The AFC is absolutely loaded with quarterbacks — especially after the Seattle Seahawks traded Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos on Tuesday.

The AFC West, in particular, is a defensive coordinator's nightmare — Wilson, Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, and Derek Carr all in the same division. Carr is obviously the weak link, but there are no pushovers in that division.

Things aren't much easier in the AFC North, where Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson are waiting to wreak havoc on opposing defenses. Baker Mayfield has his moments, too.

Here's how I rank the 16 current starting quarterbacks in the AFC after the Wilson trade.

Note: I'm basing these rankings on who I'd want my quarterback to be in 2022, not necessarily based on their past accomplishments (though that's obviously a factor).

16. Mason Rudolph — Pittsburgh Steelers

Rudolph probably won't be the Steelers' starter in 2022. But for now, he is. Rudolph has only started 10 games since coming into the league in 2018. He hasn't been terrible, but he hasn't really shown us much, either. Pittsburgh will almost certainly look to upgrade at this position this offseason.

15. Davis Mills — Houston Texans

We don't have much of a sample size with Mills. He looked decent with the Texans as a rookie last season. But I still need to see more from the former Stanford quarterback.

14. Tua Tagovailoa — Miami Dolphins

Tua's had an up and down first two years in the NFL — injuries haven't helped — but the potential is still there. Maybe new Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel can unlock the talent we saw from Tua at Alabama.

13. Zach Wilson — New York Jets

This might be controversial, but I've always liked Wilson's talent. I think he's better than what we saw with the Jets last season (the Jets are quarterback purgatory). I think if you got Wilson out of New York, he could be a top 10 quarterback in the AFC.

12. Carson Wentz — Indianapolis Colts

This is a tough one. Wentz has been to a Pro-Bowl. And he led the Philadelphia Eagles to an 11-2 record in 2017 before he suffered an injury. Can he be that quarterback again? It seems doubtful. But there's still a history of success there.

Update: Carson Wentz was reportedly traded to the Washington Commanders on Wednesday afternoon.

11. Baker Mayfield — Cleveland Browns

Mayfield might be the most overhyped quarterback currently in the league. He's been decent at times. But that's pretty much it. I think we've seen Mayfield's ceiling. He's good enough to get a team to a .500 record most years, but he's never going to get you to a Super Bowl. I still like him just a smidge better than Wentz.

10. Mac Jones — New England Patriots

I'm not all-in on the Mac Jones hype. Yes, he was terrific as a rookie for the Patriots in 2021. But he doesn't strike me as a quarterback that has the "it factor". I don't see him as a potential future Super Bowl MVP.

9. Trevor Lawrence — Jacksonville Jaguars

Lawrence has the talent to be in the top five of this list. But we didn't see that kind of talent in 2021. I'll give Lawrence a mulligan for 2021. The Jaguars were a disaster under Urban Meyer. We'll see if Doug Pederson, Jacksonville's new head coach, can get Lawrence back on track.

8. Derek Carr — Las Vegas Raiders

I'm not high on Carr, but I recognize that he's a better option than the quarterbacks at the bottom of this list. My biggest issue with Carr is that I don't feel like he's genuine as a leader. And I think that's something that's absolutely necessary to win a Super Bowl.

7. Ryan Tannehill — Tennessee Titans

Tannehill is getting a lot of shade tossed his way this offseason thanks to his poor play against the Bengals in the playoffs. But I think Titans fans also need to understand that Tennessee wouldn't have been the No. 1 seed in the playoffs this past season without Tannehill. Remember life before Tannehill? 9-7 was the ceiling for the Titans. There are better quarterbacks out there, but there are some that are much worse, too.

6. Lamar Jackson — Baltimore Ravens

Who wouldn't want a former NFL MVP? Jackson has his flaws, but he's a dynamic game-changer who can take over a game in a way that most quarterbacks can't. His consistency is really the only thing that keeps him from being higher on this list.

5. Russell Wilson — Denver Broncos

There's no doubt that Wilson, who is 33, isn't the quarterback he once was. But we also have to consider that things turned sour in Seattle and his vision of the offense didn't line up with Pete Carroll's vision. This is still a former Super Bowl champion and nine-time Pro-Bowler. He knows how to win games when it counts.

4. Justin Herbert — Los Angeles Chargers

Once we get to this point on the list, I'd be happy with any of these guys. Herbert has quickly proved to be an elite NFL quarterback. Herbert was the third quarterback selected in the 2020 NFL Draft, but he ended up being the offensive rookie of the year and he went to a Pro-Bowl in 2021.

3. Josh Allen — Buffalo Bills

This was tough. I could see Allen being No. 2 on this list. And I'm sure there will be plenty of comments that suggest he should be (maybe some even think he should be No. 1). I like Allen a lot. He is one of the most physically talented quarterbacks in the NFL. I wouldn't complain if he was my starting quarterback. There are just a couple of other quarterbacks I like better.

2. Joe Burrow — Cincinnati Bengals

Burrow is dangerously close to being No. 1 on this list. Maybe I'm going all-in on Burrow too soon. After all, he has only played one full season in the NFL. But what Burrow did in that one full season was beyond incredible. Burrow didn't have a lot to work with this past season with the Bengals and yet he still led the team to the Super Bowl (he was sacked 70 times between the regular season and the playoffs). Imagine what Burrow could do with a roster that doesn't have major deficiencies?!?!

1. Patrick Mahomes — Kansas City Chiefs

The answer is Patrick Mahomes until it's not. I know he didn't play well in the second half of the Chiefs' AFC Championship game loss to the Bengals. But Mahomes is still the most gifted quarterback in the NFL. He's in a league of his own with what's able to do on the field. The way he sees plays unfold is unlike any other quarterback in the league. If I'm starting a franchise from scratch, I'm still rolling with Mahomes.

Featured image via Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports