6 Rings Prospect Preview: Quarterbacks
The NFL Combine kicking off this week also kicks off our 6 Rings and Football Things draft coverage. From now through the end of April, Andy Hart, Chris Scheim, and I will preview each position group in three NFL Draft to get a feel for the prospects in this year’s class.
We started off with the quarterbacks. You can watch it here:
And in written form, here’s a look at my top five quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft class:
HM - Spencer Rattler, South Carolina
Before dipping into my official top five an honorable mention goes to South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler. After a promising start to his college career at Oklahoma, Rattler fell off – losing his job to Caleb Williams in Norman before transferring to South Carolina.
As a senior with the Gamecocks, Rattler threw for 3,186 yards and 19 touchdowns and after a successful week at last month’s Senior Bowl, has cemented himself as, at the very least, a high-upside, draftable quarterback.
Side note: I can’t put Oregon’s Bo Nix in the mix. I’m really not sold on him at all as a prospect, especially after having the exact opposite week of Rattler at the Senior Bowl, struggling mightly. Nix was objectively a bad player at Auburn before transferring to Oregon and running a Ducks offense so easy a caveman could do it. I just don’t see it.
t4 - Michael Penix Jr., Washington
Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. put together a sensational senior season in Seattle, rattling off 4,903 passing yards and 36 touchdowns on his way to a second-place finish in the Heisman Trophy race. He’s arguably the best pure passer in the class.
Benefiting from arguably the best offensive line and wide receiver corps in college football, it’s easy to overlook Penix’s injury history and game-to-game volatility. In the right system, however, the lefty could shine.
t4: JJ McCarthy - Michigan
Tied for fourth in my rankings with Penix Jr., Michigan’s JJ McCarthy is shooting up draft boards (including my own) over the last month. Standing at 6-foot-3, McCarthy is sneaky tall, an incredible off-platform thrower and frankly just a winner.
The junior quarterback threw for 44 touchdowns and just nine interceptions over the last two seasons while going 28-1 and winning thg 2023-24 National Championship. The passing numbers may not show it, but the intangibles do. McCarthy has a chance in this league.
3 - Jayden Daniels, LSU
Jayden Daniels burst onto the scene as a fifth-year senior with LSU this season, accounting for 50 total touchdowns and winning the Heisman Trophy. He’s an incredibly dynamic runner as well, rushing for 1,134 yards over the Tigers’ 12 games.
As a prospect? He throws a sensational deep ball, extends plays, and is lightning quick both in the pocket and in the open field. If he doesn’t protect himself as a runner, however, he won’t last at the next level.
2 - Drake Maye, North Carolina
Drake Maye’s 6-foot-4, 230-pound build mixed with his ‘pass-first, but can extend with his legs’ style of play makes him the class’ perfect fit for the Patriots and Alex Van Pelt’s offense.
The former Tar Heel threw for 62 touchdowns and just 16 interceptions over the last two seasons in Chapel Hill while also adding 1,147 yards and 16 scores on the ground. He has a little bit of rookie year Josh Allen to him in the sense of trying to do too much and not just taking a profit, but that’s something that can be coached out of him.
1 - Caleb Williams, USC
USC’s Caleb Williams is not only my No. 1 quarterback, he’s my No. 1 prospect in the entire class. It’s hard to find a con in his game, his arm talent is second-to-none, and his consistent ability to make plays out of structure is (fair or not) Patrick Mahomes-esque.
The “concerns” pundits will try to find with Williams are all the off-the-field and, to me, are simply media fodder. Take him first overall and don’t think twice about it.
Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @WEEI for the latest up-to-date Patriots and Boston sports news!
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