2024 NFL Draft Prospects: Quarterback

4/22/24: In 2023, Williams completed 69 percent of his passes for 3,633 yards, 30 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also notched 11 rushing touchdowns. Minus ugly games against Notre Dame and Utah, Williams played well overall and displayed a special skill set for the NFL.

There is no doubt that Williams has to get the ball out faster. Some team sources have said Williams’ footwork and mechanics need work, and his deep-ball accuracy wasn’t as good in 2023. They also noted Williams must improve his ball security because he had major fumbling issues and can be careless with the ball at times.

Williams has boom-pick potential to be an elite playmaker at the pro level. Some team sources are in love with his powerful arm talent, running ability, creativity, and talent to ad lib his team into a big play. However, there are sources who have concerns about his makeup and personality. Williams interviewed with teams at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, but did not work out. Additionally, he made the unprecedented move of declining to participate in the medical exams, which naturally left some team evaluators wondering if there are things Williams is hiding. Sources who were at the USC pro day said that Williams’ workout was not overly impressive. They said while he showed his arm talent, it was a very slow and lax workout.

8/22/23: Williams played well for USC in 2022, completing 67 percent of his passes for 4,537 yards, 42 touchdowns and five interceptions. As WalterFootball.com predicted in the preseason, Williams won the Heisman Trophy.

Williams started out the 2021 season as the backup quarterback to Spencer Rattler, but after Rattler struggled, Williams replaced him as Oklahoma’s starter and had an excellent year, completing 65 percent of his passes for 1,912 yards, 21 touchdowns and four interceptions. He also hurt defenses on the ground with six rushing touchdowns and lots of yardage. After the 2021 season, Williams transferred to USC to follow his head coach Lincoln Riley. Williams could put together another massive season and be a high first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

4/22/24: Daniels completed 72 percent of his passes in 2023 for 3,812 yards, 40 touchdowns and four interceptions. He put up 10 rushing touchdowns as well. Daniels was electric against Alabama and had a record-setting game versus Florida. He also impressed in outings against Ole Miss, Auburn, and Florida State.

Pro teams love Daniels’ athleticism, running ability, and his potential as a passer. However, Daniels still needs work because he doesn’t throw with anticipation, will miss some open receivers at times, and has to learn to slide to avoid hits and injury in the NFL. Sources said they believe Daniels could be a special player and a point producer as a pro. He opted out of a lot the combine events.

8/22/23: Daniels completed 69 percent of his passes in 2022 for 2,913 yards, 17 touchdowns and three interceptions. He also has 885 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. Daniels is a dual-threat quarterback who showed improvement as a passer throughout the season. He had a superb game against Alabama to lead LSU to a huge upset, but he really struggled against Arkansas.

With Arizona State in 2021, Daniels completed 65 percent of his passes for 2,380 yards, 10 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He was impressive in 2019, showing playmaking ability as a passer and runner while producing points for the Sun Devils. Daniels didn’t play as well in the shortened 2020 Pac-12 season.

Daniels has an intriguing skill set, but he has not developed into a consistent pocket passer. Perhaps that lack of development is what led to Daniels departing Arizona State for LSU. He has the potential to rise if he can become more well-rounded.

4/22/24: Maye completed 63 percent of his passes in 2023 for 3,608 yards, 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also ran for nine touchdowns. Maye is a natural pocket passer who can be lethal when given time. The most important attribute for any passer is accuracy, and Maye has it. He throws the ball with excellent precision and ball placement. Thanks to natural loft and timing, Maye fits his passes into tight windows and is able to beat good coverage by being supremely accurate.

For the NFL, some team sources state Maye needs to improve his footwork. Some sources said his processing looks shaky, but others said they thought he had no issues processing the game. There are some divided opinions on Maye in the scouting community, with some scouts not being high on him and others thinking he could be the top quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft. Maye reportedly interviewed well with teams at the combine.

8/22/23: As a redshirt freshman, Maye exploded onto the college-football scene, showing serious arm talent. In 2022, he completed 66 percent of his passes for 4,321 yards, 38 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Maye has good size and easy arm strength to go vertical. Maye lofts balls well, showing touch and throwing his receivers open. Maye could be a high first-rounder in the 2024 NFL Draft.

4/22/24: In 2023, McCarthy completed 72 percent of his passes for 2,991 yards, 22 touchdowns and four interceptions. He notched three rushing touchdowns as well. Pro team sources have said McCarthy has a strong arm, throws well outside the numbers, and is a good athlete. However, they question his vision, as well as his passing instincts. McCarthy can be late throwing down the middle and misses vertically. Those sources shared they feel McCarthy’s decision-making can be careless and reckless. Some sources have compared McCarthy to Daniel Jones, while others have put forth Will Levis instead.

McCarthy both interviewed well and worked out well at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. He has been rising, and there are a number of teams desperate for a quarterback. Those factors could help McCarthy go early in the top 10 during the 2024 NFL Draft.

8/22/23: McCarthy was an effective game manager in 2022, leading Michigan to a Big Ten title and the college football playoffs. The first-year starter completed 65 percent of his passes for 2,719 yards, 22 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also ran for 306 yards with five scores. It will be interesting to see if McCarthy builds on his 2022 season and shows pocket-passing ability and the arm talent to start in the NFL.

4/22/24: Penix completed 65 percent of his passes in 2023 for 4,903 yards, 36 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He scored three rushing touchdowns as well. For the NFL, Penix has a quality arm capable of making all the throws. He can make some nice passes along the sideline and working the back shoulder of his receivers.

In the back half of the 2023 season, Penix showed some accuracy issues, with many easy would-be completions being lost to passes off the mark. Penix needs to improve his accuracy and mechanics, plus his footwork will need development for the pros. However, there was talk that Penix was playing hurt in the back half of 2023, which impacted his accuracy and he did have some games with good accuracy during the season. Sources with NFL teams said that vision is a problem for Penix, who either doesn’t read the coverage or pre-determines his throws and pushes them into coverage regardless of whether his receiver is open. Penix demonstrates some decision-making issues when teams drop seven or eight and rush him with only four or three defenders. Some team sources are concerned about Penix’s body and durability because he suffered two serious knee injuries in college. However there is a huge need for quarterback talent around the NFL, so Penix has a shot at going in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

8/22/23: The former Indiana Hoosier broke out for Washington in 2022. He almost tripled his previous season-high passing-yards total of 1,645 yards from 2020, completing 65.3 percent of his passes for 4,641 yards, 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also ran for four touchdowns. The Tampa, Florida product Penix has a live arm and can fire missiles into tight windows. In 2023, Penix needs to show improved ability to handle pass pressure, refine his field vision, and overall polish his pocket passing.

4/22/24: Nix completed 77 percent of his passes in 2023 for 4,508 yards, 45 touchdowns and three interceptions. He notched six rushing touchdowns as well. Nix was very efficient at leading Oregon’s point-machine offense. Since the end of the season, Nix had a respectable week of practice at the Senior Bowl and a solid workout at the combine.

Some team sources said they felt Nix is a system quarterback and more of a backup for the NFL. Others shared they thought Nix could be a starter because he is instinctive, accurate, mobile, gets the ball out quickly, and knows where to go with it. Those sources said Nix plays with vision, can go through a progression, recognizes coverage, and anticipates. Nix has just enough arm to push the ball vertically, but he does not have special arm talent.

8/22/23: The Auburn transfer had an ugly start to the 2022 season taking on Georgia, but he played better over the course of the season. In 2022, Nix completed 72 percent of his passes for 3,593 yards, 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also ran for 14 touchdowns on the ground. His passing production in 2022 was a big improvement compared to his three seasons at Auburn. If Nix continues to improve as a pocket passer, he could be a riser for the 2024 NFL Draft.

4/22/24: Rattler completed 69 percent of his passes in 2023 for 3,186 yards, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He picked up four rushing touchdowns as well. Despite the losses, Rattler played well, including impressive games versus North Carolina and Georgia. Rattler impressed some NFL team sources with his arm, playmaking ability, and his ability to ad lib his team into some big plays. However, others said they are very down on him because of the turnovers and decision-making. They also noted that Rattler looked slower and less mobile in 2023.

8/22/23: Rattler flashed some good plays over the 2022 season, but he also had some bad interceptions. On the year, he completed 66 percent of his passes for 3,026 yards, 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Rattler also rushed for three touchdowns. He made huge improvements on accuracy issues at South Carolina, but his propensity to throw interceptions is still a problem.

Rattler was an underwhelming disappointment for Oklahoma in 2021. His lack of performance saw him benched against Texas, and his backup Caleb Williams led the Sooners to a legendary comeback win against the Longhorns. After the season, Rattler transferred to the Gamecocks.

Rattler has a good skill set and looked primed for a huge 2021 season. As a redshirt freshman starter in 2020, Rattler completed 68 percent of his passes for 3,031 yards, 28 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also ran for six scores.

Team sources say they see Rattler as a high-upside pick. They like his big-time arm talent, instincts, athleticism, and irrational confidence. They love Rattler’s ability to ad lib and make plays off script. The big knock on Rattler is his erratic decision-making.

4/22/24: Milton started out his collegiate career at Michigan before transferring to Tennessee. With good size and a cannon for an arm, Milton has serious passing talent for the next level. Milton can be deadly when given time, but he does not throw well on the run. In the pocket, Milton can be accurate and challenge defenses at every level. In 2023, he completed 65 percent of his passes for 2,813 yards, 20 touchdowns and five interceptions. Milton had an inconsistent week of practice at the Senior Bowl, but showed off his super powerful arm at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine.

4/22/24: Pratt was a consistent quarterback for the Green Wave over the last four years. In 2023, he completed 66 percent of his passes for 2,406 yards, 22 touchdowns and five interceptions. In 2022, he completed 64 percent of his passes for 3,010 yards, 27 touchdowns and five interceptions. Pratt has quality size to him. At the Senior Bowl, he did not impress enough to boost his draft stock.

4/22/24: In 2023, Hartman completed 64 percent of his passes for 2,689 yards, 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He is a good college quarterback, but he faces skill-set limitations that make him more of a backup for the NFL. His issues could be seen at the Senior Bowl, where Hartman looked like a third-string candidate for the next level.

8/22/23: Hartman was a prolific passer for the Demon Deacons over 2021 and 2022, racking up a ton of production. In 2021, he completed 59 percent of his passes for 4,228 yards, 39 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He completed 63 percent of his passes in 2022 for 3,701 yards, 38 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Hartman is a good college quarterback, but he may be more of a backup’s skillset for the NFL.

4/22/24: Tagovailoa flashed ability at times over the past three seasons, but also had some painful struggles. In 2023, he completed 66 percent of his passes for 3,377 yards, 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. During the previous season, Tagovailoa connected on 67 percent of his throws for 3,008 yards, 18 touchdowns and eight interceptions. As a first-year starter in 2021, he completed 69 percent of his passes for 3,860 yards, 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

NFL team sources said Tagovailoa possesses sufficient arm strength and accuracy that make him dangerous when given time to throw. However, he lacks poise and is reckless with the ball. Tagovailoa’s decision-making is a concern because he can be all over the place when under duress. His instincts, processing, and vision need work given that he regularly gets fooled by coverage.

4/22/24: Travis completed 64 percent of his passes in 2023 for 2,755 yards, 20 touchdowns and two interceptions. He used his legs to do some damage on the ground with seven scores. Travis was receiving third-day grades from some teams for the 2024 NFL Draft before suffering a gruesome lower leg injury in Florida State’s penultimate game of the regular season.

8/22/23: Travis was really improved in 2022 over his play in 2020 and 2021. He was much more effective passing from the pocket and used his mobility to make some plays for the Seminoles. Travis completed 64 percent of his passes in 2022 for 3,214 yards, 24 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also picked up seven touchdowns on the ground for the third season in a row. The Louisville transfer is a gamer who plays tough, but he is undersized for the NFL.

4/22/24: Slovis completed 58 percent of his passes in 2023 for 1,716 yards, 12 touchdowns and six interceptions. He had a nice day of throwing the ball at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine.

8/22/23: Slovis had a very good debut for USC in 2019, when he completed 72 percent of his passes for 3,502 yards, 30 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Since then his play and production have declined significantly, and he did not thrive while quarterbacking Pittsburgh in 2022. Slovis faces physical limitations for the NFL.

4/22/24: Leary completed 56 percent of his passes in 2023 for 2,746 yards, 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

8/22/23: Leary has a build and playing style reminiscent of Brock Purdy at Iowa State. Leary dealt with injuries in 2022, and that led to him transferring to Kentucky from N.C. State for 2023. His best season came in 2021, when he completed 66 percent of his passes for 3,433 yards, 35 touchdowns and five interceptions. Leary needs to stay healthy in 2023.

4/22/24: Bradley earned an invitation to the Senior Bowl after back-to-back quality seasons for the Jaguars. In 2023, he completed 68 percent of his passes for 2,660 yards, 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He connected on 65 percent of his throws in 2022 for 3,336 yards, 28 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

4/22/24: Hatcher really only played in five games in 2023 due to injury. On the year, he completed 65 percent of his passes for 582 yards, four touchdowns and an interception. At Texas State in 2022, Hatcher completed 62 percent of his passes for 2,653 yards, 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

4/22/24: In 2023, Plumlee completed 63 percent of his passes for 2,271 yards, 15 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also completed 63 percent of his passes in 2022 for 2,586 yards, 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions.