Street is interesting because he was playing the position at a time when the game was really changing; he captained the wishbone to perfection and could make the throws when it counted. But in 1969, the two All-American QBs were Jim Plunkett and Archie Manning who were playing the position in a way modern-day fans would recognize.
What’s wild is that over 20 years earlier Layne was putting up much bigger numbers on the ground and through the air than Street was. And his numbers were very, very good for his era and his pro career bore out his talent.
A lot of this comes down to how you weight championships versus stat lines versus dominance at the position, and also how much you weight overall career. As a fan, I completely get strong bias toward the person at the helm when you win it all. As an outsider, I lean towards dominance relative to their competition and a dash of overall career. I’d put Dan Marino over Ken Cavanaugh (had to look him up, 1976 Pitt QB) or Peyton over Tee Martin.
I’d rank them:
1. Vince
2. Layne
3. Colt (very close)
4. Street
5. Ewers