We're inching toward the 2024 NFL draft, and after three quarterbacks were drafted in the first four picks in 2023, we could again see a bunch of talented signal-callers go early in April. A lot of the buildup for the 2024 QB class has centered around Caleb Williams, but there are many other good options for teams looking for a new passer. As many as six QBs have a chance to be selected in the first round.
How do the best quarterbacks stack up? I ranked every passer with a draftable evaluation in my sixth (and final) edition of the 2024 QB Hot Board, an in-depth list that provides a look at the top quarterbacks. That includes 13 guys. We'll hit brief breakdowns of strengths and weaknesses, along with each player's current draft stock.
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Day 1 picks | Day 2 picks | Day 3 picks
1. Caleb Williams, USC
Height: 6-foot-1 | Weight: 214 pounds
Class: Junior | Projected range: Round 1
Where he excels: Williams had ups and downs over the course of his junior season but still showcased No. 1-pick-caliber traits. His arm strength, accuracy and improvisational skills have him sitting atop the quarterback rankings and scouts see him as one of the best QB prospects of the past decade. What makes him so special? He always has an answer, no matter the defensive structure presented to him.
This past season, Williams threw for 3,633 yards, 30 touchdown passes and 5 interceptions. With the instincts to create off-script, he regularly generates explosive plays outside the normal framework of the offense. On plays outside the pocket, Williams threw for 11 touchdown passes and had an 81.5 QBR. But teams also forced him to play more within structure last season, and he responded by completing 72.9% of his throws from inside the pocket (up from 70.3% in 2022).
"He's special and whoever gets him will have a franchise-altering type of talent," an NFC scout said.
The Bears had a large contingent on hand at Williams' pro day, including GM Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus. Williams looked as advertised in that setting, displaying a smooth and compact delivery. There was an emphasis on throws from inside the pocket and within structure, and he looked comfortable.
Where he needs work: His reliance on big plays and his ability to play outside of structure can be a gift -- and a curse. His success with those passes outside of structure often leads to him welcoming avoidable pressure, as he passes up options available early in progressions in favor of the bigger play. There are plenty of times on tape when Williams could have gotten the ball out quicker, but because he knows he can put on his Superman cape, he instead holds onto it longer than necessary.
The key to Williams' success at the next level? Being paired with a playcaller who embraces the chaos but also understands how to settle his game and stress the importance of not getting bored with the easy throws that are there for the taking.
Potential NFL team fit: Chicago Bears
2. Drake Maye, North Carolina
Height: 6-foot-4 | Weight: 223 pounds
Class: Redshirt sophomore | Projected range: Round 1
Where he excels: North Carolina lost many of its offensive skill position standouts, leaving a lot on Maye's shoulders this past season. Even so, he showed consistency in attacking downfield with his A-level arm strength. He adjusted to the new personnel, and getting receiver Devontez Walker into the lineup after initially being ruled ineligible helped him. Maye has the poise, instincts and accuracy to get the ball to his desired spots, and his ball placement on throws to the intermediate and deep levels of the field stands out.
Maye had 3,608 passing yards, 24 passing touchdowns and another nine scores on the ground. His 63 completions on throws at least 15 yards downfield ranked second in the FBS.
I was at Maye's pro day, and he was able to show that he is comfortable taking snaps and making throws from under center. And the great velocity that he can put on his passes was very evident.
Where he needs work: The lapses in judgment on some throws is concerning, and the UNC offense occasionally got stagnant for long periods during games. Consistency with his accuracy into man coverage is one specific thing to watch. Maye only completed 41.7% of his passes against those looks -- the national average was 51.1% -- which matches what we see on tape. His ball placement on quick throws to the short and intermediate areas of the field can be sporadic.
Maye also tends to lock onto his first read too long in hopes of the receiver coming open and then forces throws instead of progressing to the next option. Eliminating options pre-snap and getting through progressions more efficiently will be important in his development.
Potential NFL team fit: Washington Commanders
3. Jayden Daniels, LSU
Height: 6-foot-4 | Weight: 210 pounds
Class: Senior | Projected range: Round 1
Where he excels: Daniels transferred in from Arizona State before his junior season in 2022 and quickly became the leader of the Tigers' offensive attack. An up-and-down first year with LSU raised some questions, but ever since an inconsistent performance against Florida State to open 2023, Daniels took off. He finished his magical Heisman-winning season with 3,812 passing yards, 40 touchdown throws and 4 interceptions while completing 72.2% of his passes. He finished first in QBR (95.6) and yards per attempt (11.7).
The biggest reason for his 2023 surge was deep accuracy. Daniels' 34 completions of 20-plus air yards ranked fourth in the FBS, and he amazingly had 22 touchdown passes and zero interceptions there. Daniels didn't throw at the combine, but that downfield touch popped at his 58-throw pro day. (He had a few errant passes on out-breaking routes but was accurate to targets between the hashmarks.)
Pocket patience was an issue coming into the season and many scouts said Daniels constantly left the pocket prematurely without letting routes develop. But his composure improved exponentially. Defenses tried to blitz Daniels, yet that's when he was at his best. He completed 71.1% of his throws with 17 touchdown passes and zero interceptions when blitzed. Daniels' running ability also challenged defenses, racking up 1,230 rushing yards (excluding sack yardage lost) and 10 scores on the ground.
Where he needs work: Although he had success on the ground this past season, Daniels has a slender frame and takes way too many excruciating hits. He must learn to save his body by sliding more or simply throwing the ball out of bounds. LSU surrendered 22 sacks of Daniels this past season, and five were on failed scramble attempts. Daniels did weigh in at 210 pounds at his pro day, alleviating some concern here.
Potential NFL team fit: New England Patriots
4. J.J. McCarthy, Michigan
Height: 6-foot-3 | Weight: 219 pounds
Class: Junior | Projected range: Round 1
Where he excels: The Wolverines placed more trust in McCarthy this past season and it paid dividends; he led them to their first national title since 1997. He completed 72.3% of his passes (sixth in the country) and was accurate to all levels of the field. His 88.2 Total QBR was third in the FBS. One of the more impressive parts of McCarthy's game is his efficiency on play-action, where he completed 76.3% of his passes (80 attempts) and took advantage of defenses selling out to stop the run.
I really like the ball placement that I saw on McCarthy's tape last season, too. He hardly ever forces his intended targets to work to haul in passes, putting throws within their body frames. He was off-target on only 8.1% of his throws this past season, finishing with 2,991 yards, 22 TD passes and 4 interceptions. And check out his third-down numbers: 67.1% completion percentage, 9.2 yards per attempt, 6 TD throws and no picks. At his pro day, McCarthy consistently got the ball out on time and accurately, displaying strong footwork from under center and the shotgun.
Where he needs work: Lapses in decision-making plagued him in the past and he really needed to learn to live to see another day by throwing the ball out of bounds or hitting his checkdown to avoid bad turnovers. For the most part, he improved there. McCarthy threw three of his four interceptions in one game -- against Bowling Green in September.
The same questions we had about McCarthy going into the season still exist because of Michigan's run-heavy formula. How much more potential is there to uncover? McCarthy's usage in the Wolverines' system is why opinions are so mixed on his outlook at the next level. And his combine workout -- which was a little inconsistent -- didn't answer many of the lingering questions.
Lastly, scouts still want to see a better understanding of how to mix speeds on his throws. McCarthy is a fastball-only passer who hasn't quite figured out when and how to put touch on throws, and we saw that at his pro day.
Potential NFL team fit: Minnesota Vikings
5. Michael Penix Jr., Washington
Height: 6-foot-2 | Weight: 216 pounds
Class: Redshirt senior | Projected range: Late Day 1 or early Day 2
Where he excels: The left-hander became the first player in program history to have at least 400 passing yards in three straight games to start the 2023 season, and he finished with 4,903 passing yards (most in the country), 36 TD throws and 11 interceptions over 15 games, with the team's lone loss coming against Michigan in the National Championship Game.
The Washington offense thrives on deep shots and with an FBS-leading 46 completions on passes of 20-plus yards, Penix has an explosive arm and a quick release. He is most comfortable playing within the framework of the offense and is at his best inside the pocket.
That arm strength was on full display at the Senior Bowl. The ball just exploded out out of his hand and he drove it to the outer portions of the field with ease. He was also arguably the biggest QB winner of the combine, showing off his arm on throws to the sideline. And his pro day throwing session was "as expected," per an NFL scout. Penix kept showing off that deep accuracy, with multiple downfield throws that fell right into the hands of his receivers. He also ran a sub-4.6 40-yard dash and jumped 36.5 inches in the vertical jump.
Where he needs work: The biggest question raised about Penix will be his injury history -- two torn ACLs in his right knee and multiple injuries to his nonthrowing shoulder -- though he played in at least 13 games in both 2022 and 2023. A lot of evaluators saw him as a Day 3 player coming into the season but acknowledge that he will keep climbing draft boards as he distances himself from those injury concerns. Penix said that his combine medicals went well.
Outside of durability, scouts wanted to see how well Penix played when defenses knocked him off his initial launch point in the pocket. We saw those issues bubble up in the title game. He can easily scan the field and make throws from a clean pocket, but there are still questions about how he handles pressure. In 15 games, Penix was hit on 21.5% of his dropbacks (11th-least in the nation) and sacked 11 times. But when he gets outside the pocket, he completed 38.5% of his throws, 114th in the country.
Penix had a prime opportunity to impress scouts at the Senior Bowl, but it ended up being a week of highs and lows -- he didn't do much to change prior opinions. Yes, the arm strength immediately stood out, but his accuracy was up and down. His pro day had an emphasis on throws on the move, as Penix continues to try to show more consistency there.
Potential NFL team fit: Las Vegas Raiders
6. Bo Nix, Oregon
Height: 6-foot-2 | Weight: 214 pounds
Class: Senior | Projected range: Early Day 2
Where he excels: Operating in an up-tempo hurry-up Oregon offense, Nix wins with a lot of pre-snap decisions. He forces defenses to come up and tackle in the underneath areas, making him the perfect passer for that offense, which aims to stretch defenses horizontally and pick certain spots to make throws downfield. Nix shows a high-level understanding of space reads and leverage, and he did a good job distributing the ball to the Ducks' playmakers. This past season, he threw for 4,508 yards with 45 touchdown passes and only 3 interceptions.
On tape, there wasn't a more efficient passer in college football than Nix in 2023. He led the country in completion rate by almost 4% (77.4%) and threw multiple touchdown passes in all 14 games, surpassing Kellen Moore for the longest streak by an FBS player in the past 20 seasons. Nix keeps plays alive, too, with the scrambling ability to escape and gain positive yards when his initial reads aren't available. He had six rushing TDs in 2023.
At the Senior Bowl, his accuracy and decisiveness appeared in spots throughout practices. He wastes little time making decisions and getting the ball out. At the combine, Nix has an impressive throwing session in terms of accuracy, operating on time and showing precise ball placement. That continued at the Oregon pro day. Accuracy, clean footwork and quick decisions were my takeaways. There's hardly any bad placement on his passes, and the ball comes out lightning quick.
Where he needs work: Nix's limitations are apparent on the more challenging downfield passes. While he's surgical in the underneath areas, he's hesitant to push the ball to the intermediate-to-deep spots. His 6.3 air yards per pass attempt ranked 120th in the country. His struggles driving the ball and getting consistent velocity behind his throws were apparent at the combine, too. However, Nix clearly wanted to address the arm strength questions at his pro day, completing multiple passes 55-plus yards down the field with great placement.
Scouts wanted to see how Nix could operate outside the Oregon scheme at the Senior Bowl, but it remains relatively unanswered. He was uneven throughout the week in ball placement and driving the ball.
Potential NFL team fit: Denver Broncos
7. Spencer Rattler, South Carolina
Height: 6-foot | Weight: 211 pounds
Class: Senior | Projected range: Late Day 2
Where he excels: Rattler was among the best QBs in the SEC despite the team's 5-7 record. Watch the tape from his season-opening performance against North Carolina. Yes, he was sacked nine times, but he finished that game 30-of-39 (76.9%) for 353 passing yards. Then he had a strong first half on the road against top-ranked Georgia two weeks later, going 16-of-18 for 152 yards and a touchdown pass to help the Gamecocks to a 14-3 halftime lead. (One of the best teams in the country eventually came back, though.)
When Rattler is protected, he has excelled. He looked like a more decisive and consistent player this past season. With B-level arm strength to drive the ball, his confidence and comfort in the South Carolina scheme put him back on the draft radar. Rattler finished with 3,186 yards, 19 touchdown throws and 8 interceptions.
Among the Senior Bowl quarterbacks, Rattler probably had the most to gain. After an underwhelming first day that included a bad interception, he rebounded and showcased a natural throwing motion and a live arm. The ball consistently came out on time. And after running a disappointing 4.95-second run on the 40-yard dash at the combine, Rattler regrouped and finished his Indy workout strong during the throwing portion. He remained in control and was accurate to all parts of the field.
Rattler arguably had the best pro day I watched in person. He's an effortless thrower, and his accuracy, confidence and footwork were consistent throughout the 63-throw workout. An AFC area scout even told me, "I think a team may take a chance on him somewhere in Round 2."
Where he needs work: The South Carolina offensive line struggled to find continuity, leaving Rattler pressured at a high rate (38.5% of dropbacks, 26th-most in the FBS) and taking 40 sacks (fourth-most in the FBS). And while he completed 54.1% of his passes under pressure (eighth best), he missed opportunities to get the ball out quicker by simply hitting hot reads or built-in routes to avoid incoming pressure.
Potential NFL team fit: New York Giants
8. Michael Pratt, Tulane
Height: 6-foot-3 | Weight: 217 pounds
Class: Senior | Projected range: Day 3
Where he excels: After Pratt helped Tulane to a huge Cotton Bowl win over USC last January, scouts were buzzing about him coming into the 2023 season. He was nearly flawless in the opener, going 14-of-15 for 294 passing yards and four touchdown passes against South Alabama. But he suffered a left knee injury in the fourth quarter that sidelined him for two games, returning against Nicholls in Week 4 but missing a good matchup against Ole Miss, which was costly. He closed his season with 2,406 yards, 22 TD throws and five interceptions over 11 games before opting out of Tulane's Military Bowl game.
The program's leader in career touchdown passes (90), Pratt has shown slightly above-average arm strength and seems to always be in control. His three-level accuracy and comfort in executing NFL concepts will be key components of his evaluation.
At the Senior Bowl, Pratt's accuracy and ability to layer the ball were consistent throughout the week. We also saw a smooth and fluid throwing motion. It was more of the same at the combine, where he displayed good rhythm in his passing.
Where he needs work: Pratt isn't able to escape when things around him begin to crumble, which means he has to improve in picking up those pressure points when reading the defensive structure.
Potential NFL team fit: Atlanta Falcons
9. Jordan Travis, Florida State
Height: 6-foot-1 | Weight: 200 pounds
Class: Senior | Projected range: Late Day 3
Where he excels: The process is hardly ever conventional with Travis, but the end result is usually positive. He has made a name for himself with his playmaking ability, showing creativity outside of structure. He's one of the more talented dual-threat passers in the 2024 group, having rushed for seven TDs in four straight seasons. And Travis had 18 career games with a passing and rushing score in the same game, a Florida State record.
Travis also showed more consistency from the pocket in 2023. Overall, he threw for 2,756 passing yards with 20 touchdown passes and 2 interceptions, and his 80.1 Total QBR was 14th in the country. Travis' season came to an end after a lower left leg injury in November. He said at the combine that he expects to be healthy for camp this summer.
Where he needs work: All that said about his ability outside of structure, Travis tends to rely on it too often. Issues pop up when teams are able to put pressure on him and I want to see him stand in the pocket and deliver under duress more. Travis' ability to make plays has scouts excited, but more consistent play inside structure is important. And because of his leg injury, he missed out on crucial parts of the pre-draft process; scouts were looking forward to seeing him compete in an all-star game.
Potential NFL team fit: New Orleans Saints
10. Sam Hartman, Notre Dame
Height: 6-foot-1 | Weight: 211 pounds
Class: Senior | Projected range: Late Day 3/UDFA
Where he excels: The ACC's all-time leader in touchdown passes (110) elected to finish his career in South Bend, an opportunity to show he could operate a traditional offense instead of the unconventional Wake Forest scheme. Notre Dame relies more on rhythm and timing and Hartman threw for 2,689 yards with 24 touchdown passes and 8 interceptions in 12 games.
"I'm so glad that he got out of that Wake offense because he wasn't doing anything that projects to the next level," said an AFC area scout.
Getting the ball out quickly hasn't been a problem for Hartman, as he's a quick decision-maker. But he has also been accurate on deep throws, even though he has arm strength limitations. Hartman had 11 touchdowns to one interception and an 88.5 QBR on throws 20-plus yards downfield this past season.
Part of the reason that Hartman transferred to Notre Dame was to gain experience in a pro-style system, and he looked comfortable operating from both shotgun and under center at the Senior Bowl. His accuracy in the short-to-intermediate areas was consistent all week in Mobile, Alabama.
Where he needs work: While he has had plenty of success in the pocket, pressure has rushed him into making premature decisions. When under pressure last season, Hartman completed only 45.5% of his throws, which ranked 71st in the FBS. He doesn't have the playmaking ability to create extra opportunities outside of the normal structure of plays with any consistency.
Hartman also struggled a little pushing the ball down the field at the Senior Bowl. That came back up at the combine; while he was accurate and in rhythm, he was a step behind other QBs in ball velocity. Hartman will need to be in a system that's predicated on rhythm and timing underneath, which matches his strengths as a passer.
Potential NFL team fit: Los Angeles Rams
11. Joe Milton III, Tennessee
Height: 6-foot-5 | Weight: 235 pounds
Class: Senior | Projected range: Late Day 3/UDFA
Where he excels: After starting his career at Michigan in 2018, Milton transferred to Tennessee in 2021. His arm talent stands out right away -- he has the arm strength to throw the football through a brick wall, and we saw him heave a few incredible deep balls at the combine. He's capable of throwing 70-plus yards. And at his pro day, Milton had to move outside the indoor facility for his final 10 passes -- all deep balls -- to avoid hitting the ceiling on his 75-yard throws.
But while Milton attempted maybe too many fastballs in the past, I saw improved patience and better decision-making in the underneath areas this past season. We saw it at the pro day, too. Milton showed better touch, anticipation and accuracy.
Milton finished the regular season with 2,813 passing yards, 20 touchdown throws and 5 interceptions, and he closed with his best game, a 383-yard, four-touchdown passing performance against Vanderbilt (he also added two rushing scores). He looked the part at the Senior Bowl, with great size and arm talent. There wasn't another QB in Mobile who could match his pass velocity.
Where he needs work: Scouts were excited to see if Milton could make a leap during his first full season as a starter in an offense that's known to stretch defenses. But as an AFC scout said, "He'll wow you up close with his size and arm, but we're still waiting on all of it to click with him, and it just hasn't happened consistently enough yet."
While Milton's physical traits are apparent, he still struggles with deep accuracy. He completed 28.6% of his passes of 20-plus air yards (tied for 104th in the FBS). Touch on vertical throws remains a concern despite the arm strength. He has to learn to layer the ball to his desired spots.
That showed at the Senior Bowl and we saw scattershot ball placement each day of practice. As we saw on tape, Milton put too much pace on many of his throws, negatively impacting his accuracy.
Potential NFL team fit: Indianapolis Colts
12. Austin Reed, Western Kentucky
Height: 6-foot-2 | Weight: 220 pounds
Class: Senior | Projected range: Late Day 3/UDFA
Where he excels: Playing in a high-octane offense that looks to attack all areas of the field, Reed displayed steady growth during his senior season. Even though he has a very average arm, Reed is quick to decipher leverage on the perimeter and takes advantage of space given to him by defenses, wasting little time in getting the ball out. The Western Kentucky scheme uses a lot of 10 and 11 personnel sets, so he has good experience with NFL concepts. Reed is already comfortable with anticipating throws that are about to be open and he's aggressive with attacking one-on-one matchups. On the season, he threw for 3,340 yards with 31 touchdown passes and 11 picks.
He was excellent in the red zone, too. Inside the 20-yard line, he completed 62% of his passes (50 attempts) for 14 touchdowns and zero interceptions. Reed also added four rushing scores and didn't take a single sack in that area all year.
Where he needs work: I'd like to see Reed become more consistent when facing pressure. In those situations, he completed 43.1% of his passes (tied for 91st in the FBS), and five of his 11 interceptions came when defenses sped him up. Reed has some mobility and the Hilltoppers' offense incorporated him on designed QB runs, but it's not an area where he will stand out at the next level.
Reed didn't do much to stand out from his counterparts at the combine, too. When the routes were timing-based, his accuracy and anticipation were efficient. But as the routes became deeper, Reed's arm limitations were very apparent.
Potential NFL team fit: Miami Dolphins
13. Carter Bradley, South Alabama
Height: 6-foot-3 | Weight: 216 pounds
Class: Senior | Projected range: Late Day 3/UDFA
Where he excels: Bradley started his career at Toledo and transferred to South Alabama before the 2021 season. In Year 1 with the Jaguars, he set new program marks in passing yards (3,326) and touchdown passes (28). The son of longtime NFL coach Gus Bradley, he has strong understanding of the game and how to attack defenses -- he always plays with a plan. He was given a lot of freedom at the line of scrimmage, working to get the South Alabama offense into the correct play.
Bradley has an average arm and solid decisiveness, and he finished last season with 2,660 passing yards, 19 touchdown throws and seven interceptions over 11 games. He followed it up with a productive week of practice at the Senior Bowl, and multiple scouts who I spoke to suggested he could be a surprise late-round pick.
Where he needs work: The biggest concern with Bradley comes when he is forced away from rhythm or when he has to attack down the field. His 7.5 air yards per passing attempt ranked 100th in the FBS. The South Alabama offense specializes in stretching defenses horizontally with quick-game concepts, and Bradley will need to become a more consistent passer in those short-to-intermediate areas to have success.
Potential NFL team fit: San Francisco 49ers