QUARTERBACKS
1. Drake Maye, Junior
University of North Carolina
Following an electric 2022 which saw Maye establish himself as a quality starter for a UNC team on the upturn, the junior from Myers Park High School solidified himself in 2023 as one of the nation's top passers and most pristine 2024 draft candidates. Playing under legendary head coach Mac Brown, Maye was able to play in a semi-pro style offense while learning from now-Commanders QB Sam Howell his freshman year. Over the last two seasons, Maye has thrown for over 7,900 yards and 62 touchdowns while averaging a QBR of 154.1. With more prototypical size for an NFL quarterback compared to USC's Williams, Maye stands at 6'4, weighs 230, and still runs a 4.60 forty. He is objectively not as athletic as Caleb Williams, but has different tools in his toolbox that offer what could be considered more enticing traits than the USC product. He is moderately quick, both agility wise and pure speed wise, meaning he isn't a total statue in the pocket and can make up for bad offensive line play like he did in 2022. My biggest plus for Maye is that he possesses the ability to float in the pocket. Not sure what that means? He can climb the pocket, scale the pocket, make the pocket feel like home. He senses pressure well and is able to detect blitzes, and can manipulate match-ups especially with tight ends with pre-snap recognition.
Maye has arm talent, and can make almost any throw on the field when given time. He has the ability to drive throws through tight windows, with a tendency of throwing low-balls in tightly covered areas. He has a crisp release, and makes throws under 25 yards look effortless. Maye is an anticipatory thrower, and has demonstrated many times that he can throw receivers open using eye manipulation and pocket structure to his advantage. I noticed with Maye that he tends to look left to right more than right to left (which may be a schematic thing, but who knows), meaning he excels when in structure; in the pocket, making reads, slowing the game down. Rarely does Maye take stupid risks (outside of the opener against South Carolina), meaning he takes what the defense gives him and is able to progress through reads. My issues with Maye? The footwork. He crosses his feet a ton, more than most quarterbacks in this class, which leaves him wobbly and unstable when exiting the pocket (an area he tends to make his most ill-advised throws). He does tend to throw with his arm when presented with major pressure, and disregards his core when being hit while throwing. Overall, Maye is a fine prospect for a team looking to run the ball and utilize and controlled passing game to win games.
USC Athletics
2. Caleb Williams, Junior, University of Southern California
Williams is widely renowned as the best player in college football, evident from his illustrious 2022 Heisman campaign and prolific start to 2023 with USC. Ever since transferring out of Norman in 2021 with Lincoln Reilly, Williams has been atop of 2024 draft boards and a projected top-three pick. But what makes Williams so covetted? What special traits does the three year starter have? Well, for starters, he isn't small. With a solid physical frame of 6'1, 215lbs, featuring a 36 inch vertical jump and a 4.59 forty, Williams passes the litmus-eye test. Williams also has the accolades to merit a top pick; 2022 Heisman winner, 2022 Maxwell Award, 2021 True Freshman All-American, and holds almost all of USC's single season passing records.
Williams has an elite mixture of physical characteristics and mental-progression abilities. He is elite out of structure and can make magic happen outside the pocket unlike any other quarterback in this class. He can make any throw on the field using a strong and accurate arm that can place the ball beautifully outside the numbers -- even when released side-armed. He has a unique scrambling ability that isn't Lamar Jackson-like, but is Caleb Williams-like. He can stall, buy time, command receivers, and throw windows open when outside the pocket, demonstrating elite confidence and temperament when outside of structure. His play does not drop off when faced with pressure, outside of the loss to Notre Dame earlier this year, as he is able to elude blitzers and extend the play. I noticed while watching tape, albeit of San Jose State, that Williams has an uncanny ability to lead receivers and time up tempo routes like drags, slants, and options almost perfectly. Williams is best on bootlegs and nakeds, something he did a lot more of in 2022 than 2023 (hence the statistical drops). There are cons to Williams' game, however, and they become more glaring the more I investigate the blue-chip prospect. USC's offense, similar to Reilly's Oklahoma offense, is a fairly simple system that makes reads clear and progressions even clearer. To say it isn't a pro-style offense is an overstatement, but Williams will be asked to do a lot more in the NFL than he is now. Ball security also comes up when I watch Williams' tape. He holds the ball fairly far away from his body -- and with one hand -- which may put him at risk of strips behind a shaky NFL offensive line. But by far the most troublesome note I have on Caleb Williams is the lack of footwork/technique in the pocket. On some plays, it looks as though Williams is stalling just so he can break the pocket and extend downfield. While banking on talent and athleticism is great, this trait cannot carry over to the NFL. His feet can become sloppy in the pocket and can get "stuck" when his first read is taken away. Overall though, Williams has by far the most potential amongst this 2024 quarterback class.
3. Bo Nix, Senior, Oregon University
Nix is by far the most polarizing duck on Earth. Touted by some as a sure-fire franchise quarterback, and castigated by many as an octogenarian, NIL-milking fifth year senior, Nix seems to conjure plenty of emotion. From an athletic standpoint, Nix is a capable scrambler and possesses the necessary agility skills to maneuver the pocket. His registered 4.75 forty does not do him justice, as evident from his scrambles in both Washington games this past season. With a frame of 217-pounds at 6’2, Nix is considered to be on the smaller side of the quarterback spectrum. I am not that concerned about his size translating to the NFL, aside from his rather short 30.8 inch arms (74in wingspan).
With 61 career starts (the most in NCAA history), Nix has quite a lot of tape to evaluate. With my film room only dating back to 2021, I am not able to evaluate Nix until his final year at Auburn, which may be to the dismay of Tiger fans everywhere. Nix is a surgeon on the football field, being able to slice through defenses not only with his arm, but with his eyes. RPOs are a staple of Oregon’s offense — as they are in most NFL offenses — and Nix runs them proficiently, completing over 46% of his completions off of run-pass-options. Marked by improvement in the pocket and overall awareness of the field, we have seen Nix grow comfortable in structure; something never provided to him while at Auburn. One of the biggest kickers I have with Nix is his “switch”. When Nix is on, he is on. Its a different “on” than Williams or Penix; its a methodical dismantling of a defense by threatening with both his arm and legs. His release is snappy and quick, making it possible for Nix to make downfield throws when forced out of the pocket and having to improvise. Thriving off of play-action, Nix shows a volatile complex of release points — think Matt Stafford — and holds safeties with excellent eye movement to deliver with zip down the middle of the field. Unlike the top two prospects, Nix stays balanced in the pocket, keeping a firm base and possessing the ability to reset and deliver when off-schedule. Hesitation is the thorn in the side of the otherwise first round graded-Nix, which can be lethal in the NFL if not treated (Sam Howell). While the transition to Eugene brought objective improvement, inconsistencies still persist with his lead foot, leading to directionally-erratic throws (2022 Georgia). He has an elite deep ball but instead of taking the shot, Nix most of the time tucks and runs to avoid a mistake. If not for this newfounded sense of hesitation, Nix very well could be ranked closer to Williams and Maye, but my trepidation considering his ability to helm an agro-style NFL offense leads me to believe the Duck-product will leak into the second round along with his PAC-12 counterpart, Penix Jr.
4. Jayden Daniels, Senior, Louisiana State University
From a pure statistical perspective, Daniels should absolutely be the first overall pick in the NFL Draft. Accounting for 50 touchdowns and 5,000 yards of total offense, the Arizona State transfer set historical marks on his way to winning the 2023 Heisman and leading a formidable Tiger offense to nine wins. Rushing for over 1,000 yards is tough, even for a runningback. Try 1,134 yards on the ground alone for Daniels, a trait which adds another dimension to the quarterback’s game. From a physical perspective, Daniels is built well at 6’4, 210lbs (a bit skinny), running a 4.48 forty. His weight may add concern for NFL GMs, but weight isn’t a dire requirement for quarterbacks in today’s league. His dynamic ability to allude pressure also eases stress concerning his weight, as when trapped in the forest, Daniels frequently finds the path out and to the open receiver downfield.
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Leading in almost every meaningful statistical category, there is a lot to like about the LSU-product. Experience is, first and foremost, not an issue with Daniels, who has started four seasons at the collegiate level in two different schemes. Daniels’ ability to create may end up propelling his draft stock ahead of Bo Nix, as avoiding sacks and creating “soemthing out of nothing” is the Tiger’s specialty. A naturally gifted athlete who can scramble at will, Daniels presents a two-fold threat to defenses, as his throw on the run capabilities, while albeit raw in some spots, forces defenses to either stretch thin or waste a defender in a QB spy. He can leverage the pocket, meaning he has the ability to slide to one side or the other with excellent quickness and proficiency, but struggles to operate as a pocket passer when pass rush contain is held. His — at times awkward — throwing motion does bring concern about Daniels’ ability to throw downfield, especially while being hit. This “awkward” throwing motion isn’t comparable to Nix’s arsenal of arm maneuvers, as Daniels has flashed inconsistencies with mechanics with both upper and lower body operations. A major plus for Daniels is his throw on the run decision making, which is frankly only comparable to Patrick Mahomes. Daniels has fluent and palpable arm strength, which he used to strike daggers into the heart of opposing defenses all year long with Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. Even while in the pocket, Daniels exhibits intrepid decision making and consistent chance taking which, as we know, NFL GMs love (J. Allen, Z. Wilson).
Burnt Orange Nation
5. Michael Penix Jr., Senior, University of Washington
The 6’4, 213-pound, fifth year senior bolstered his draft stock with a phenomenal 2023 season and even better Sugar Bowl game before losing the National Title to Michigan to end his career. Penix Jr. broke his own school record (set in 2022) with 4,903 passing yards, good for second most in Pac-XII history, leading the nation in passing yards/passing yards per game for the second consecutive year. The southpaw from Tampa (and formerly Indiana) garnered Second Team All America honors with his stellar stat line and win loss record this past season; a testament to his abilities while healthy. The big knock — or knocks — with Penix Jr. is his ability to actually stay healthy as well as his ability to handle pressure. This evaluation will look to explain to you fully the verdict on Penix Jr. as well as his proper draft placement.
Multiple ACL tears in the same knee and a thorough dosage of shoulder pain blemish Penix’s resume quite a bit. Critics like to compare Penix to the likes of Sammy Watkins and/or Kevin White; two high potential, injury prone prospects. I look at it from the side of, “hey, he managed to stay healthy for two full seasons and threw for over 9,500 total yards”. the Husky product is well-versed in a pro-style offense, as his time at Washington saw him thrive in a downfield spread scheme that draws similarities to Kansas City. His arm is plentiful strong, and his effortlessly able to rip the ball downfield, forcing teams to play deep shell coverages in order to stop the “Ace” from hitting in Seattle. I like to compare Penix to Odunze-Polk-McMillan to Steph Curry and the three-pointer; when its on, its on — and nobody is stopping it. As a viewer, you saw it against Texas in the Sugar Bowl and against Oregon in the second half of their first match-up. When MPJ is able to connect on a consistent basis, there aren’t many others that are better in all of football. He has a feel for the pocket and, when not pressured heavily, can create when needed in order to find YAC opportunities with his trio of NFL-caliber wide receivers. His touch and float on medium/deep passes is stupendous, and his lashing throwing motion leaves almost no room for error by a defensive back. His velocity on throws at such a deep level is uncanny, and his ability to thread the needle between the safety and linebacker is truly like anything else I have ever seen. Penix is galvanized by the plays made by his teammates (catches by Odunze, runs by Johnson), a testament to his character and morals on a field where so much of the time we see greedy quarterbacks seek all of the attention. Never losing his even-keel demeanor, Penix showed in two important games his temperament and ability to lead a game winning drive (Oregon, Wazzu). The arm talent is there, the mental progressions are there, and the stature is there; what is there not to like about the feel-good Husky story? His ability to handle pressure leaves major question marks as the draft approaches. As seen in the Michigan game, when presented with interior pressure, Penix struggles to stay true to his play style and often looks to add-lib. His drop may have something to do with this, as timing his three-step dropbacks may lead to improved ball placement on tempo routes. Penix is one of my favorite college football players ever and is one of the most likable prospects in draft history. He is a feel good, redemption story that will thrive if put in the right system. I am personally rooting for Penix and cannot wait to see his electric style of play translate to the NFL.
Sports Illustrated