For example, just because you can draft Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson in the fifth round doesn't mean you should when your turn comes up. You may be able to find better value several rounds later (hint: see below) while using that fifth-round selection to strengthen another position.

The table below makes it easy to spot which quarterbacks are being drafted too early compared to our FFToday projections and which offer better value later in the draft. Over the next few weeks, I'll examine the other positions using the same "best bang for your buck" approach.

Based on the projections, these five quarterbacks stand out as the best values.

Bo Nix, Denver, ADP 115

Nix was every bit as consistent in his second season as he was during his rookie year, and now Denver has added a true difference-maker at wide receiver to pair with 1,000-yard receiver Courtland Sutton. No offense to the improving Troy Franklin, Marvin Mims or Pat Bryant, but none possesses Jaylen Waddle's talent. Waddle has dealt with mediocre quarterback play and sharing his targets with target hog Tyreek Hill and still produced three 1,000-yard seasons. He'll see at least 125 targets just like Sutton. Franklin as a third and Bryant make this a very good receiver room. Add reliable receiving tight end Evan Engram (50-461-1) and pass-catching back RJ Harvey (47-356-5), and Nix could -- and should -- surpass 4,000 passing yards. He also adds value as a runner (82-362-4), although an ankle issue bears watching. Our projections have him finishing within eight fantasy points of Jayden Daniels, Jalen Hurts and Joe Burrow over a full season, despite being drafted five or six rounds later. That's tremendous value.

Jared Goff, Detroit, ADP 131

Any time you can throw the ball to Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Sam LaPorta you have a great chance to produce. Then there's the bonus: being able to throw a short swing pass to Jahmyr Gibbs and watch as he takes it to the house. Goff's limitation is he will definitely not give you production running the ball (19-45-0 in 2025). He has thrown for at least 4,400 yards and 29 touchdowns in four consecutive seasons. With David Montgomery gone, Goff could have a few more opportunities to throw short touchdowns near the goal line. Our projections have Goff scoring more points this season than Caleb Williams, Brock Purdy and Justin Herbert and within three points of Dak Prescott, while being drafted three-to-four rounds later.

Tyler Shough, New Orleans, ADP 142

As a second-round pick, Shough wasn't handed the starting job the way many first-round quarterbacks are. He earned it. He didn't become the Saints starter until Week 8, but it wasn't until the final three weeks of the season that he convinced many experts he was "the guy." Over his final three games, he averaged 300 passing yards and 24 FPts/G. He'll obviously have to keep improving, but the Saints have surrounded their 26-year-old quarterback with plenty of help. A healthy Chris Olave and first-round selection Jordyn Tyson along with solid tight end Juwan Johnson should give him plenty of open targets. They also brought in running back Travis Etienne from Jacksonville to go along with Alvin Kamara to catch the ball out of the backfield. Etienne plays just like a young Kamara. Shough has also shown some running ability. We have Shough scoring the exact same point total as Justin Herbert, but drafted 33 picks later.

Kyler Murray, Minnesota, ADP 148

I'm not really a Kyler Murray fan, but there is no way he won't out-perform his 148 ADP. First, he's got great talent around him. Justin Jefferson has spent a year begging for a real quarterback and now that he has one, he's going to show up “big-time.” Add in Jordan Addison, underrated Jauan Jennings, and tight end T.J. Hockenson and Aaron Jones out of the backfield and Murray only has to be solid, not spectacular, to beat his 15th-round value. We have him producing numbers similar to Matthew Stafford and being picked four rounds later.

Now let's flip the script and look at the quarterbacks being drafted too early compared to our projections.

Lamar Jackson, Baltimore, ADP 43

Let me say this straight out, I'm not against drafting Lamar Jackson... I'm just against drafting him as the second quarterback in the fifth round. He's no longer the 1,000-yard, seven-touchdown runner he was in 2019 and 2020. And his best passing season is 4,172 yards. Zay Flowers is a very good receiver, but they have yet to put equal talent on the opposite side of the ball. Mark Andrews remains a quality tight end, but he isn't the 107-1,361-9 player he was in 2021 and Isaiah Likely has gone to the New York Giants. And obviously, Derrick Henry gets a huge workload and a lot of red zone touchdowns that used to go to Jackson. We still project Jackson to finish third among quarterbacks, but Jayden Daniels, Jalen Hurts and Joe Burrow can produce nearly the same total while costing one to three rounds less.

Joe Burrow, Cincinnati, ADP 55.5

If Burrow stays healthy -- a big if -- he can absolutely finish among the top five quarterbacks. He has great receivers in Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins and a running back who plays great when his quarterback is in the lineup. But… based on our projections, you can get the above mentioned Bo Nix six rounds later. Or Dak Prescott three rounds later and still produce a point total within four points. The health risk seems to be too real to gamble here for less than 10 points.

Caleb Williams, Chicago, ADP 92

The hype surrounding Williams has been out of control since last season ended. I've seen a famous television broadcaster rank him No.3 overall. We aren't quite that high on him. We have him ranked 10th this season, but the No.11 and No.12 guys can be had two round later with no perceptible loss of production. We project Williams to finish about where he did in 2025. He should become a better quarterback, but the loss of D.J. Moore and a run-heavy backfield featuring D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai limit his ceiling. We expect around 400 total carries from the duo which makes it tough for Williams to go crazy and be a top-five guy.

Jaxson Dart, New York Giants, ADP 80

Speaking of crazy hype, the current ADP of Jaxson Dart is confusing. Dart flashed plenty of upside during his 12-game audition in 2025, averaging 23 FPts/G. He also took an alarming amount of punishment. His 84 rushing attempts produced 487 yards and nine touchdowns, but that style of play is difficult to sustain over a full 17-game season. The return of Cam Skattebo (assuming he stops doing crazy backflips for clicks) and Tyrone Tracy Jr. should reduce Dart's rushing opportunities, while head coach John Harbaugh will undoubtedly want to protect his franchise quarterback. There are also questions about whether Malik Nabers will be healthy enough for Week 1 or capable of handling a full workload. Beyond Nabers, the receiving corps consists largely of complementary veterans (Darius Slayton, Calvin Austin, Darnell Mooney, JuJu Smith-Schuster and one former superstar, 33-year-old Odell Beckham Jr.). The addition of Isaiah Likely helps, but not enough to justify Dart's current ADP. We project 14 quarterbacks to outscore Dart this season, and eight of them can be drafted after his current ADP of No. 80.