No position dominates NFL draft coverage like quarterback and the 2024 class features franchise-altering players at the top. There are three signal-callers -- Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye -- who would be in consideration for the No. 1 overall pick most years, though Williams sure seems destined to be the top selection in a little over two weeks.
After that trio, though, it's still unclear exactly how the QBs will come off the board. So I took a swing at projecting the draft slot range -- essentially ceilings and floors -- for the top nine QBs in this class. (I settled on nine because the drop-off on my board after that point is significant.)
Jump to a QB:
Williams | Daniels | Maye | McCarthy
Nix | Penix | Rattler | Pratt | Milton
Caleb Williams, USC
My ranking: QB1 and No. 1 overall
Highest projected draft slot: No. 1
Lowest projected draft slot: No. 1
The trade of Justin Fields to the Steelers eliminated anything besides taking a quarterback at No. 1 for the Bears, and Williams is the clear top QB in this class. While the NFL draft is the ultimate exercise of "you never know until it's official," Williams might as well start looking at real estate in Chicago.
He is an extremely creative passer with great accuracy and the ability to routinely extend plays. The situation he would be entering is among the best in recent vintage for not just a No. 1 overall pick but really any highly drafted quarterback. The Bears' offense features a wide receiver duo of DJ Moore and Keenan Allen that should make life a whole lot easier.
Jayden Daniels, LSU
My ranking: QB2 and No. 2 overall
Highest projected draft slot: No. 2
Lowest projected draft slot: No. 3
The most dynamic player in the class saw his draft stock soar during his Heisman Trophy-winning season, putting Daniels squarely in play to be the second overall selection. He is not just my second-rated quarterback in the class but also my second-rated player overall. He can beat you with his arm or his legs, evidenced by 40 touchdowns passing and 10 rushing in 2023.
What remains unknown right now -- and might well stay that way until closer to the draft -- is exactly where the Commanders (who own pick No. 2) stand on the available quarterbacks, as the team has done nothing to tip its hand. So although my personal assessment is that I would make Daniels the new man under center in the capital, it's certainly plausible that North Carolina's Drake Maye or even Michigan's J.J. McCarthy is in play. But if Daniels doesn't go second overall, I think the Patriots should sprint the card in at pick No. 3.
Drake Maye, North Carolina
My ranking: QB3 and No. 5 overall
Highest projected draft slot: No. 2
Lowest projected draft slot: No. 4
There is a part of me that believes close followers of the draft have started to under-appreciate what Maye brings to the table, as the recently turned 21-year-old has a cannon for an arm, is creative both inside and outside of the pocket, can manipulate defenders with his eyes and shows serious toughness. All that is to say Maye could be in play with the second pick in the draft as the Commanders survey their options.
That of course does not lock Maye into No. 2 yet, as others are unquestionably in play there as well. But Maye's stay in the green room at the draft should be brief, as the Patriots at No. 3 seem like a lock to take a quarterback, too. And even if they don't -- or pick McCarthy -- the possibility for a team like the Giants or Vikings to trade up to fourth overall seems feasible. If quarterbacks go 1-2-3-4, it will be the first draft in the common draft era (since 1967) with four straight signal-callers to begin the proceedings.
J.J. McCarthy, Michigan
My ranking: QB4 and No. 21 overall
Highest projected draft slot: No. 2
Lowest projected draft slot: No. 11
McCarthy has some supporters around the NFL who view him as on par with or even ahead of both Daniels and Maye, though I am personally lower in my overall rank for the Michigan signal-caller. I think McCarthy is a long shot to be the No. 2 pick, but there are enough people around the league who have expressed support for his game that I can't dismiss it as a possibility. And in the end, it will come down to one team's preference.
There's a lot to like about McCarthy, including high-end ball placement and mobility. And that leads me to believe his floor is the 11th overall pick, which is owned by the Vikings. The much more realistic landing spot seems higher up in the order, though. Minnesota could trade up for him, or he could even land sixth overall to the Giants, a team that has done its homework on all the top quarterback prospects and whose owner has publicly authorized the front office to take a QB (even trading up for one if necessary) in the first round.
Bo Nix, Oregon
My ranking: QB5 and No. 37 overall
Highest projected draft slot: No. 12
Lowest projected draft slot: No. 44
Things get a little more interesting now, as the race for QB5 is on. Nix brings elite accuracy and processing to the table, which are two traits that I think will make the Broncos interested suitors with the 12th overall pick. Comparing prospects to NFL legends is perilous but there are elements of Nix's game that evoke traces of Drew Brees (the aforementioned accuracy and processing), which of course would be appealing to Broncos coach Sean Payton, Brees' former coach in New Orleans. Moreover, Denver does not own a second-round pick, meaning its window to acquire a quarterback in the draft is narrow.
The floor presented for Nix in this scenario is the Raiders, who own picks No. 13 and No. 44 and remain in the quarterback market despite signing Gardner Minshew to compete with Aidan O'Connell.
Michael Penix Jr., Washington
My ranking: QB6 and No. 43 overall
Highest projected draft slot: No. 12
Lowest projected draft slot: No. 44
The other half of the race for QB5 in my estimation is Penix, a fantastic pocket passer. The ball explodes off his hand and he can throw masterfully to all three levels. Penix also used his pro day to show off his mobility and explosion, running the 40-yard dash in under 4.6 seconds and showing off a 36.5-inch vertical jump; he was infrequently asked to use those traits during his time at Washington. I have him as the sixth quarterback on my board and near Nix in my overall rankings, so the same logic that was in play with Nix applies here.
The Broncos at No. 12 should not be dismissed, while the Raiders with either No. 13 or No. 44 are logical suitors, too. There's also the possibility that a team trades up from early in the second round to late in the first -- or moves up within the second round (such as the Giants at No. 47).
Spencer Rattler, South Carolina
My ranking: QB7 and No. 84 overall
Highest projected draft slot: No. 47
Lowest projected draft slot: No. 107
All right, this is where things get difficult to project. I'm a Rattler fan and think there are teams around the NFL that see a path for him to become a starter at some point, while others view him as a solid backup at the next level. He has a strong arm and advanced in-pocket mobility, and he has endured adversity (including losing his starting job at Oklahoma to Williams in 2021). Those kinds of experiences should help him get ready for life in the NFL, when challenges for any young quarterback are bound to come.
The range for Rattler is larger than the previous six signal-callers, and I began the window with the Giants' second-round pick at No. 47 and ended it with their fourth-rounder at No. 107. Someone in there is going to take a chance on him. In conversations with people around the NFL, I've heard the third round mentioned quite a bit for Rattler -- and that's where I have him graded.
Michael Pratt, Tulane
My ranking: QB8 and outside the top 100 overall
Highest projected draft slot: No. 95
Lowest projected draft slot: No. 145
Pratt is a steady signal-caller who helped bring Tulane to prominence during his career as the starter there. He does not have the same level of physical traits as the aforementioned quarterbacks, with just average overall arm strength complemented by solid ball placement and some quality clutch production. I see him as an NFL backup, and that might be appealing to a team starting late in the third round. I began his range here at 95th, a pick that belongs to the Chiefs.
This isn't to say that the Chiefs would be the team to take Pratt (they recently signed Carson Wentz and have relied on veterans to backup Patrick Mahomes over the years), but I could see a franchise moving up into the back end of Day 2 to get him, rather than risking losing him to someone else early on Day 3.
The Broncos' No. 145 selection was my floor for Pratt, and if they opt against an early quarterback selection -- signaling their belief in Jarrett Stidham -- it behooves them to add some depth in the draft later. Pratt could fit well there.
Joe Milton III, Tennessee
My ranking: QB9 and outside the top 100 overall
Highest projected draft slot: No. 95
Lowest projected draft slot: No. 145
Milton is such a fascinating prospect because of his tantalizing ability. It is not hyperbole to say that the minute Milton is drafted he will be one of the strongest throwers in the league, as his rocket arm can reach any spot on the field. When Milton is locked in and hitting his target, it is an effortless thing of beauty. It's maintaining his consistency that will be key, though. In watching him up close at the Senior Bowl, I saw too many stretches of up-and-down ball placement. He has a late-Round 4/early-Round 5 grade for me.
But any team that has a need and a belief in quarterback development will be intrigued by the 6-foot-5, 235-pound Milton, who adds a running element to his game that brings that much more potential to the table. While a team might view Pratt as having a higher floor as a prospect, Milton is the swing-for-the-fences Day 3 pick of the class. And thus, I have identical ranges for these two players.