The 2024 NFL Draft has a lot of teams in need of a franchise quarterback. Let’s start with the obvious. It’s just about a foregone conclusion that the Chicago Bears, after giving up and trading away Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers, will take Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick.
Unless some foreseen incident takes place, Williams is a virtual lock to be drafted by the Bears. The rest of the draft order, especially in the first round, is up in the air. When you look at the draft order and the number of teams thirsty for the next great signal-caller, there could be as many as seven quarterbacks taken on the first day.
Think about it. Chicago, Washington, New England, Minnesota, Denver, and Las Vegas have holes to be filled at the quarterback position. Teams like the Rams and New York Jets, with Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford entering their twilight years, could also be in the hunt for a quarterback.
The Rams have the No. 19 overall pick in the first round. Even though the team went out and signed veteran Jimmy Garappolo this offseason to back up Stafford. The signing of Garappolo could be a stopgap between the present and future for Sean McVay’s team. The rest of the first round is going to be wild.
Right now there is a lot of speculation and predictions about what quarterback will go where. There is nothing really predictable about the draft. Picking quarterbacks ahead of the NFL’s biggest weekend outside of the Super Bowl is a lot like picking the lottery. It’s a guessing game.
When it comes to the quarterback in this year’s draft, there are lots of quality players lined up at the position. Just like picking a winning lottery ticket, we’re going pick our Top 5 quarterbacks in this year’s class who figure to have an immediate impact in their rookie seasons.
Michael Penix Jr. University of Washington
People slept on Michael Penix Jr. up until the national title game. To a degree, they are still sleeping on him. While other quarterbacks have enjoyed more notoriety, Penix proved to the doubters and haters he is that dude you want running your franchise.
During the 2022 season, Penix completed 65 percent of his passes for 4,651 yards and 31 touchdowns. He followed up that campaign with an even better 2023 season, passing for 4,903 yards and 36 passes, while also completing 65 percent of his passes.
Numbers are nice, but Penix is a big-time thrower. He can find a seam in the middle of a needle. Wherever he goes, the 2023 Heisman Trophy runner-up will show his pro team that he was well worth the draft capital.
Caleb Williams University of Southern California
The best way to describe Caleb Willams and what he does on the football field would be like trying to figure out how Harry Houdini did his magic tricks. You see him. Then you don’t. When defenders thought they had Williams bottled up for a sack the next thing you know, he’s galloping down the field.
Making defenders miss became routine for Williams at the college level. So much so that his elusiveness helped him win the Heisman Trophy in his first season as a Trojan. Williams was a good quarterback at the University of Oklahoma, where he started his collegiate career.
He became a great quarterback and a can’t-miss NFL draft prospect while playing under Lincoln Riley at the University of Southern California. For teams (Chicago) looking for passing accuracy and playmaking abilities, Williams has all the tools. Hopefully, for Chicago fans, all the excitement and hype surrounding Williams will translate into more wins than losses.
Jayden Daniels LSU
Jayden Daniels is the real deal. Believe it or not, Daniels had a completed passing percentage of 72 percent during the 2023 college football season. That kind of pinpoint accuracy resulted in Daniels passing for 40 touchdowns against just four interceptions, while he torched opponents for 3,812 yards through the air.
Oh, yeah. I almost forgot to mention the other part of his game that makes Daniel lethal at the quarterback position. Aside from bombarding defenses with his aerial attack, Daniels is also a game-breaker on the ground. Daniels rushed for 1,134 yards and 10 scores during his Heisman Trophy-winning season.
That’s 50 touchdowns and 4,976 yards in total offense. That’s mind-boggling.
Now Daniels will take his dual-threat abilities to the next level where expectations are going to be high for him to turn into this juggernaut play. That may come, but he wll have to adapt to the ways of the NFL. Or it just might be the other way around.
Bo Nix University of Oregon
Believe it or not, Bo Nix proved to be more efficient throwing the football than Penix, Williams, and Daniels. During his outstanding 2023 season, Nix threw or 4,508 yards and 45 touchdowns compared to having only three passed picked off. Now that is just plain next-level stuff.
Something must be in the water in Oregon. A few years back, Justin Herbert came through the Ducks’ quarterback pipeline. All Herbert has done is rewrite multiple NFL records during his brief career. While he is not as tall as Herbert, Nix possesses some of the attributes of the Los Angeles Chargers quarterback.
He’s big, physical, and fast. And we know Nix can throw the ball. With the right team and the right coach, Nix can be a franchise changer.
Jordan Travis Florida State University
Before he went down with a devastating leg injury against North Alabama last season, Jordan Travis was having a spectacular senior year. That injury cost Travis in a big way. Up until that injury, Travis was knee-deep in the Heisman Trophy conversation and looked to be a high draft pick in this year’s draft.
Before his season and collegiate career ended, Travis had completed 63 percent of his passes, good enough for 2,756 yards and 20 touchdowns through the air. Without question, the injury flipped the trajectory of where Travis would be selected. A deep quarterback class would have been deeper if Travis was at 100 percent.
Without question, Travis would have been a first day or second day pick. He could still be a player project for a team patient enough for him to learn the NFL game on the bench. But if he gets a chance to do his thing, Travis will show everyone he has enough game to be a difference-maker.
Top Image Caption: USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams (13) scrambles to make a play against Stanford during a 56-10 win at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Sept. 9, 2023. Photo by Sammy Saludo/News4usonline
Dennis has covered and written about politics, crime, race, sports, and entertainment. Dennis currently covers the NFL, MLB, NBA, NCAA, and Olympic sports. Dennis is the editor of News4usonline.com and serves as the publisher of the Compton Bulletin newspaper. He earned a journalism degree from Howard University. Email Dennis at dfreeman@news4usonline.com