2024 NFL Draft Bible: Quarterbacks
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RANK | NAME | SCHOOL | HEIGHT | WEIGHT | FORTY | PROJECTION
1. Caleb Williams, USC, 6-1, 217, 4.48, Rd1
Electrifying. Mesmerizing. Unique. Talented. All singular words that could be used to describe Williams. The 2024 draft process has made him out to be the most polarizing quarterback prospect we’ve seen since Johnny Manziel. The finger-nail fashionista who proudly rocks pink designer cell-phone cases, shows no shame wearing his emotions on his sleeve and could care less about defying NFL policies that have been in place for decades, has rubbed some folks in league circles the wrong way. Detractors say he is a product born out of the NIL era. The truth is, he can really sling it! The ability to connect on off-platform throws so frequently on a regular basis is what makes Williams different. It’s almost as if he needs the controlled chaos in order to be at his most comfortable. He's the best 'out of pocket passer' the league has seen since Brett Favre.
In 37 games at Oklahoma and USC, Williams amassed 10,082 passing yards, completing 66.9% of his pass attempts, while connecting on 93 touchdowns and just 14 interceptions (nearly 7:1 TD-to-INT ratio). He also added 966 rushing yards, plus another 27 scores on quarterback keepers. Get ready for jaw-dropping passes on Sunday afternoon, along with all the off-field quirks the media loves to harp on, which makes Williams such a lighting rod! From the moment he sets foot on-stage in Detroit dawning a fresh new Bears cap alongside commissioner Roger Goodell for his photo op, Williams is destined to be a much maligned star and the best signal-caller Chi-town has ever witnessed.
“The Bears were a 7-10 team. That is pretty good for a team that has the first pick,” Williams said at the combine. “They got a good defense. They got good players on offense and it’s pretty exciting if you can go into a situation like that.”
2. JJ McCarthy, Michigan, 6-3, 219, 4.52, Rd1
There is a misperception that McCarthy has been a fast-riser leading up to the draft but the reality is that the media finally caught up. McCarthy was a magician during the Wolverines undefeated championship campaign. Not only did he never waver under the scrutiny of cheating allegations, McCarthy served as an extension of Jim Harbaugh when their head coach was suspended during the season. What bothers some observers is that McCarthy possesses elite traits in leadership and intangibles. He doesn’t have the strongest arm, yet he can make all the throws; he has made plenty of opposite hasmark completions, tight-window throws and clutch third-down conversions along the way. It just lacks the amount of volume as other quarterback prospects in this draft class. He’s also one of the youngest, having just turned 21 years-old in January. It’s important to realize limits when assessing McCarthy. At peak, he would seem to project as the ultimate game manager, along the lines of a Kirk Cousins.
During his two full seasons as starter in Ann Arbor, McCarthy started 29 games, completing 482-of-713 passes (67.6%), for 5,710 passing yards, 44 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He displays sneaky athleticism too, with 632 yards and 10 scores for his career via the ground. McCarthy was questioned about the lack of dependency on his arm within the Michigan offensive scheme at Indy.
“Honestly, it’s just the mentality behind it. Obviously, it's coaching, obviously, it's a build up of the chemistry with the receivers and being on the same page as Coach [Sherrone] Moore. But it's just playing one play at a time and you never get each play back, so just trying to focus in on doing the best I can within each play, whatever is asked of me, whether it's hand off and carrying out my fake, or ripping an end cut on the backside of the concept. Play calling is out of my control but whatever's in my control, I'm going to do it to the best of my ability.”
3. Michael Penix Jr., Washington, 6-2, 216, 4.58, Rd1
The ability to play from the pocket still wins in the NFL and Penix does it better than any signal-caller in this draft. A disappointing national championship outing in January and inability to stand out in Mobile at the Senior Bowl seems to have dampened all the accolades by the AP First Team All American and Maxwell Award Winner. Upon closer examination, Penix would seem to thrive in the short-to-intermediate game and throws as good of a deep ball as anyone, in terms of accuracy. He has been thoroughly impressive on team visits, on the whiteboard and owns tremendous poise in the pocket. While injuries persisted early-on in his career, Penix has remained healthy the past two years and owns the most upside of any quarterback in the Class of 2024.
After three dreadful years at Indiana that saw each season end prematurely due to injury, Penix capitalized on a fresh start in Washington. In 28 games with the Huskies, Penix threw for 9,544 passing yards, 67 touchdowns and 19 interceptions, including a new single-season school record in ‘23 with 4,903 passing yards, earning a second place finish in the Heisman Trophy ballot. For his career, Penix played in 49 games, accumulated 13,741 yards, threw for 96 touchdowns, ran for 13 more and had 34 interceptions. The team smart enough to block any outside noise about his durability will be handsomely rewarded.
“That’s a big reason why I came back for this last season to have another fully healthy season and show that I’m ready to compete and can do it at the next level. At this point, I can’t control if there are still questions about the injury history.”
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