Every qualifying quarterback. Every metric that matters. PFF grades, passing splits, EPA per dropback, clutch performance, interception luck and more — all in one interactive guide built on the same data trusted by all 32 NFL teams.
Read the QB Annual (opens in new tab)Get PFF+ (opens in new tab)Never before has the NFL featured so many dangerous rushing quarterbacks. Superstars such as Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes are major threats on the ground, while quarterbacks further down the rankings, including Jalen Hurts, Jayden Daniels, Kyler Murray, Justin Fields and Malik Willis, can be just as dangerous outside the pocket. More quarterbacks than ever can turn broken pockets into positive plays, forcing defenses to prioritize keeping them contained rather than simply generating pressure.
Ranking the NFL's best scrambling quarterbacks isn't as simple as looking at rushing yards. Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson are both elite runners, but they create value in very different ways. Some quarterbacks instinctively feel pressure and escape before the pocket collapses. Others rely on rare athleticism to make defenders miss in space. Add in differences in composure, decision-making and willingness to absorb contact, and separating the league's top scramblers becomes far more nuanced than traditional rushing statistics suggest.
Using PFF data, we ranked the NFL's premier scrambling quarterbacks to determine who creates the most value once they decide to leave the pocket and run.
Rushing yards on scrambles (2025)
-14.0 153.3 320.6 487.9 655.2 585 Drake Maye 498 Josh Allen 489 Justin Herbert 420 Patrick Mahomes 417 Caleb WilliamsIt may surprise some to see Drake Maye atop the leaderboard in total scrambling yards last season. While Josh Allen finished with more rushing yards overall, 180 of his 678 yards came on designed quarterback runs and sneaks rather than scrambles.
The Tennessee Titans have borne the brunt of Maye’s mobility in his early career. He has gained 157 yards scrambling, including eight first downs, in his two career games in Nashville.
Maye also led the NFL with 33 scrambling first downs, but his 74 scramble attempts were the most in the league. As a result, his efficiency was less impressive, as his 7.9 yards per scramble ranked 13th among 35 qualifying quarterbacks. Given the relatively small sample of scramble attempts in a single season, we'll evaluate per-attempt effectiveness over the past three years instead.
Yards per carry on scrambles (2023-25)
-0.2 2.4 4.9 7.5 10.1 9.0 Kyler Murray 8.8 Justin Herbert 8.5 Josh Allen 8.4 Geno Smith 8.3 Drake MayeKyler Murray topping this list comes as little surprise. Few quarterbacks can match his combination of acceleration and agility, allowing him to turn modest escape lanes into major gains.
The bigger surprise is Justin Herbert. He is rarely discussed among the NFL’s premier running quarterbacks, but his athleticism has quietly translated into significant production outside the pocket. He is one of just five quarterbacks to eclipse 1,000 scrambling yards over the past four seasons.
Geno Smith is another unexpected inclusion, considering he doesn’t possess the same dynamic ability as many other quarterbacks. His production comes from making calculated decisions about when to take off and run while avoiding unnecessary contact. Smith ranks fourth among 35 qualifying quarterbacks in yards per scramble despite ranking just 25th in yards after contact per attempt and 30th in missed tackles forced per attempt.
Lamar Jackson is the notable omission here, and he is nowhere near the top five. Despite winning his second MVP during this span, Jackson ranks 20th among 35 qualifying quarterbacks in yards per scramble since 2023, trailing more traditional pocket passers such as Sam Darnold, Trevor Lawrence and Jordan Love.
Explosive scrambles of 10+ rushing yards (2023-2025)
-1.3 13.9 29.0 44.2 59.4 53 Patrick Mahomes 46 Josh Allen 44 Lamar Jackson 38 Baker Mayfield 37 Drake MayeHere, we see order restored, with Patrick Mahomes leading the league. Mahomes has more scramble attempts than any quarterback over the past three seasons, but his biggest rushing gains always seem to come when the stakes are highest.
Of his 53 scrambles of 10 or more yards, 45 came with the teams separated by one score — proof that Mahomes typically feels the need to make a play with his legs only when the game is hanging in the balance. Since 2023, Mahomes also leads the league in scrambling first downs (84) and scrambling yards before contact (326) by a wide margin.
Missed tackles forced per scramble attempt (2023-2025)
-0.0 0.2 0.4 0.5 0.7 0.7 Joshua Dobbs 0.4 Lamar Jackson 0.4 Josh Allen 0.4 Baker Mayfield 0.3 Caleb WilliamsJoshua Dobbs narrowly qualified for this list with just 39 scramble attempts over the past three seasons, 36 of which came during the 2023 season while splitting time between Arizona and Minnesota. While the sample is considerably smaller than that of the other quarterbacks here, his ability to evade defenders was undeniably impressive.
Lamar Jackson’s presence near the top is far less surprising. Jackson and Josh Allen force missed tackles in completely different ways. Jackson relies on sudden changes of direction, while Allen simply overpowers defenders. Yet both produce nearly identical results.
Baker Mayfield continues to stand out. His 19 missed tackles forced on scrambles in 2025 ranked second in the league behind Allen, reinforcing just how difficult he is to bring down once he commits to running.
Jayden Daniels narrowly misses the top five after forcing a rookie-record 33 missed tackles on scrambles in 2024. Injuries during his second season understandably limited both his willingness and ability to attack defenses outside the pocket, leading to a noticeable decline in production.
Scramble conversion rate (2023-2025)
-1.3 13.8 28.8 43.9 58.9 52.6 Jaxson Dart 50 Patrick Mahomes 49.6 Baker Mayfield 48.3 Spencer Rattler 47.9 Sam DarnoldJaxson Dart tops the leaderboard after converting more than half of his scrambles into first downs or touchdowns as a rookie. His confidence as a runner noticeably increased throughout the season, particularly as he became more comfortable extending plays outside the pocket.
One interesting takeaway is just how tightly grouped NFL quarterbacks are in this metric. More than half of the qualifying quarterbacks converted between 40% and 50% of their scrambles into first downs or touchdowns, suggesting most choose to run only when they believe the sticks are realistically within reach.
Yards after contact per scramble attempt (2023-2025)
-0.1 1.5 3.2 4.9 6.6 5.9 Baker Mayfield 5.6 Lamar Jackson 5.4 Josh Allen 5.2 Jayden Daniels 5 Trevor LawrenceBaker Mayfield appears among the league’s best once again. He rarely shies away from contact once he crosses the line of scrimmage and often welcomes collisions that many others would avoid, allowing him to squeeze out valuable extra yardage at the end of runs.
Trevor Lawrence is the first of several bigger-bodied quarterbacks to rank between fifth and 10th. He uses his size and strength to withstand collisions and fall forward through contact. Others in that group include Justin Herbert, Sam Darnold and Jordan Love.
PFF Scrambling Grade (2023-2025)
-2.3 24.8 51.8 78.8 105.8 94.5 Josh Allen 94.0 Lamar Jackson 93.5 Patrick Mahomes 92.5 Caleb Williams 92.1 Jayden DanielsPFF’s scrambling grades produce a leaderboard that closely reflects the broader picture painted by the underlying metrics. Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson were almost impossible to separate throughout this analysis, while Patrick Mahomes generated enough volume to comfortably belong in the conversation.
The 2024 quarterback class is already establishing itself as one of the league’s most dangerous groups of runners. Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels already rank fourth and fifth in PFF scrambling grade over the past three seasons, with Drake Maye not far behind. Daniels had a marquee rookie season, while Williams led all quarterbacks in PFF scrambling grade (92.4) in 2025.