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Ah, NFL Draft season -- when the beacons of hope renew as we're all experiencing the post-Super Bowl blues. As the confetti settles and the echo of the final whistle fades, fans everywhere start dreaming again. It's that magical time when every team is undefeated in the offseason, and the future looks brighter than it did a few months ago. Suddenly, every roster seems a few smart picks away from glory, and the promise of 2024 sparkles a little brighter than yesterday did.
Let's face it, in the grand chess game that is the NFL, having a queen under center is your best move. Snagging a top-tier QB on the cheap in the draft? That's like finding a designer suit at a thrift store -- a rare chance to splash the cash on bling elsewhere while your signal-caller costs less than a Hollywood blockbuster's coffee budget.
But let's not kid ourselves, while football is the ultimate ensemble drama, it's the quarterbacks who often steal the show. Finding the right one in the draft is like hitting the jackpot on a slot machine -- just look at the Houston Texans and C.J. Stroud last year as an example. With the draft countdown already ticking, here's the lowdown on my top-five QB picks for the 2024 draft -- scouting reports, whispers in the wind, and all the quarterback drama you can handle.
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Caleb Williams - USC, Junior
- Height: 6-foot-1 (unofficial measurements)
- Weight: 215 pounds
- Age: 22.2
- 2023 Stats: 3,647 passing yards, 9.3 yards per attempt, 68.0% completion rate, 30 passing TDs, five INTs
- 2024 Draft Positional Rank: QB1
Caleb Williams has been the talk of the town, or more accurately, the entire NFL Draft buzz, for the last couple of laps around the sun. Post scooping up the Heisman in 2022, he pretty much handcuffed himself to the top spot in the draft before the 2023 season even started.
The hype train for Williams was full steam ahead throughout 2023, but after a season that was more 'meh' than 'wow' on both the personal and team scoreboards, the draft gurus have had to put on their thinking caps, brought out their measuring tapes, and are really getting down to brass tacks on what Williams could bring to the table.
On his best days, the guy's dodging defenders and making plays like he's got some Patrick Mahomes magic in his cleats -- that's the sparkle that got everyone talking in the first place. No question, he's got the moves and the arm to light it up at the next level.
But here's the kicker -- plenty of folks come packed with physical prowess and a cannon for an arm, but end up just a flash in the pan in the NFL. What really separates the legends from the letdowns? The speed to think on their feet, the grind, leading not just by words but by hustle, and keeping their cool when the heat is on.
In the high-stakes, high-pressure world of Los Angeles, Williams got a taste of the kind of spotlight he'd be under in the NFL. Yet, with Lincoln Riley's QB alumni having a mixed bag of success in the pros, and Williams' own wobbles as USC's fortunes dipped, it's worth pondering how he'll handle the helm of an NFL team.
Caleb Williams is going to need creativity in dynamic style offense in the NFL.
Can’t waste this type of talent by sitting in the pocket and throwing 40+ times a game.
Get him out on the move and let him use his dynamic playmaking ability to cook 🔥pic.twitter.com/Jg4EHCimN2
— Snoog’s Dynasty Society (@FFSnoog) January 17, 2024
Is Williams a sure thing? No he isn't. Is he one of the best prospects we've seen come out over the last decade? Yes he is. Given the infrastructure that is already in place in Chicago, such as WR D.J. Moore, TE Cole Kmet, No. 9 overall in the draft, RT Darnell Wright, and oodles of cap space, the Bears are primed to surround Williams with plenty more talent. The ideal pairing would be if they can find a way to land WR Rome Odunze at No. 9 and become a real powerhouse.
Jayden Daniels - LSU, Senior (RS)
- Height: 6-foot-4 (unofficial measurements)
- Weight: 210 pounds
- Age: 23.1
- 2022 Stats: 3,811 passing yards, 11.5 yards per attempt, 71.1% completion rate, 40 passing TDs, four INTs
- 2023 Draft Positional Rank: QB2
A lot of people were left scratching their hands wondering what took Daniels so long. He originally shined at Arizona State in 2019, but then saw the 2020 season cut short from COVID-19, and the Sun Devils program basically fell apart in 2021.
Daniels transferred to LSU for the 2022 season along with new head coach Brian Kelly and seemed to get back on track. What happened in 2023 though was a transformation unlike any we have ever seen. Coach Kelly wanted Daniels to "trust his eyes, his arm, and his receivers. For some reason, everything had to be wide open or it wasn't open at all," he said. Once that happened, Daniels basically lit the entire SEC and all of college football on fire en route to winning the Heisman Trophy.
It's fair to question his body of work during his three years at Arizona State that were very up and down, but quarterbacks (especially young ones) are often products of their environment. Who Daniels has been during his final two years at LSU is a much better indicator of who he is now and will be in the pros than his 18-year-old self.
Quarterbacks grow, learn, adapt, and get better. It's fair to argue that Daniels at this point might be the most polished quarterback in the draft, while also wondering if he has the same upside as Caleb Williams or even the next quarterback we are going to get to.
He could become an absolute cheat code for dynasty and fantasy purposes with how much of a dual-threat he is. In fact, Daniels rushed for 1,250 yards and 10 TDs in 2023. He might not be as quick or as twitchy as Lamar Jackson was as a prospect, but he's got some serious long speed and beat plenty of defensive backs to the corner this past season.
Jayden Daniels exemplifies the perfect dual threat QB the #NFL loves
🔥Heisman 2023 w 40:4 TD INT & 885 rushing & 11 TD
✅Prototypical Height 6’4
✅Pheonamenal Deep ball
✅Incredible Athleticism
✅Effortless Pocket Presence
👀4.5 40 speed w moves— Dynasty Dad (@DynastyDadFF) January 25, 2024
Drake Maye - North Carolina, Junior
- Height: 6-foot-4 (unofficial measurements)
- Weight: 230 pounds
- Age: 21.4
- 2023 Stats: 3,608 passing yards, 8.5 yards per attempt, 63.3% completion rate, 24 passing TDs, nine INTs
- 2024 Draft Positional Rank: QB3
Maye's 2023 season (much like Caleb Williams) felt like a letdown from the year before. Maye lost WR Josh Downs to the NFL Draft and incoming transfer Devontez Walker from Kent State was ruled ineligible by the NCAA for the first five weeks of the season.
It was clear to see on the film that Maye's supporting cast in 2023 wasn't as good as the year before, and many of his WRs were simply running the wrong routes or just stopping altogether. Still, Maye did enough this season to stay in the top QB discussion and many of the scouts are intrigued by his size, arm, and mobility. The one question I have is just how well does Maye's ability with his legs translate at the next level?
For fantasy purposes, all five QBs in this article all have some serious potential to score fantasy points on the ground. As defenses have continued to adapt across the NFL, QBs who can pick up first downs with their legs are becoming more of an asset to offenses.
Maye had the most big-time throws in college football (79) over the last two years, according to PFF. He's a gunslinger who isn't afraid to force the ball into tight windows and make the necessary plays to keep the drive going. The way things are looking, we might just end up with a QB going at the 1.01, 1.02, and 1.03 in dynasty drafts much like we might see in the opening round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Drake Maye threading the needle here, impressive accuracy and velocity on this throw.
pic.twitter.com/0jVDXBq1i8— Jeremy (@PopesFFH) October 22, 2023
J.J. McCarthy, Michigan - Junior
- Height: 6-foot-3 (unofficial measurements)
- Weight: 202 pounds
- Age: 21.1
- 2022 Stats: 2,991 passing yards, 9.0 yards per attempt, 72.1% completion rate, 22 passing TDs, four INTs
- 2023 Draft Positional Rank: QB4
One of the most difficult projections/evaluations of this draft season has been Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy, as draft grades on him are all over the place. McCarthy and the Wolverines went 15-0 this past season en route to winning the National Championship, but his passing numbers were down in some of their biggest contests.
Against Penn State, McCarthy threw the ball just eight times for 60 yards and was only 16-of-20 for 148 yards and a TD against Ohio State. However, those numbers don't paint the full picture. On the biggest stage with their entire season on the line, McCarthy led Michigan back from a 20-13 deficit in the final minutes to force overtime against Alabama in the CFB Playoff Semifinal where they were later victorious. McCarthy was 17-of-27 for 221 yards and three TDs.
A big mistake we tend to make every draft season is assuming that just because a prospect wasn't asked to do something in college that they can't do it in the pros. The Wolverines had two very good running backs in Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards, as well as the top overall defense in the country.
Can we really criticize Michigan for not using McCarthy more when they just went 15-0? That is a very important piece of context that is often missed here. McCarthy is a very good athlete as well who can make plays with his legs and there are plenty of reasons to think that he can be a successful NFL QB.
It will mostly come down to overall scheme fit and coaching. McCarthy could benefit from sitting for at least half a season and learning before taking over and some ideal destinations for him might end up being the Giants, Vikings, Seahawks, or Rams.
Alright, stans. Your official J.J. McCarthy hype video is here. Try not to run through a wall. pic.twitter.com/FOvUSTyMOp
— Kyle Lindemann (@LuckIsMadeFF) February 27, 2024
Bo Nix - Oregon, Senior (RS)
- Height: 6-foot-2 (unofficial measurements)
- Weight: 217 pounds
- Age: 24.0
- 2023 Stats: 4,454 passing yards, 9.5 yards per attempt, 77.3% completion rate, 45 passing TDs, three INTs
- 2023 Draft Positional Rank: QB5
A prospect who needed some time to find his footing, Bo Nix had a very similar situation to Jayden Daniels: three up-and-down years at Auburn filled with coaching changes and an eventual transfer to Oregon to reset his college career.
After learning a new system tailored to his strengths with Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, Nix shined the last two seasons, leading the Ducks to a 22-5 overall record. Nix has a lot more mobility as a runner than he gets credit for and could impress some people at the NFL Combine this week.
His current draft projections are all over the place from the middle of Round 1 all the way to Round 3. Ultimately, it will come down to team needs and scheme fit. Nix should interview well with teams and showcase his intangibles as well as cerebral abilities.
One of the biggest knocks on Nix as a prospect has been the fact that nearly 70 percent of his passes the last two seasons were either behind the LOS or within 0-9 yards. However, due to the scheme that Oregon ran, Nix could only execute the offense the way he was asked to run it.
A big question that comes up during the scouting process is wondering if the 2019-21 version of Bo Nix at Auburn is a better indication of who he'll be in the NFL or the 2022-present version?
Like with Daniels above, Nix continued to grow at getting better as a quarterback at Oregon. Nix has a ton of starting experience heading into the NFL, 61 games to be exact, which is the most of any quarterback in NCAA history. How much will that matter at the next level? Nix just turned 24 years old this week; if anything, it means that his time is now.
Bo Nix is a good test for who just looks at stats vs who watches the film. Him throwing short passes within the offensive structure is hardly noticeable because he makes high quality throws to all levels of the field. https://t.co/J6RAfxv1iE pic.twitter.com/mKDXHdBzNl
— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) February 26, 2024
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