Take 5 - Marty Mishow

Top NFL quarterbacks

1 Aaron Rodgers, Packers: You could make a case for several players at the top but I'll take Rodgers, a former Super Bowl MVP and the 2011 NFL MVP. He led the league with a 108 passer rating last year while directing the Packers to an 11-5 season. Works his magic despite playing with one of the NFL's worst offensive lines. Great mobility and great at throwing on the run.

2 Peyton Manning, Broncos: Manning, probably the game's smartest and most accurate QB, has won a Super Bowl MVP award and four NFL MVP awards. Second behind Rodgers last year with a 105.8 passer rating. Manning, whose career looked like it might be over a couple of years ago due to neck issues, led Denver to a 13-3 record in 2012.

3 Tom Brady, Patriots: Brady, like Manning, is past his prime but he's still one of the game's dominant QBs. Brady has won more playoff games than any other QB (17) and has played in more playoff games than any other QB (24). Has won three Super Bowls and two Super Bowl MVP awards. Led New England to a 12-4 mark last year.

4 Drew Brees, Saints: I'm giving Brees a pass for 2012, when the Saints went 7-9 and Brees threw 19 interceptions. It was a crazy year in New Orleans, with coach Sean Payton suspended for the season. The former Super Bowl MVP remains elite, setting a record for passing yards in 2011. He was the only QB to surpass 5,000 yards in 2012 (5,117).

5 Matt Ryan, Falcons: I had a tough time with this pick -- I came close to going with Seattle's Russell Wilson but he hasn't done it long enough yet -- before settling on Ryan. He hasn't reached a Super Bowl but led Atlanta to a 13-3 record last year before a narrow loss to San Francisco in the NFC title game.

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