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In With the New: Rookie NFL Quarterbacks Shined in 2024

These four quarterbacks shined the brightest in what was considered one of the best quarterback classes in recent draft history.

Jayden Daniels is selected with the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Washington Commanders Draft Jayden Daniels second overall in the 2024 NFL Draft (YouTube/NFL)

In their first professional football season, the quarterbacks selected in the 2024 NFL Draft shined bright, giving their fans much to look forward to.

The prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft were some of the most talented we have seen in some time, regardless of position. This draft had everything an NFL General Manager could want, from explosive offensive weapons to lethal defensive stoppers. What grabbed the spotlight, however, was the talent and strength of the incoming quarterbacks. With Heisman winners and National Championship contenders in the mix, these young talents sought to make an immediate difference.

Young Superstars

Caleb Williams was destined for greatness after transferring from the University of Oklahoma before his sophomore year. From Norman, he landed in Los Angeles at the University of Southern California where he dominated. In 2022, Williams won the Heisman Trophy after posting 4,500 passing yards with 42 Touchdowns and 382 rushing yards with 10 touchdowns.

Scouts were in awe of his raw arm talent and ability to extend plays by escaping the pocket. Williams’ red zone touchdown-to-turnover ratio in two years at USC was 46:1, a number that seemed unachievable. Despite a mediocre 2023 season, he was still the runaway favourite for the #1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

University of North Carolina superstar Drake Maye came off a redshirt year and exploded onto the scene as a sophomore. Maye put UNC in the conversation with the country’s blue-blood football programs as their offence was eruptive. As a redshirt freshman, Maye put up 4,300 passing yards, 700 rushing yards, and 45 total touchdowns. Winning ACC Player of the Year and the Shaun Alexander Award for best freshman in the country certainly caught attention.

Despite his short experience as a starter, May showed NFL teams that he can control the game and create explosive plays. The way he escapes the pocket and makes big plays in the clutch appealed many struggling NFL offences for the upcoming draft.

High-IQ Veterans

Jayden Daniels went through a long and grueling college career but ended with a final season for the record books. Daniels spent three years at Arizona State University, where he did not attract much attention as a power five starting quarterback. He spent his last two years at Louisiana State University, winning the Heisman Trophy in 2023. With 3,800 passing yards, 1,100 rushing yards, and 50 total touchdowns, Daniels showed NFL scouts he can do it all.

His five-year college career made him an appealing prospect because of his immense football IQ and decision-making. His speed and agility outside of the pocket could make defenses begin to break down and lose control. Daniels was seen as a leader of an offense that will forever keep defenses guessing, even at the NFL level.

Bo Nix ended his six-year college football career at the University of Oregon, where he put together a string of great seasons. In 2023, Nix finished third in Heisman voting behind Michael Penix Jr. and Jayden Daniels; On top of that, he also was awarded PAC-12 Offensive Player of the Year. The seasoned veteran broke school records in Passing Touchdowns (45) and Passing Yards (4,500) while only throwing three interceptions.

Nix stood out to NFL coaches due to his high football IQ and his athleticism in the pocket, avoiding sacks. He could launch the football down the field with relative ease, creating explosive plays and setting up his team for success. However, due to his age, NFL Coaches saw Nix as a less intriguing prospect than someone like Maye or Williams.

High Expectations

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams scrambles left looking for the endzone in preseason.
Caleb Williams scrambles left looking for the endzone. (YouTube/Windy City Highlights)

Number one draft pick Caleb Williams was put on a pedestal by analysts thinking he would save Bears Football. Sure, the Bears had a shaky offensive line and bad coaches, but their quarterback of the future was picked to heal all. Some analysts, however, saw through this and predicted that Williams will struggle avoiding sacks.

Washington’s organization expected Jayden Daniels to make a huge impact with his veteran decision-making. The thought was that Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson would break out in huge seasons with a more-than-capable quarterback. Unfortunately, the Commanders still had problems on defense, along with a coaching change, expectations were not high.

Drake Maye possessed all the talent to make a big change to this struggling New England Patriots team. The biggest thing that the Patriots lacked was other offensive weapons that surrounded Maye. Drake Maye’s scrambling ability was leading analysts to believe that the Patriots would be relying heavily on him for production.

The Broncos struggled for years after the departure of Peyton Manning, and it was time for a young quarterback to step up. Analysts believed that Bo Nix was picked too high for in this draft, and that his talent was not on a first-round level. The Broncos were not expected to make the playoffs or do anything of significance after selecting Nix.

Broncos quarterback Bo Nix scrambles around looking for a receiver in the endzone against the chiefs.
Bo Nix escapes pressure looking for a receiver downfield. (YouTube/NFL)

Early Setbacks and Success

The Bears began the season with a record of 4-2 but with not much help from their star rookie. Williams was already on pace to become the most-sacked quarterback in the NFL, and his decision-making cost them in big moments. While the play-calling was a setback, Williams had not shown many flashes of his athleticism like at USC.

The Broncos began the season slow but picked up steam with a three-game win streak before midseason. The defensive front stood out as one of the league’s best, taking the spotlight away from their first-year quarterback, Bo Nix. Nix never showed many highlight-level plays or big performances, but he played well enough. A handful of rushing touchdowns showed that he could still create plays himself.

It took a couple of games for the New England Patriots to give the reigns to Drake Maye at starting quarterback. While the Patriots struggled from the jump, Maye had some highlight games that reminded fans of his playing days at UNC. With no protection up front, Maye struggled to get the ball out on time which caused many mistakes.

Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders came out of the gate red hot after losing in week one. Combining his masterful decision-making with his ability to run made him look like a veteran NFL quarterback at just 23 years old. The Commanders were 4-1 after the first five weeks and it looked like there was no stopping them.

Bright Futures

These four quarterbacks shined the brightest in one of the best quarterback classes in recent draft history. Here’s a list of the rookie’s stats from this season, along with their team’s record:

Caleb Williams: 3,541 Passing Yards, 489 Rushing Yards, 20 Total TDs, 6 INTs Bears Record: 5-12

Jayden Daniels: 3,568 Passing Yards, 891 Rushing Yards, 31 Total TDs, 9 INTs Commanders Record: 12-5

Drake Maye: 2,276 Passing Yards, 421 Rushing Yards, 17 Total TDs, 10 INTs Patriots Record: 4-13

Bo Nix: 3,775 Passing Yards, 430 Rushing Yards, 33 Total TDs, 12 INTs Broncos Record: 9-7

Caleb Williams is still just as talented and can lead a team to success, but would need help. Drake Maye is a very skilful, young quarterback that can get the ball to his receivers and make explosive plays on the ground. Bo Nix led his team to the playoffs in his first season and curated a bunch of explosive plays. Lastly, Jayden Daniels has locked up the Offensive Rookie of the Year award and secured a playoff spot.

Written By

Junior at James Madison University; I enjoy writing about College Football, Golf, and Baseball

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Jean Moody

    January 20, 2025 at 6:21 pm

    Great job D.J.!

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