NFL Draft: Who Is The Best QB of the 2004 Class?

The 2004 NFL draft has become iconic for his quarterback crop. Not just in the overall talent, but how even that talent is compared to one another.

It has continued to spark debate to this day. Who should be considered the best of those quarterbacks? It’s not as easy as one might think. Eli Manning (1^st overall) has two Super Bowl rings and the MVP awards to go with them, has reached four Pro Bowls in his career and is the all-time leader in New York Giants history for every major passing category. He also has 27 career 4^th quarter comebacks.

Ben Roethlisberger (11^th overall) is also a two-time Super Bowl champion, was Rookie of the Year, has been to four Pro Bowls, made the playoffs more than either of the other two contenders and owns every major passing record in Pittsburgh Steelers history. On top of that he ties Manning on the comeback list with 27.

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Then there is Philip Rivers (4^th overall). Most might dismiss him out of hand because he hasn’t won a championship. Granted, that’s an important key but he also deserves a spot in this debate. He has more Pro Bowls (5) than Manning or Roethlisberger, has thrown fewer interceptions, completed a higher percentage of his passes, and has a higher career quarterback rating. His 21 comebacks in the 4^th quarter is also respectable. Adding in the fact he’s had this success in San Diego, a city that doesn’t have near the history of football success as New York or Pittsburgh and it should put him in the conversation.

Grantland agreed with this assessment when they broached the same subject in 2014.

"“By some measures, Rivers is one of the five best quarterbacks of the past decade. But many would list him third in his own draft class — the famous 2004 group that includes Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning.Those two have one claim that Rivers doesn’t — each has won a championship. Same as Peyton, Brees, and every other quarterback comparable to Rivers during his 10 years in the league. He’s done enough to earn his generation’s title as the best quarterback without a Super Bowl. But he’s been so much more.”"

Thus the debate rages on. One guy has the most epic upset in NFL history (Manning knocking of the undefeated Patriots). Another guy may be the toughest to ever play the position based on the hits he’s taken and injuries he’s suffered. Still another has had to survive the three different head coaches without losing his ability to carry the team to victories.

In order to gain some insight into how difficult this rivalry is to gauge, the NFL Mocks crew was posed the same question: who was the best of the 2004 NFL draft class?

Brady Lunt

"“Ben Roethlisberger. While Eli Manning will certainly receive consideration, Roethlisberger has won a pair of Super Bowls and has consistently kept his team in contention. He makes everyone around him better and possesses unique physical attributes that help him to be more productive.”"

Matthew Holowiak

"“Eli Manning. Eli has made everyone around him better, seeing as all the offensive pieces to leave NY end up out of the league rather quickly. He has a great football mind and has great football amnesia to shake off mistakes. He has led two of the greatest super bowls ever watched and named MVP twice of those games. He is ranked 11th all-time in yards and 8th all-time in TDs while never missing a start. This is Eli Manning and I don’t believe it is very close either.”"

David Holmes

"“I’ll play the devil’s advocate with this debate and go with Philip Rivers. Since he entered the NFL in 2004, he has been one of the most prolific passers over the last 12 years. He has thrown for over 4,000 yards in seven seasons while throwing at least 25 touchdowns in eight of the twelve seasons he’s played. He is a 5x Pro Bowler and has four seasons with a passer rating of at least 100. Only three other quarterbacks have more. Rivers is the definition of a franchise player, without him there is no chance the Chargers would have made the playoffs five out of the last ten years.”"

Even they are undecided on the matter. One thing is for sure, the three make up probably the second-best quarterback class in NFL history. Only the legendary 1983 crop that featured John Elway, Jim Kelly and Dan Marino could be considered superior. With all three men in their mid-30s, the chances to cement themselves as the best of the bunch are dwindling. Can Rivers finally get that elusive ring? Will Ben or Eli match him in Pro Bowls?

It was and remains a fascinating debate.

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