NFL Draft Prospect Preview: An Early Look at the 2024 QB Rookie Class

Who is the QB1 in the 2024 NFL Draft class? Who are the best quarterback prospects in this year's draft? Joey Pollizze dives in and analyzes the top quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft.

It was just yesterday that a handful of teams found their franchise quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Houston Texans took C.J. Stroud with the second overall pick, and the Indianapolis Colts took Anthony Richardson with the fourth overall pick. Even the Carolina Panthers are hopeful Bryce Young will turn a corner in his second year.

The NFL Draft is the best time for quarterback-needy teams to find that leader under center. That should be no different in this year's class with the Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders, and New England Patriots all needing quarterbacks at the top of the draft.

So, who could those teams select early in the draft? Who are the top quarterback prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft? Let's dive in and take an early look at the 2024 rookie quarterback class.

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Caleb Williams, USC

Caleb Williams will enter the 2024 NFL Draft as the clear top quarterback prospect in the class. He has the tools and skills to be a successful NFL quarterback for years to come. That was all truly on display in his two college seasons at USC. In 2022, he threw for 4,537 yards, 42 touchdowns, and five interceptions en route to winning the Heisman. Then, last year, he threw for 3,633 yards, 30 touchdowns, and five interceptions.

"A moon ball by Caleb Williams on the money!"

📺: ABC
📱: https://t.co/M1RwFNxzJl pic.twitter.com/hsOEYcHXYg

— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) November 18, 2023

There's a lot to love about Williams' game, and that's why he will be the No. 1 overall pick in this draft class. With the Bears trading away Justin Fields, Chicago will select the best college quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck.

Drake Maye, North Carolina

There are some debates about who the second-best quarterback is in this draft class. Either way, though, Drake Maye will be a top-three pick in this upcoming class due to his upside. His big arm mixed with his size (6-foot-5) is a dream for any NFL team that needs a quarterback. 

Maye didn't have the strongest 2023 campaign, throwing for 3,608 yards, 24 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. However, his 2022 college season, where he threw for 4,321 yards, 38 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, shows just how much potential the North Carolina quarterback has.

Jayden Daniels, LSU

It's been a journey for Jayden Daniels to get to this point. He started at Arizona State and played three seasons there before transferring to LSU in 2022. At LSU, though, is when Daniels took his game to the next level, and scouts fell in love with him.

The 6-foot-3 California native embodies what it means to be an NFL quarterback in this day and age. He can do it both through the air and on the ground. He totaled over 2,000 rush yards over the past two seasons at LSU to go with 6,725 pass yards and 78 total touchdowns.

In 2023, Daniels won the Heisman behind 3,812 pass yards, 40 pass touchdowns, 1,134 rush yards, and 10 rushing touchdowns. The 23-year-old might have a bigger upside than Maye.

J.J. McCarthy, Michigan

J.J. McCarthy might be the biggest question mark in the first round because he wasn't relied upon a ton at Michigan. He threw for 2,719 yards and 22 touchdowns in 2022 and 2,991 yards and 22 touchdowns last year. However, the 21-year-old quarterback is young and has the arm strength and IQ to be a solid NFL quarterback for years to come.

Hardest throws at the #NFL Combine since 08:

Josh Allen: 62 mph
Joe Milton: 62 mph
J.J. McCarthy: 61 mph 👀👀👀
Baker Mayfield: 60 mph
Bryant Bennett: 60 mph

ARM STRENGTH IS NOT AN ISSUE FOR JJ

(Via @LuckIsMadeFF) pic.twitter.com/wr9Ny4jc6N

— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) March 22, 2024

McCarthy didn't necessarily put up elite numbers in college, but he limited turnovers and did his job to help Michigan go 28-1 over the past two seasons. He will be a top-12 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and could even go as high as four -- if a team like the Vikings trade up.

Michael Penix Jr., Washington

There's a lot not working in Michael Penix Jr.'s favor heading into the draft. He will be 24 years old in May and has suffered a season-ending injury in four of his college seasons at Indiana. Penix tore his ACL twice in 2018 and 2020 and then suffered two shoulder injuries in 2019 and 2021. 

However, Penix transferred to Washington after the 2021 season, where he enjoyed two dominant seasons in 2022 and 2023. He threw for a combined 9,544 yards and 67 passing touchdowns during those years. The gun-slinging lefty also finished runner-up to Daniels in the Heisman voting this past season. Despite the age and injury concerns, he should go somewhere between the first and second round. 

Bo Nix, Oregon

Like Penix, Bo Nix will enter the NFL Draft with plenty of college experience. He started his college career back in 2019 and played five total seasons. Three of those years came at Auburn before Nix transferred to Oregon in 2022 to finish out his career. 

Nix's best campaign at Auburn came as a freshman when he threw for 2,542 yards and 16 touchdowns across 13 games. Nevertheless, his best college season overall actually came in 2023 -- hence why his draft stock has risen over the past few months. Last season, he threw for 4,508 yards, 45 touchdowns, and three interceptions. The 24-year-old should hear his name called in one of the first two rounds. 

Spencer Rattler, South Carolina

In 2019, Spencer Rattler was the No. 1 quarterback prospect in the country and announced his decision to commit to Oklahoma. Rattler, who was a five-star prospect, was rated higher than Daniels, Nix, and Sam Howell out of high school. However, the Arizona native didn't have the best college career. 

Smooth with it 🤙@SpencerRattler pic.twitter.com/GbyEO2XzrZ

— Gamecock Football (@GamecockFB) March 12, 2024

He put up solid numbers in his first full season at Oklahoma in 2020, throwing for 3,031 yards, 28 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Those stats made Rattler the favorite to win the Heisman entering the 2021 campaign, but he was benched later in the season for Williams -- which eventually led to the former top prospect transferring to South Carolina. He will enter the draft with some question marks, and that likely puts him as a third- or fourth-round draft selection. 

Michael Pratt, Tulane

Michael Pratt spent his entire college career at Tulane and was the team's starter as a freshman. In his first season in 2020, he threw for a respectable 1,806 yards, 20 touchdowns, and six interceptions. Pratt then improved every season after that, which included throwing for 3,009 yards and 27 touchdowns with five interceptions in 2022. 

The 22-year-old Florida native didn't have the best numbers in 2023, throwing for 2,406 yards and 22 touchdowns. But he led Tulane to an 11-3 record and their second consecutive bowl game. Pratt also went toe to toe with Williams in the 2022 Cotton Bowl Classic and helped his team defeat USC by throwing for 234 yards and two touchdowns. Some NFL team will take a chance on him on Day 3. 

Others to note: Joe Milton III, Sam Hartman, Devin Leary, Jordan Travis

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