We are getting closer to the 2024 NFL Draft and a selection that will change the Washington Commanders for the foreseeable future. The team is looking for fresh blood and a potential face of the franchise at quarterback with the No. 2 overall selection.
Adam Peters and Dan Quinn will be tasked with making that choice. One that could get them continuous contract extensions or have them looking for new teams to work for within the next two to three years.
While it might be obvious who the expected No. 1 overall pick will be, the Commanders will be spending the coming days the 10 minutes they will have on the clock to decide who they will draft with their first selection. This reminds me a lot of how the top of the order was debated during last year’s draft when the Carolina Panthers ultimately took Bryce Young over C.J. Stroud. Though this is not to say the decision was good or bad considering the situations of both signal-callers during their rookie campaigns.
It’s important to know that the Commanders already have a stable crop of skilled players for their new quarterback. The likes of cornerstone wide receiver Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, and Dyami Brown. Not to mention they added veteran Zach Ertz at tight end. However, it should be noted that the offensive line may struggle in Year 1, especially at both tackle spots.
I have spent the last several weeks digging deep into this year’s quarterback class, one that features plenty of talent at the top while providing developmental depth throughout. I’ve come to like this group of signal-callers due to their unique individual skill sets that can set them apart from one another.
Without further ado, here are the five best QBs in this year’s draft in order.
Honorable Mentions
Bo Nix
After an up-and-down career with the Auburn Tigers, Bo Nix spent the last two seasons with the Oregon Ducks and became one of the most prolific passers to come through the program. The signal-caller was PAC-12 Offensive Player of the Year, Second-team All-American, and a Heisman Trophy finalist.
There are plenty of things to like about Nix as a prospect such as his overall mobility and near-elite athleticism at the position. He has an adequate arm that is good enough to attack all three levels of the field while showing drastic improvement in ball security with a 74:10 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
However, Nix is still a volatile quarterback. He doesn’t have the best internal clock and can bail out of pockets prematurely. On top of that, the former five-star high school recruit’s footwork is messy and will sometimes cause him to sail throws due to too wide of a base. He also needs to do a much better job of working from read-to-read within his progressions.
Nix has a lot of room to grow before stepping onto an NFL field. But he projects as a scheme-diverse quarterback due to his athleticism and tools for development.
Michael Penix Jr.
We stay in the PAC-12 with the man who led the Washington Huskies to the National Championship this past season. Michael Penix Jr. has had quite a road to the NFL Draft and battled his way to a potential early-round selection.
It’s fair to have significant concerns about Penix’s medicals. He’s torn his ACL in his right knee twice and had two season-ending shoulder injuries at Indiana before transferring to Washington before the 2022 season. However, if his medical assessments check out, he’ll likely be drafted within the first two rounds.
Last year’s first-team All-American signal-caller has one of the most beautiful deep balls you will see from any prospect in this class, including the top names of this list. A lefty passer, Penix offers a quick release and velocity while sporting composure and a gunslinger mentality when attacking the middle of the field.
I was impressed with Penix’s resilience in pressure situations. He’s also effective when working off-platform, displaying a potential seamless fit into the Commanders' new system under Kliff Kingsbury. He has a lot of inconsistencies that need improvement at the next level such as lower-half mechanics and displaying better anticipation but has the chance to be a starter down the line.
5. Spencer Rattler
One thing I’ve come to learn about quarterback prospects - or any prospect for that matter - is that progression is not linear. That could apply to almost any player on this list and it certainly does with the fifth-ranked quarterback in the draft, Spencer Rattler.
That name may sound familiar. Rattler was supposed to be a superstar at Oklahoma and was once labeled a future No. 1 overall draft selection. That was until his struggles in pocket navigation, field vision, and pressure forced Lincoln Riley to bench him against Texas in 2021 for an uber-gifted talent in Caleb Williams.
Rattler would transfer to South Carolina and continue with the same inconsistencies that plagued him in Norman. However, he flipped a switch late in the 2022 season and displayed flashes of NFL starter-like ability. While the Gamecocks struggled in 2023 and missed a bowl game, the signal-caller continued to show plenty of potential.
The former five-star high school recruit features an above-average arm and sufficient three-level accuracy with improvement in most areas of his game. While he still tends to drift in the pocket and his footwork is still hit-or-miss, Rattler can throw beautiful passes from any platform while showing glimpses of pocket navigation skills.
If I’m an NFL team with a veteran quarterback nearing the end of his career, I would stand on the table for the physical tools of Rattler, who could be an adequate starter with further development.
4. J.J. McCarthy
One of the names that has come up in the discussion around the No. 2 overall pick is Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy. You may have seen discourse in a less-than-pleasant tone surrounding the player due to some offseason hype and reported conversations around the league.
While it seems unlikely that McCarthy is to be the Washington Commanders selection, he should still be a coveted quarterback for an NFL team willing to be patient. He is still considered raw for the most part. However, it is hard to ignore the work ethic and the overall skill set he's displayed.
Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh, McCarthy’s coach in Ann Arbor for the last three seasons, speaks highly of him. The former five-star high school recruit has shown progression in his last two seasons as a starter, which gives you hope he can develop into a quality pro.
McCarthy doesn’t have just surprising athleticism, he is a legitimate athlete who can be utilized in the read-option game. He has used his legs to create plays out of structure and displays enough arm talent to connect with receivers all over the field, whether it’s the deep third or from the far hash. There are flashes of sound mechanics, field vision, and terrific ball placement.
The signal-caller would fit in Kliff Kingsbury’s Air Raid offense - or any system, though he’ll likely need to sit behind Marcus Mariota to start the season. McCarthy might not be a Day 1 starter, but in the right situation, he can take over and develop into a signal-caller in the discussion for being an upper-half of NFL starting quarterbacks.
3. Jayden Daniels
Four years ago, I did one of the easiest quarterback evaluations on LSU great Joe Burrow. He displayed the makings of a top signal-caller in the league and became just that. The Cincinnati Bengals star is the greatest signal-caller in Tigers program history. Behind him is Jayden Daniels.
Daniels has had quite the career. One of his biggest highlights wasn’t even with LSU, but when he led the Arizona State Sun Devils to an upset victory over the Justin Herbert-led Oregon Ducks during his freshman campaign.
While his career in Tempe didn’t pan out, Daniels certainly did the opposite once he arrived in Baton Rouge. During his super-senior year in college football, he won the Heisman Trophy after an outstanding campaign with nearly 4,000 passing yards, more than 1,100 rushing yards, and 50 total touchdowns.
Seeing the former No. 2 dual-threat quarterback in the 2019 recruiting class develop into a highly-coveted prospect was great, something many hoped he would do with Arizona State after a flashy true freshman campaign. It took Daniels nearly six years, but he is slated to be a top-five pick in this year’s draft.
Daniels is yet another incredibly dynamic quarterback to enter the draft. His long, yet small frame will raise alarm bells for decision-makers and coaches with questions about long-term durability. If he learns to slide and avoid contact as a runner, there shouldn't be a problem.
He’s up there with Anthony Richardson and Lamar Jackson as one of the most explosive signal-callers I’ve ever evaluated. Daniels will run away from defenses and show creativity as a ball carrier.
As a passer, Daniels shows ample accuracy on all three levels. He's got a beautiful deep ball. He can throw slot fades and “go” routes with ease.
He has great field vision, allowing him to work through his progressions seamlessly. However, Daniels must improve his anticipation as a passer to make up for the lack of elite arm talent along with adding more mass, density, and play strength to his frame.
Daniels should be welcomed by Washington Commanders fans for his translatable skill set at the next level that could make him one of the most lethal threats under center.
2. Drake Maye
When I completed my quarterback evaluations for the 2023 NFL Draft, Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud were very close in terms of film grade. If someone had one ranked over the other, I would have little to no disagreement. I feel the same way this year with Drake Maye and the top signal-caller in the class.
Maye’s last name might sound familiar. His brother, Luke, was a hero, legend, and key contributor to North Carolina’s last National Championship in men’s basketball in 2017. Now, Drake has an opportunity to become a legend himself if he isn’t already.
The former four-star high school recruit won ACC Player of the Year as a redshirt freshman and was either first or second-team All-ACC in his two years as a starter. The production and accolades are there and the film matches a signal-caller with a special skill set mimicking some of the best in the game.
As the Tar Heels' most productive starting quarterback in school history, Maye displayed elite arm talent and the ability to play or throw from any angle or platform. In a flick of his right wrist, the prospect can squeeze passes into tight windows consistently with velocity and zip.
Maye does an excellent job of managing the pocket and navigating in and out of it when needed. His poise is terrific and displays ample accuracy with the capability to layer his throws to the intermediate and deep portions of the field.
The potential No. 2 pick always keeps his eyes downfield when pressured in or outside of the pocket. He shows very little panic when things get dicey and has come up big in critical in-game situations.
The talent is undeniable. I believe when all is said and done, Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters will turn in a card with Maye’s name on it.
1. Caleb Williams
After an extensive film evaluation of the 2024 quarterback class, the final result reveals that Caleb Williams is my top-rated signal-caller in this year’s draft. However, as I previously mentioned, it was close between him and Drake Maye based on my final film grades.
What gave Williams the edge was simple: his rare out-of-structure and playmaking ability.
First of all, Williams is not a generational talent, though he does display some rare traits that will allow him to succeed early in the NFL. The term in itself is overused and doesn’t give an accurate picture of him as a prospect overall.
A former five-star high school recruit, Williams was the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner and a unanimous All-American. He has the accolades and production that will back up his play on the field. While his junior season wasn’t what he imagined, the USC stud showcased leadership, resilience, and plenty of poise in an underwhelming campaign for the Trojans program who were a win away from a college football playoff place during the previous year.
Some may question the leadership part and Williams’ toughness. However, I see it as a quarterback being human and having real emotions. It's unfair to expect any player to act like a robot and be a certain way.
As a player, Williams displays a high-level arm that allows him to toss the ball anywhere on the gridiron. He’s a special playmaker who displays instincts and spatial awareness that allow him to get out of trouble and make throws off-platform, from different arm angles, and out-of-structure. What makes this even crazier is that his accuracy is incredible in the process.
Williams also possesses great field vision that allows him to work through all of his progressions efficiently. He sports terrific poise and is not afraid to let passes rip to the middle of the field with pressure in his face. Plus, he offers constant glimpses of sound mechanics with his upper and lower halves.
One of the things that Williams still struggles with is that he’s not taking what is in front of him as consistently as you’d like. He wants to make a big play any chance he has and that creates risk and potential turnovers. I would also like to see him improve slightly as a decision-maker and anticipate windows across the middle, though that is a con to Lincoln Riley’s spread offense.
Williams already has the playmaking ability to make an immediate impact as a rookie starter in the NFL. If by some miracle he were to be available for the Washington Commanders - which is almost impossible to fathom - it should be a no-brainer.