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NFC West quarterback power rankings: Where does 49ers’ Jimmy Garoppolo rank?

By Peter Panacy

HOUSTON, TX - DECEMBER 10: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers throws a pass in the third quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on December 10, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX - DECEMBER 10: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers throws a pass in the third quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on December 10, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /
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SANTA CLARA, CA – NOVEMBER 05: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers warms up prior to their game against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi’s Stadium on November 5, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA – NOVEMBER 05: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers warms up prior to their game against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi’s Stadium on November 5, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /

. . . Jimmy Garoppolo. 2. team. 42

Yes, Jimmy Garoppolo squeezes by Jared Goff on this quarterback power rankings. Not by much. But if one was going to build a team around one of these two players, Garoppolo has to be the guy.

Goff has the better touchdown-to-interception ratio from last season, for sure (28:7 to Garoppolo’s 7:5). Yet one has to factor in Garoppolo having only a limited command of 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan’s playbook last year. That changes in 2018, and the Niners offensive cast is improved.

True, this isn’t about the supporting cast as much. But it’s important to point out Garoppolo finished with both a better completion percentage (67.4 to Goff’s 62.1) last year and was significantly better in Pro Football Focus‘ adjusted-completion-percentage metric, which accounts for player drops, throwaways, etc.

While Garoppolo’s 74.0 adjusted completion percentage doesn’t seem that much higher over Goff’s (72.0), it’s important to point out the former ranked out 13th best in this category, whereas Goff was 22nd. That’s a notable difference and an edge for the 49ers quarterback.

Particularly if one views the quarterback’s most important job as effectively delivering a catchable ball to a target.

Sure, all this was over a mere five games last season. The general lack of on-field experience is an easy reason to keep Garoppolo from reaching the No. 1 spot on this NFC West quarterback list.

And that leaves just one more candidate, Russell Wilson.