Who is the best quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft? A class headlined by Caleb Williams and Drake Maye is widely viewed as one of the best classes in years. Now it’s time to examine our 2024 NFL Draft QB rankings before draft day.
You know it’s a special class when there are two Heisman Trophy winners and a pair of generational talents. While there are plenty of split opinions around the league, the consensus on the best quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft class is shared.
Related: 2024 NFL Draft order, picks by team
Here’s our 2024 NFL Draft quarterback rankings.
10. Sam Hartman, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Experience, toughness, good decision-making and leadership are the primary traits that define Sam Hartman. He has one of the weaker arms in the 2024 NFL Draft and with barely functional athleticism, that essentially gives him no projectable ceiling at the next level. Realistically, he profiles as a career backup who might open his rookie season as a third-stringer and then stick around for several years.
- Sam Hartman draft projection: Round 6-7
Sam Hartman stats (career): 15,656 passing yards, 147.2 QB rating, 134-49 TD-INT, 59.8% completion rate, 8.2 yards per attempt, 978 rushing yards, 20 touchdowns
9. Jordan Travis, Florida State Seminoles
Another quarterback in the 2024 class who benefited from transferring, Jordan Travis had the Florida State Seminoles on the doorstep of the College Football Playoff before his season-ending injury. Beloved for his leadership at FSU, Travis also provides excellent mobility that makes him a creator when things break down. He’s also one of the most intelligent quarterbacks in this year’s class, which shows up in how he works the pocket and can make anticipatory throws. Unfortunately, he lacks the size (6-foot-1, 215 pounds) and arm strength to profile as a starter in the NFL. Still, he can spend years in the league as a viable backup with intangibles and athleticism that will make finding work easy.
- Jordan Travis draft projection: Round 4-5
Related: NFL power rankings 2024
Jordan Travis stats (career): 8,715 passing yards, 150.6 QB rating, 66-20 TD-INT, 62% completion rate, 8.5 yards per attempt, 1,950 rushing yards, 31 rushing touchdowns
8. Michael Pratt, Tulane Green Wave
The only non-Power 5 quarterback in our 2024 NFL Draft QB rankings, Michael Pratt is coming off a storied career at Tulane. The reigning AAC Offensive Player of the Year, Pratt (6-foot-3) might not have high-end physical tools, but he does everything well. More than 40 career starts sharpened his decision-making, helped shape his ability to read the field pre- and post-snap and he consistently puts throws in the right spot. Pratt feels like a safe bet to have a 10-plus-year career in the NFL, primarily functioning as a coveted backup quarterback who can be a fill-in starter when needed.
- Michael Pratt draft projection: Round 4
Michael Pratt stats (career): 9,611 passing yards, 148.9 QB rating, 90-26 TD-INT, 60.6% completion rate, 8.0 yards per attempt, 1,147 rushing yards, 28 touchdowns
7. Spencer Rattler, South Carolina Gamecocks
If you want to bet on the upside at quarterback on Day 2, Spencer Rattler is the guy. The South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback played behind a horrific offensive line last season, which never allowed him to showcase his true abilities. Here are the traits Rattler offers – a quick release, outstanding arm strength, great touch to every level of the field and playmaking – all of those offer him an above-average ceiling as a starter in the right system. It’s worth noting that Rattler will be 24 years old in his rookie season, but his pure arm talent, accuracy and playmaking are enticing. Let him develop behind the scenes with a team like the Los Angeles Rams or Seattle Seahaws and he could become a starter by 2026.
Spencer Rattler stats (career): \10,807 passing yards, 152.2 QB rating, 77-32 TD-INT, 8.2 yards per attempt, 68.5% completion rate, 410 rushing yards, 10 touchdowns
Related: 2024 NFL Draft running back rankings
6. Bo Nix, Oregon Ducks
Bo Nix wasn’t a draftable quarterback at the end of his tenure with the Auburn Tigers. Needing to resurrect his career and turn his reputation around, he found a perfect home in the Oregon Ducks system. It proved to be a life-changing decision because Nix is now a legitimate Day 2 talent.
There are a few old-school traits that NFL teams love about Nix. He offers the size coaches want at 6-foot-2, he set the NCAA single-season record for completion rate in 2023 (77.45%) and he holds the all-time record for most starts by a quarterback (61). Experienced, accurate quarterbacks will always have fans and even more when they are above-average athletes. With that said, Nix played in an offense that has no translation to the NFL, he lacks elite arm strength or velocity and he’s largely unproven when the first read is taken away. Nix projects as a low-end starter in the NFL.
- Bo Nix NFL Draft projection: Top-50 pick
Related: Bo Nix stats (career): 15,352 passing yards, 149.6 QB rating, 113-26 TD-INT, 66.4% completion rate, 7.9 yards per attempt, 1,613 rushing yards, 38 rushing touchdowns
5. Michael Penix Jr, QB, Washington Huskies
Coming off one of the best seasons ever by a Washington Huskies quarterback, Michael Penix Jr. faces several hurdles heading into the 2024 NFL Draft. There’s a short list of successful left-handed quarterbacks in the NFL. In addition, Penix is going to be 24 years old as a rookie and that’s just a few months younger than Justin Herbert. The biggest red flag, however, is three season-ending injuries in his college career including two ACL tears. A few teams will have him off their board, but he did receive a clean bill of health from others at the NFL Combine.
- Michael Penix NFL Draft projection: Round 1
While Penix Jr. isn’t a great athlete, he has enough functional mobility to evade the first pass rusher and buy himself a little more time to extend plays. Far more importantly, as he displayed against Texas, he boasts the arm strength and touch to fit the football into tiny windows downfield even with tight coverage. For teams with a medical staff willing to look past Penix Jr’s injury history, he could have a few peak years as a top-15 quarterback. You can win with him, but not because of him.
Michael Penix Jr stats (career): 13,741 passing yards, 146.6 QB rating, 96-34 TD-INT, 63.3% completion rate, 8.2 yards per attempt, 265 rushing yards, 13 touchdowns
4. J.J. McCarthy, Michigan Wolverines
Jim Harbaugh swears by J.J. McCarthy, not only believing he should be atop the 2024 NFL Draft QB rankings but he’s adamant that the Michigan Wolverines’ signal-caller is the next Andrew Luck. We’re a bit skeptical, considering Harbaugh’s offense only let McCarthy attempt just 126 passes and averaged 142.8 passing yards per game in his final six games, a stretch that included matchups against Penn State, Ohio State, Alabama and Washington.
- J.J. McCarthy NFL Draft projection: Top-10 pick
Taking the football out of McCarthy’s hands that much is odd. It leaves a lot of room for both uncertainty and projection. That’s because McCarthy is an above-average athlete for his position at 6-foot-3, giving him the ability to get a little create either throwing on the move or picking up a first down on his own. He’s also one of the most accurate passers in the 2024 NFL Draft class, which paired with his velocity, allows him to make pinpoint throws in NFL-sized windows. However, McCarthy’s frame (6-foot-3, 202 pounds), average arm strength and a tendency to be late with some decisions likely limit his ceiling to an above-average starter who needs coaching and talent to be elevated.
J.J. McCarthy stats (career): 6,226 passing yards, 160.5 QB rating, 49-11 TD-INT, 67.5% completion rate, 8.7 yards per attempt, 632 rushing yards, 10 touchdowns
3. Jayden Daniels, LSU Tigers
LSU Tigers quarterback Jayden Daniels, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, is a polarizing prospect and easily one of the best athletes in the 2024 NFL Draft. He led the nation in yards per carry (8.4) among players with 100-plus attempts last season. He’s also the best deeper passer in our 2024 NFL Draft QB rankings, having led the nation in passing touchdowns (22), completion rate (63.6%) and NFL QB rating (146.8) on throws 20-plus yards downfield, per PFF. If that’s not enough, Daniels also shows great feel within the pocket and consistently progresses through reads even when pressured.
- Jayden Daniels NFL Draft projection: Top-3 pick
The scary thing long-term is that Daniels plays like a Kawasaki motorcycle in a demolition derby. He’s a skinny 6-foot-4 quarterback who played at under 200 pounds last season. Yet he plays like Josh Allen (238 pounds) and Cam Newton (245 pounds), rarely protecting his body and that leads to an alarming recurrence of huge hits. Durability is a major worry with Daniels and for a quarterback with average velocity who struggles with intermediate passes and over the middle of the field, he could be limited as a passer. Still, a Jalen Hurts-like career is a ceiling for him.
Jayden Daniels stats (career): 12,750 passing yards, 158.4 QB rating, 89-20 TD-INT, 66.3% completion rate, 8.9 yards per attempt, 3,307 rushing yards, 34 touchdowns
2. Drake Maye, North Carolina Tar Heels
North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Drake Maye is the prototype of what NFL coaches want at the position. Standing at 6-foot-4 and nearly 230 pounds, the combination of elite arm strength and above-average athleticism are what make Maye a perfect fit for the modern NFL.
Related: NFL mock draft 2024
He experienced a down year in 2023 at North Carolina, but much like Caleb Williams, that was partially a byproduct of the environment around him. Remove that from the equation, much like teams did with Justin Herbert at Oregon, and you see the NFL comparisons. Maye operates better within the structure of a play than Williams, but his decision-making can also be more reckless at times. Then you see the flashes where he attacks the middle of the field, progresses through reads and makes plays with his legs and are reminded of why he can be great. Maye needs good coaching, but he’s got the talent, size and athleticism to warrant being the No. 1 overall pick.
- Drake Maye NFL Draft projection: Top-3 pick
Drake Maye stats (career): 8,018 passing yards, 154.1 QB rating, 63-16 TD-INT, 64.9% completion rate, 8.4 yards per attempt, 1,209 rushing yards, 16 rushing touchdowns
1. Caleb Williams, USC Trojans
Caleb Williams is the best quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft. However, NFL comparisons to Patrick Mahomes are wildly unfair. Williams isn’t as careful with the football as the three-time Super Bowl champion and his decision-making is worse. However, a huge part of the knock on Williams for playing out of structure too much in 2023, much like Mahomes at Texas Tech, was because he had to overcompensate for the lack of talent and poor coaching (Kliff Kingsbury) around him.
- Caleb Williams NFL Draft projection: 1st overall pick
2024 NFL Draft prospect rankings, top 50 big board
While player comparisons are most popular, there’s a better comparison I prefer. Caleb Williams is an Avenger. Like with the Avengers, there’s going to be a price to pay and that is the sacks and fumbles. In exchange for paying the price, you have an MVP-caliber quarterback who can make any throw to every area of the field, deliver precision downfield strikes while throwing on the run and he’ll create magic out of nothing. The Buffalo Bills gladly pay that price with Josh Allen, Williams shares that trait.
Caleb Williams stats (career): 10,082 passing yards, 169.3 QB rating, 93-14 TD-INT, 66.9% completion rate, 9.2 yards per attempt, 966 rushing yards, 27 rushing touchdowns