The 2024 NFL Draft has three high first-round candidates at the quarterback position a year after the 2023 NFL Draft had three quarterbacks taken as top-five picks. The No. 1 selection of the 2023 NFL Draft, Carolina’s Bryce Young, struggled as a rookie, so many are assuming that the 2024 trio of USC’s Caleb Williams, LSU’s Jayden Daniels and North Carolina’s Drake Maye are better prospects than Young. When WalterFootball.com polled team sources, however, the responses were somewhat mixed.
A few sources said Young was better than either Daniels or Maye. Here is the response of one director of college scouting, “The only one that is for sure better is Caleb. The other two would’ve been behind Bryce. I think Jayden would’ve been behind Stroud and battled Richardson. Maye is more polarizing.”
Another director of college scouting said:
The track record of Bryce and his consistency is special. He will be fine if they put players around him. Unfortunately, he has a coaching change and one of he worst rosters in football. I’m not as high on Caleb and Jayden as others. Caleb could be a bust, and a big part of his problem is character and selfish attitude. Jayden has gotten better each season, which I like. Maye is my pick to be the best of the group.
A couple of other team sources said affirmed their franchises had Williams, Daniels and Maye higher than Young. Thus, even though Young had struggles as a rookie, there are still evaluators who hold him in high regard. Like last year, I expect three quarterbacks to go in the top five, as you can see in my latest 2024 NFL Mock Draft.
