Chris Simms names top-five quarterbacks in 2024 NFL Draft class, lists Drake Maye at six

There’s no surprise here as Williams has been considered the top quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft class since last offseason. He won the Heisman Trophy in 2022 after throwing for 4,537 yards, 42 touchdowns and just five interceptions.

Williams took a bit of a step back statistically this past season as USC finished 8-5, but the talent is clearly still there. He is likely the No. 1 pick with potential to blossom into an NFL superstar for whichever team is lucky enough to land him.

2. Jayden Daniels, LSU

Daniels followed Williams as the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner and most would consider this a fair ranking for him. He dazzled this past season to become just the seventh player in college football history to throw for 3,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in a single season.

LSU finished as the nation’s No. 1 scoring offense with Daniels leading the way as he scored 50 total touchdowns. He certainly brings the most upside of any prospect as a dual-threat and will look to follow in the footsteps of players like Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts, who put up similar seasons in college.

3. Bo Nix, Oregon

This is where the first big surprise on Simms’ list comes. Not many experts have Nix listed among their top four, let alone as the third-best prospect overall. Still, it’s impossible to deny that he had a special season in 2023.

Nix spent the final two seasons of his college career with Oregon after spending three seasons at Auburn. He was a starter for all five years and set career highs with 4,508 yards and 45 touchdowns to just three interceptions. Additionally, he led the country with a 77.4% completion rate.

4. Michael Penix Jr., Washington

Penix spent the first four seasons of his college career at Indiana before transferring to Washington, where he broke out as a star. He threw for more than 4,000 yards in each of the past two seasons with the Huskies, including leading the country with 4,903 yards this past season.

Penix led Washington to the national championship in 2023, proving himself as a winner. He is the least mobile of any of the players mentioned thus far, and it’s also a bit surprising to see him ranked above some of the other QBs on this list. He is also one of the older quarterbacks in the draft at age 24.

5. JJ McCarthy, Michigan

McCarthy got the better of Penix in the national title game, helping lead Michigan to a 34-13 win. Although he didn’t put up the gaudy numbers as some of the other quarterbacks prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft, some have argued that was in part due to the Wolverine’s system.

McCarthy was still accurate on his passes with a 72.2% completion rate and limited his interceptions to only four. He also showed his ability to take off as a runner to escape pressure if need be. The Michigan product isn’t likely to be first or even second off the board, but could still end up a solid NFL player.

6. Drake Maye, North Carolina

Ranking Maye this low is without question the biggest surprise on Simms’ list of the top quarterbacks prospects in the NFL Draft. The UNC product is regarded to some as the second-best QB behind Williams, and most experts don’t have him lower than third.

It seems that Simms believes Maye still has work to do as he described him as a “talented project.” Maye put up big numbers in two seasons as a starter for the Tar Heels to finish with 8,018 yards, 63 touchdowns and six interceptions across his college career.