Get ready for a thrilling journey as we dive into the 2024 Quarterback Class Redraft! The NFL's future is being shaped by last year's QBs, and with a year of pro experience, some are proving their worth, while others are leaving us wondering.
The 2024 draft class was a historic one, with six quarterbacks selected within the first 12 picks. Three of them, Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Bo Nix, became day one starters. J.J. McCarthy, unfortunately, suffered a preseason injury, while Drake Maye and Michael Penix Jr. started on the bench but later claimed their starting roles. In 2025, all six started their teams' openers, including fifth-round pick Spencer Rattler, who secured the Saints' starting job during training camp.
This class has already made a significant impact on the league. They hold nearly a quarter of the NFL's starting quarterback positions, and all but McCarthy seem to have secured their spots for the long haul. So, get ready for some intense debates and discussions about this group for the next decade! Let's dive into a redraft and explore some intriguing possibilities.
For transparency, here's how I ranked the seven quarterbacks before the 2024 draft and the draft position I would have assigned them:
- Caleb Williams (top five)
- Drake Maye (top five)
- Jayden Daniels (top 10)
- Spencer Rattler (late first round)
- J.J. McCarthy (early second round)
- Michael Penix Jr. (late second round)
- Bo Nix (late second round)
In this redraft, I'll consider a mix of personal preferences, team needs, and long-term prospects, rather than solely focusing on current performance.
Now, let's get started with the redraft!
First Pick, Chicago Bears: Drake Maye
Actual Pick: Third, New England Patriots
Maye's rise has been nothing short of remarkable. He could potentially be selected as high as sixth in a hypothetical draft of all starting quarterbacks. Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson would likely go first, with Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow following closely behind. Maye's talent, well-roundedness, polish, and productivity this season make him a strong contender for the sixth spot.
It's astonishing how quickly Maye has risen, considering his pre-draft scouting report. He checked all the boxes for a first-round pick but was also expected to work on certain aspects. Lower-body mechanics were a concern, but his accuracy has remained consistent. So far this season, Maye's completion percentage is second only to Jared Goff, and he leads in completion percentage over expectation and uncatchable pass rate, according to Pro Football Focus.
Maye has excelled in areas where he was expected to, and his creative playmaking has translated to the NFL. He salvages broken plays with his scrambling and timely dumps to avoid sacks. His pocket movement is advanced, and he throws with anticipation downfield. Despite being viewed as a polarizing prospect pre-draft, Maye has few flaws in his game now.
Williams is finding his footing in Chicago, but if the Bears had another chance, they might opt for Maye.
Second Pick, Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels
Actual Pick: Second, Washington Commanders
Daniels is an exceptional football player, but his passing abilities might not be at the top tier. He has a good arm, but lacks the elite arm talent of other top quarterbacks, except for Burrow, who compensates with accuracy and football intelligence. This is evident when Daniels throws from a tight pocket to intermediate and deep areas.
Daniels' off-platform throwing is not his strongest suit. He often skips the ball at his receiver's feet instead of pinning it to their chest. His accuracy can be an issue on throws that require more power. While Daniels is a finesse thrower, all top quarterbacks can combine finesse and power. Some have improved their arm strength over time, like Tom Brady, but it's not a common occurrence.
Daniels' running ability compensates for this. He rarely faces a muddy pocket or throws off his back foot due to his exceptional mobility. Defenses focus on containing him, often slowing their rush rather than collapsing the pocket. However, Daniels' speed and agility make it challenging to keep him in the pocket. Unless he slows down or his offensive line weakens, pass protection won't be a significant issue.
Daniels' scrambling ability is a valuable trait, but it's challenging to project long-term, especially with his slender frame and past injuries as a runner. After his first pro game, Commanders coach Dan Quinn expressed concern about his scrambling frequency. "For him, create it when it's there, when you can get outside the pocket. We'd love to see him remain a passer first, and I think it's going to come with more experience, honestly."
Daniels hasn't made this adjustment yet. He has the highest scramble rate since 2024, but only 41% of his trips outside the pocket end with pass attempts, compared to the league average of 69%. Defenses are doing a better job of containing him after he leaves the pocket, with only 28% of his scrambles resulting in a first down this season. To punish defenses, Daniels needs to start throwing downfield more often.
Daniels has the accuracy and feel to do so. If he can, defending him will be incredibly challenging, similar to Lamar Jackson. Daniels is already hard to stop, as his stats show.
Third Pick, New England Patriots: Caleb Williams
Actual Pick: First, Chicago Bears
Williams would have been the second pick in this redraft, but given Daniels' impact on Washington, it's hard to imagine the Commanders changing their decision.
Williams is a good quarterback with room for growth. He has the most talented arm in the class, capable of firing lasers into tight windows or layering passes over the defense. However, he's just as likely to overthrow an open receiver, a problem that persists into his second season. Williams leads the NFL in overthrows since 2024, with 59, which is 14 more than Nix in second place, according to TruMedia.
His accuracy has improved this season, but he's still near the bottom of the league in that category. It's challenging to overlook these accuracy concerns, but they're the only significant flaw in his game. If his improvement continues, he has the potential to be one of the best.
Williams' game has been mischaracterized based on college perceptions. He holds the ball longer than most, but he's only taking sacks on 5.9% of his dropbacks this season, ranking 15th. His pressure-to-sack rate (17.9%) ranks 16th, ahead of Herbert, Allen, and Jackson. He also ranks well ahead of Maye and Daniels in that metric.
Taking sacks was an issue last season, but Williams has improved with a coaching change. He's better in the pocket than given credit for, dedicated to progressing through his reads before entering creation mode. His downfield accuracy is an issue, but he can be precise on quick throws, keeping Chicago's offense on track.
10th Pick, Minnesota Vikings: Spencer Rattler
Actual Pick: 150th, New Orleans Saints
Rattler's jump from a fifth-round pick to this position is massive, but it's worth noting that he was once considered one of the top quarterback prospects before being benched for Williams at Oklahoma. Talent was never the issue, as we're seeing in New Orleans, where Rattler appears to have secured the starting job and is showing franchise quarterback potential.
Based on his South Carolina tape, Rattler shouldn't have been a Day 3 pick. I blame LeBron James for the portrayal of Rattler in his high school quarterback documentary, which may have contributed to his drop in the draft. Rattler's behavior in the doc rubbed NFL evaluators the wrong way, as Ian Rapaport reported on draft night.
"It did not make him look great. And it is unbelievable how many different teams mentioned to me the image of him in that show and how they can't get it out of their heads."
We were all teenagers once, and prospective employers can't judge us based on our high school antics. If talent evaluators could have looked past that, they might have fallen in love with Rattler's game, which includes a talented arm, mature pocket presence, and an underrated feel for the game.
Rattler doesn't excel at any one thing, but he doesn't have any obvious weaknesses either. He's found more consistency with his accuracy and isn't throwing into coverage as often. We've seen him take steps as a passer over the past year, and while he shows flashes of high-level play, he's also raised his floor.
My comparison for Rattler would be Sam Darnold. He's not as talented a thrower, but the rest of his game matches. We've seen how Darnold thrived in Kevin O'Connell's system, and Rattler, with his downfield throwing ability, would be a perfect fit in Minnesota.
12th Pick, Denver Broncos: Bo Nix
Actual Pick: 12th, Denver Broncos
Sean Payton still gets his guy at 12, but I struggle to see what he sees in Nix. He has good mobility and a good arm, but not at an elite level. You can build a competent offense with these attributes, but as we've seen with Denver, there's a limit without a comfortable pocket presence, feel, and proper progressions.
Nix had a lot of college experience and is already 26, but he looks like one of the rawest quarterbacks in this class. A year working under Payton hasn't changed that. Through the first two dozen games, sack avoidance seems to be his superpower, with a league-low 3.7% sack rate on dropbacks. However, this is inflated due to excellent pass protection in Denver, and he avoids sacks by throwing checkdowns, often at the expense of open downfield receivers.
Nix has thrown 105 checkdowns since 2024, leading the league, with only Aaron Rodgers close. But Nix is inefficient, losing a total of 20.1 EPA on those plays, the worst mark in the league, according to TruMedia. While he avoids sacks, it doesn't necessarily help his offense move the ball.
The same can be said for his scrambling, which is often viewed as a strength. He's picked up a first down on only 13.3% of his scrambles this season, ranking behind Stafford, Jones, and Gabriel. Based on Payton's praise for Nix, the Broncos would likely draft him again, but he's done little to change his second-round prospect status.
13th Pick, Las Vegas Raiders: Michael Penix Jr.
Actual Pick: Eighth, Atlanta Falcons
Penix was drafted at the wrong time. In the early 2000s, a stationary pocket passer with a strong arm would have been highly sought after. While Penix has more to his game, it was his arm strength that was the major selling point. Former Raiders GM Tom Telesco said this summer that he probably wouldn't have taken Penix at 13, but I'm not convinced. The Raiders needed a quarterback and missed out on the first-round prospects.
Penix is a decent prospect, but he needs to learn to layer throws instead of throwing every pass with maximum force. He played a lot of college football and hasn't shown signs of changing his style. Atlanta's coaching staff was optimistic about his second season, but he's not attacking downfield as often and his accuracy is arguably worse.
For a quarterback with a questioned ceiling, his lack of progression is a bigger red flag than for most second-year passers.
35th Pick, Atlanta Falcons: J.J. McCarthy
Actual Pick: 10th, Minnesota Vikings
If you were skeptical about McCarthy before the 2024 draft, you're likely feeling validated now. He's played only two regular-season games, but he's struggled in the ways his doubters expected. He looks overwhelmed and undersized in NFL pockets. He has trouble working beyond his second read, which wasn't an issue at Michigan. His inability to layer throws was an offseason talking point, and now the Vikings coach says they're working on his lower-body mechanics to address accuracy issues.
However, McCarthy has been a leader, as billed during his time at Michigan. His teammates love him, and he led Minnesota to a comeback win over Chicago in Week 1. But leadership can't complete passes or avoid sacks. Until he improves his ball placement and reduces his sack rate, he'll struggle to justify his draft position.
So far, he's looked more like a Day 2 project. In this redraft, I have him going to the Falcons, who passed on a quarterback in the first round and decided to start Kirk Cousins. Backing up Cousins for a few years would have been ideal for McCarthy's development, and there are likely some in Minnesota who wish for that setup now.
- Steven Ruiz
