The quarterback talent in the 2024 NFL Draft class is top notch, with several quarterbacks able to make the case that they should be a first-round selection. We might be a few picks into the draft before another position comes off the board.
And while the top of the draft class is talented at the position, the class is also deep from top to bottom.
ESPN recently took the time to illustrate in a mock draft just how deep the quarterback board is, mocking out all of the quarterback selections through seven rounds. Let’s take a look at who they had landing where below, picks by ESPN’s Matt Miller and Jordan Reid.
1. (1) – Chicago Bears – Caleb Williams, USC
The consensus No. 1 overall selection for a while now, the only real question was whether the Bears would trade out of this spot and stand pat at quarterback. The trade of Justin Fields to Pittsburgh means you can bank on Williams being first off the board here.
The talented USC quarterback can maneuver nicely inside and outside of the pocket, giving him a chance to do damage even behind a shaky offensive line. Still, the Bears will look to give Williams as much help as they can provide right away, both up front and in the receiving corps.
1. (2) – Washington Commanders – Jayden Daniels, LSU
It’s not unanimous among analysts at this point, but most seem to have settled in on the idea of Daniels as QB 2 in this draft. The LSU gunslinger just offers too much of a dynamic threat to avoid.
The Heisman Trophy winner was lethal with his legs last season, rushing for 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also threw for 40 scores against just four interceptions, amassing 3,812 yards through the air. He was prolific, to say the least.
1. (3) – New England Patriots – Drake Maye, North Carolina
For a long time considered the probable No. 2 pick in the draft, Maye has slid down the draft boards ever so slightly as Daniels has curried favor with the analysts. But Maye would still be an excellent option with the third overall pick.
The Patriots are anything but settled at the quarterback position, even after signing Jacoby Brissett to a deal this offseason. Maye would offer toughness and grit at the position, something that’s been lacking in New England of late.
1. (4) – Minnesota Vikings – JJ McCarthy, Michigan
Could we have four quarterbacks go back-to-back-to-back-to-back? That’s what ESPN’s Matt Miller is projecting in the 2024 NFL Draft. This time it’s McCarthy to the Minnesota Vikings, a short hop on over from Ann Arbor, Mich.
The Vikings have a need at the position after watching Kirk Cousins head to Atlanta. Sam Darnold is on the roster, but the Vikings probably need a more long-term solution. McCarthy can offer that, even if his upside isn’t quite as known as the three players projected to go in front of him.
1. (12) – Denver Broncos – Bo Nix, Oregon
Finally there’s a bit of a gap in the selection of quarterbacks, as Denver waits until pick No. 12 to make its selection of Bo Nix. Nix is a bit hard to project, as ESPN notes, in some ways due to the offenses that he played in during his college days.
Still, Nix is a quarterback with a strong set of tools, the kind you might take a stab at in the first round looking for that extra contract year in the event things do work out. With only Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci under contract, Denver needs another quarterback and Nix is as good a bet as any.
2. (47) – New York Giants – Michael Penix Jr., Washington
After the quarterbacks taken in the first round you shift a bit more to the teams that have a need, but perhaps not a dire one at the position. New York still has some security at the position with Daniel Jones on the roster and Drew Lock recently added to it.
Penix was incredibly productive in college. If there are question marks, they likely center around his long-term health after a pair of knee and shoulder injuries in college. Still, Penix threw for a nation-leading 4,903 yards last year; he can get the job done.
3. (77) – Las Vegas Raiders – Spencer Rattler, South Carolina
As you get into the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, you start to get to the quarterbacks who might have a bit more elite upside from an athletic standpoint but couldn’t quite get it all to click in college. That about sums up Rattler at South Carolina, where he was good but not always great.
One of the advantages that Rattler can point to is that he played behind an offensive line decimated by injuries in 2023 and still held up fairly well. So he appears both durable and adaptable to seeing a lot of pressure. That never hurts for a new quarterback in the NFL.
5. (150) – New Orleans Saints – Michael Pratt, Tulane
New Orleans has room for an addition at quarterback after Jameis Winston moved on this offseason. And while Derek Carr is expected to be the guy for at least 2024, the Saints need to start thinking about what happens if Carr can’t get the job done.
Pratt is local to the area and has shown solid poise in the pocket at the college level. He threw for 9,603 yards and 90 touchdowns in his four-year career, against just 26 interceptions. That’s a fairly solid track record.
6. (196) – Los Angeles Rams – Austin Reed, Western Kentucky
Reed was one of the more prolific quarterbacks out there the last two years, throwing for 4,744 yards and 40 touchdowns as a junior in 2022. He didn’t quite reach those totals in 2023, but he continued to show some escapability (12 career rushing touchdowns) and the ability to make timely throws.
There is room for a third quarterback behind Matthew Stafford and Jimmy Garoppolo, ESPN notes, with Stetson Bennett currently on the roster. Reed could be drafted to help push Bennett… or push him out.
6. (200) – Buffalo Bills – Joe Milton, Tennessee
Like Rattler, Milton is a pick that would primarily be based on a ton of potential upside, rather than what he has shown so far. Milton has one of the strongest arms in football, perhaps the strongest we’ve seen in the last decade or so.
Because Buffalo has two solid quarterbacks in Josh Allen and Mitch Trubisky, it might make for a good landing spot for someone like Milton, who will likely need some time to develop. That might just be the ticket for Milton.
7. (226) – Arizona Cardinals – Jordan Travis, Florida State
Kyler Murray is the guy in Arizona, but the Cardinals can continue to look for insurance options behind him, particularly late in the draft. Travis could be a great pickup, even if he’s currently coming off a fairly serious leg injury.
Travis was an excellent dual-threat prospect who was playing his best in the biggest games in college. He has a knack for making timely plays and using his legs as a pressure release valve when necessary. The Cardinals could do a whole lot worse.
7. (257) – New York Jets – Sam Hartman, Notre Dame
The final 2024 NFL Draft projection for a quarterback to be taken, New York jumps in with the pick of Sam Hartman, the Notre Dame quarterback who was previously at Wake Forest. Hartman had an incredibly successful college career and he has seen a ton of snaps against quality competition.
That could be a good thing to put behind Aaron Rodgers, who is now 40 years old and realistically won’t play all that much longer. The Jets couldn’t get anything done at quarterback without Rodgers, so finding an answer is key this offseason.
So there you have it, a smattering of 2024 NFL Draft projections for quarterbacks. In total ESPN has 12 quarterbacks being selected, with six of those being selected in the first two days of the draft. That should make for some fun banter as teams line up the future of the most important position going forward.
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