Scouting 2024 NFL Draft QB Prospects Not Named Caleb Williams, Drake Maye
The chatter surrounding the 2024 NFL draft quarterback class has already started as rumors swirled during last April's draft that teams were looking past some of the top 2023 signal-callers and ahead to the next crop of prospects.
Most of the discussion has been centered around USC's Caleb Williams and North Carolina's Drake Maye for good reason. Those two have earned the right to be the top quarterback prospects heading into the season, but this upcoming class has much more to offer than just them.
Texas' Quinn Ewers, Oregon's Bo Nix, Michael Penix Jr. from Washington and J.J. McCarthy out of Michigan are the quarterbacks with a Top 60 ranking behind Williams and Maye on Pro Football Focus' big board heading into the fall.
All of them bring something a little different to the table and help make the 2024 QB class one of the most coveted ones in recent years.
Here, we'll dive into those four players' stats, shine some light on their strengths and weaknesses, and break down one clip from last season for each of them to see what they have to offer an NFL franchise.
Quinn Ewers
1 of 4
School: Texas (Ohio State transfer)
2022 Stats: 10 games, 58.1% completion, 2,177 yards, 15 TDs, 6 INTs, 1 rushing TD
Strengths:
– Strong arm with a quick release to fit balls into tight windows.
– Good at throwing with anticipation for a one-year starter.
– Can make off-platform throws and change arm slots on off-script plays.
– Tough in the pocket, willing to stand in and take a hit against pressure.
Areas for Improvement:
– Can get lazy with his footwork, leading to inaccuracies, especially on deep balls.
– Needs to speed up his internal clock to get off his first read faster.
– Not a great runner or someone who is going to make a lot of plays with his legs/scrambling out of the pocket.
What They're Saying: "He is one of the better touch/timing passers in college football right now, at his best when dropping the ball into open zones or anticipating windows coming open in the play-action game," per The Athletic's Diante Lee.
2024 NFL Draft Stock: Right now, Ewers is a tier below Williams and Maye with a mid-first-round grade from me. However, he's someone who I can see playing his way into that discussion if he cleans up his footwork and becomes more accurate this season.
Bo Nix
2 of 4
School: Oregon (Auburn transfer)
2022 Stats: 13 games, 71.9% completion, 3,593 yards, 29 TDs, 7 INTs, 89 carries, 510 rushing yards, 14 rushing TDs, 1 receiving TD
Strengths:
– Has some zip on his passes and maintains his velocity well when throwing on the run.
– Strong arm to push the ball down the field and make tight-window throws.
– Doesn't panic and get happy feet against pressure.
– Athletic to avoid rushers in the pocket and create plays with his legs.
Areas of Improvement:
– Has made questionable decisions with the ball in the past, leading to interceptions.
– Will occasionally throw off one foot unnecessarily.
– Can take too long to get through his progressions/get stuck on his first read.
What They're Saying: "With this evaluation at such an early stage, I am comfortable comparing him to recent second-overall pick C.J. Stroud. Nix is a slightly better athlete with similar arm talent, accuracy and spatial awareness. However, he is less consistent than Stroud as a passer, even though Nix's completion percentage is higher," via former NFL head coach Marc Trestman of The 33rd Team.
2024 NFL Draft Stock: An argument could be made that no one did more to improve their draft stock last season than Nix as he's firmly in the first-round discussion heading into 2024. His age, he turns 24 in February, will likely keep him behind Williams and Maye, but the Duck has a good chance to compete with Ewers as the third quarterback off the board next April.
Michael Penix Jr.
3 of 4
School: Washington (Indiana transfer)
2022 Stats: 13 games, 4,641 yards, 31 TDs, 8 INTs, 35 carries, 92 rushing yards, 4 rushing TDs
Strengths:
– Very impressive arm strength, even while throwing on the run without his feet set.
– Good feel for blind side pressure with the athletic ability to make pass rushers miss and pick up first downs with his legs.
– Works through his progressions and doesn't force balls into coverage.
– Flips his hips and gets his feet set when rolling to the opposite side of his throwing arm on bootlegs.
Areas for Improvement:
– Long injury history, 2022 was the first season he didn't finish injured.
– Has a tendency to miss high on intermediate throws which will lead to interceptions in the NFL.
– Needs to take some heat off his short throws to throw a more catchable ball.
What They're Saying: "Penix's left arm is plenty talented and he's never been shy about letting it rip. Sometimes that can get him into trouble — sometimes he'll dance around and make a crazy throw that leaves you pretty breathless," via Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic.
2024 NFL Draft Stock: Penix Jr. is in the same category as Ewers and Nix heading into the fall as a first-round prospect and the Husky might have the most arm talent in the entire class. Another year of injury-free football will help him potentially shake the "injury-prone" label, however, the damage might be done with four season-ending injuries in his college career.
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J.J. McCarthy
4 of 4
School: Michigan
2022 Stats: 14 games, 64.6% completion, 2,719 yards, 22 TDs, 5 INTs, 70 carries, 306 rushing yards, 5 rushing TDs
Strengths:
– Very athletic in the pocket to avoid sacks and is good at throwing on the run for off-script plays.
– Accurate on short to intermediate throws to keep the ball away from defenders.
– Works through his progressions as a passer.
– Impressive runner who has good balance and athleticism to run through arm and ankle tackles.
Areas for Improvement:
– Doesn't have a good feel for pressure.
– Needs to be more decisive in the pocket, either take off or throw it instead of hanging in the pocket too long as pass rushers start coming.
– Lack of experience showed in his ability to read coverages.
– Misses long on deep balls, he has a habit of overstriding and finishing throws lock-kneed.
What They're Saying: "At only 20 years old, McCarthy has all the talent in the world, but more experience will help him iron out his deficiencies. He doesn't turn the ball over already, which is a great sign. Pair that with ability and continuity on offense and McCarthy can take a big leap this season," per Tyler Forness of Vikings Wire.
2024 NFL Draft Stock: Compared to some of the other quarterbacks in this class, McCarthy's inexperience showed up the most last season which pushes him into the second-round category, in my opinion. However, if he improves with more reps and becomes more accurate on deep balls this season, his draft stock will rise.
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