Both CFP title game QBs left out of first-round mock draft

Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com released his first 2024 NFL Mock Draft on Friday and has three quarterbacks — Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels — all going within the top three picks. 

Perhaps an even bigger story is which quarterbacks he does not have going anywhere in the first round at all. It is the two quarterbacks that played in this year's College Football Playoff National Championship.

Washington's Michael Penix Jr. and Michigan's J.J. McCarthy are both absent from Jeremiah's first mock, while Oregon's Bo Nix is the fourth quarterback off his initial board.

He has Williams going No. 1 to the Chicago Bears, maybe going No. 2 to the Washington Commanders and Daniels going No. 3 to the New England Patriots.

Nix is mocked to go to the New Orleans Saints as a potential Derek Carr replacement.

Penix Jr. being left out of the first round is potentially the biggest shocker there. Not only because he helped lead Washington to the National Championship, but also because he was one of the most productive passers in college football the past two years and was a Heisman Trophy finalist this season.

There are, however, some concerns with him. While his arm talent and accuracy are not questioned, injuries have limited his mobility and he is a little older than most top quarterback prospects (he will be 24 when the 2024 NFL season kicks off). He also did not start posting big numbers until he started playing in the pass-friendly environment of the Pac-12. 

McCarthy was never seen as a potential top pick in the draft, but ESPN's Mel Kiper has him as the fifth-rated passer in the class and a potential late first-round pick. 

McCarthy was called the greatest quarterback in Michigan history by head coach Jim Harbaugh following the team's Rose Bowl win over Alabama. That is high praise considering some of the quarterbacks that have come out of that program, including seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady. 

He did not have the overall passing numbers that Penix Jr. did, but he played in a more run-heavy offense at Michigan and is also a better runner himself. His Wolverines won the national title over Washington by a 34-13 margin.