secured the best tight end in the draft by selecting Alabama's O.J. Howard. With those guys out there, Winston may spend less time forcing passes to covered receivers, and more time letting the routes develop. These new players are exactly what he needed to take the next step in his progression.