How Have the 2024 Quarterbacks Panned Out?

#6: Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons

Penix, the eighth pick out of the University of Washington, has had an uneven start so far as a professional.

After sitting behind Kirk Cousins to start last season, Penix took over and started the final three games and going 1-2, averaging 246 YPG on a 58.1% with four touchdowns and three interceptions. After a full offseason, many expected him to take a big jump this year.

However, that jump has yet to transpire into anything meaningful. Through his four games, Penix has a slightly improved completion percentage (62.4%), but is averaging less YPG (229.5) with only three touchdowns and three interceptions. In fact, he was so bad against the Carolina Panthers in Week 3 that he got benched mid-game for Cousins.

These are not necessarily ‘bad’ statistics, and beyond the numbers, Penix has a high upside due to his rocket of an arm and pinpoint accuracy in tight windows.

But factoring in the weapons that he is provided with in Bijan Robinson, Tyler Allgeier, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts, among others, along with not showing much improvement from last year, he finds himself at the bottom for now.

#5: Spencer Rattler, New Orleans Saints

Rattler technically does not belong here, as he is the lone quarterback on this list who was not picked in the first round of the draft, but rather with the 150th pick of the fifth round out of South Carolina. But he has received plenty of opportunities in New Orleans, so why not include him?

Rattler finally earned his first victory this past weekend against the New York Giants, moving him to 1-10 as a starter. Although he has not brought the Saints a lot of wins, he has certainly improved from last season to this season, and enough to bump him over Penix.

Rattler has averaged only 198 YPG, but he has done a much better job at taking care of the ball. He has completed 67.2% of his passes, more than 10% better than last season, while holding a 6:1 TD/INT ratio (4:5 last year), all while working with what is generally considered one of the weakest rosters in the NFL.

It remains to be seen if the Saints commit to Rattler, as they drafted a quarterback, Tyler Shough, in the second round this past draft. But with Rattler continuing to limit mistakes and improve his skillset, he is likely to continue starting for New Orleans.

#4: Bo Nix, Denver Broncos

Nix is in a strange tier among the sophomore quarterbacks. He has certainly been better than Penix and Rattler, but is far worse than the three upcoming signal callers ahead of him.

Nix, the 12th pick in the draft out of Oregon, was one of two signal callers from the draft to lead his team to the NFL Playoffs, losing in the Wild Card Round to the Buffalo Bills. However, it is hard to determine how much of an impact he has had on Denver. He has started all 23 games of his career, going 13-10 in those starts and averaging 218 YPG on 65.8% with 43 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.

Those are solid numbers, but the most confusing aspect of his game lies in the eye test. On one drive, he will launch an incredible throw for a touchdown, and the next drive, he will make a head-scratching pass for a turnover-worthy play. This season alone, according to PFF, he has had seven turnover-worthy plays, 47th in the NFL.

Nix has shown flashes of being an elite quarterback. But as the oldest quarterback from the draft class (already 26 in February) and benefiting from the genius of Sean Payton and excellent roster construction, it will be interesting to see how much more value Nix can provide to his team.

#3: Drake Maye, New England Patriots

The top three picks of the 2024 Draft were all quarterbacks, and they also constitute the top three names on this list. In third place is Drake Maye, the third pick of the draft, out of the University of North Carolina.

Maye did not start until Week 6 of last season, and he has only gone 6-11 as a starter. But, in his defense, the Patriots are 3-2 to start this season, including leading a game-winning, fourth-quarter drive against the Bills this past Sunday night to hand them their first home loss since November 2023.

This improvement in record can be attributed to a better statistical season for Maye: improving from 187 YPG on 66.2% with a 15:10 TD/INT ratio in 2024 to 252 YPG on 73.9% with a 7:2 ratio.

Like Nix, Maye is a quarterback who relies a lot on the eye test, but in this case, it favors him a lot more than it does Nix. Maye’s ability to scan the field and move along his progressions is elite, and he also has a great sense of whether or not the pocket is collapsing.

New England signed Stefon Diggs this past offseason to give the Patriots a serviceable option in their receiving corps. As long as they continue to bring in talent, expect New England to be back consistently in the playoffs— with Maye leading the way this time.

#2: Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears

The No. 1 overall pick out of USC, Caleb Williams, finds himself as the second-best quarterback among the draft class.

As a starter in all 21 games of his career, Williams holds just a 7-14 record to his name. As a rookie, he threw for 208 YPG on 62.5% with a 20:6 TD/INT ratio, all while dealing with managerial incompetence behind a below-average offensive line.

This season, however, with improved coaching and protection, Williams is averaging 232 YPG on 62.3% with an 8:2 ratio. While his interception numbers are up slightly, he is taking much more risks, oftentimes paying off due to increased deep throw accuracy. His catchable throw rate on deep targets is at 68.8%, fourth-best in the league.

Perhaps what makes Williams so special is his escapability. There are numerous times this season alone where he has somehow kept broken plays and turned them into positive yardage. Sometimes, he tries too hard to keep plays alive and has been sacked due to holding on to the ball too long. Overall, though, the way he can turn something out of nothing is impossible to teach.

Williams is a beneficiary of a talented receiving corps featuring Rome Odunze, D.J. Moore, Cole Kmet, and a couple of untapped rookies in Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III. But when combined with his big-play ability and Mahomes-esque talent to avoid defenders, his floor is already high with an off-the-charts ceiling.

#1: Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders

Up to this point, Daniels, the second overall pick out of LSU, has undisputedly been the greatest quarterback of the 2024 Draft class.

Daniels burst onto the scene from the jump and never looked back, averaging 220 YPG on 68.4% with a 30:10 TD/INT ratio, also rushing for 51 YPG with 7 rushing touchdowns. This effort resulted in him receiving 99% of first-place votes in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting, a Pro Bowl selection, and an appearance in the NFC Championship Game after a 12-5 regular season and winning two playoff games.

It has been a rougher start to the season for Daniels, both statistically and physically. He has seen his completion percentage drop to just 59%, and he has missed two games with a hamstring injury. And yet, he finds himself in the top spot because he is basically a combination of each of Maye’s and Williams’ best attributes: fantastic accuracy (Maye) and unreal escapability (Williams).

Battle for #1?

Last season, Daniels got the best of Williams in an unforgettable game that ended in a Hail Mary that Bears fans remember all too well.

However, one quarterback is trending up with a new-and-improved offense; the other is in a minor “sophomore slump” and coming off an injury. In reality, the result of one game does not affect who is better.

But Williams now has a chance for revenge, in the brightest lights, at Northwest Stadium, on Monday Night Football.

And the conversation around the two would change drastically if the Bears come out on top.