Which NFL Rookie QBs Are Playing the Best This Season?

The 2024 NFL Draft was a historic one, as six quarterbacks were selected in the first 12 picks. In the history of the draft, this marked the first time that a single position marked 50% of the first 12 picks. After six QBs went off the board so early, only five other quarterbacks were selected in the remaining six and a half rounds.

None of the QBs drafted after the first round were expected to get playing time this season. Michael Pratt, the last quarterback taken in the draft, isn’t longer on the roster for the Green Bay Packers, the team that drafted him.

While two games certainly aren’t enough to determine what kind of career a player is going to have, this QB class, which was heralded as being the best since the legendary class of 1983, is certainly worth diving into as often as possible.

Let’s look at the first-round quarterbacks and how they’ve performed after their first couple of games.

The Guys Who Aren’t Playing

Of the six first-round quarterbacks that were selected in round one of the 2024 NFL Draft, three of them aren’t playing yet.

JJ McCarthy appeared to be the frontrunner to become the starting quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings in the preseason, but a torn meniscus and the subsequent surgery knocked him out of action for the entire season. Instead of McCarthy playing, Minnesota fans have been pleasantly surprised by Sam Darnold who is resurrecting his career. McCarthy will likely be the starter next season.

Arthur Blank and the Atlanta Falcons shocked the sports world when they selected Michael Penix, the QB of the Washington Huskies in the first round of the draft. It had long been known that Atlanta had a QB problem, but those were thought to be solved when they signed Kirk Cousins in the offseason.

Cousins received a huge contract from the Falcons who then grabbed their QB of the future in the first round. Penix won’t play this year unless Cousins goes down injured.

Drake Maye was one of the most popular prospects among NFL scouts and GMs heading into the draft, and the New England Patriots grabbed the former North Carolina signal-caller third overall. The Patriots gave up on Mac Jones in their quest to find a QB to replace Tom Brady, once again entering the QB market.

Maye was widely considered a bit of a project coming into the draft, so it wasn’t much of a surprise when the team opted to let him sit behind Jacoby Brissett this season. So far, Brissett has led the Pats to a 1-1 record after an upset win in Week 1 over the Bengals.

Now that we know who isn’t playing this year, let’s dive into the three rookie QBs who are receiving so much attention for their early play.

Caleb Williams: Chicago Bears

The Bears’ decision to take Caleb Williams with the first overall pick in the NFL Draft was one of the worst-kept secrets in sports. The polarizing signal-caller had proven his worth at USC under coach Lincoln Riley, and after winning a Heisman Trophy, it looked like Williams was destined to go first overall, no matter who had the pick.

The Bears acted quickly, grabbed Williams, and sent Justin Fields, who they had drafted only a few years back to the Pittsburgh Steelers, who were looking for their own new QB.

Some Bears fans thought the team had solidified the offensive line in the off-season, which would have made Williams’ life much easier. While they added receivers Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze, it appears that they may not have done enough to protect their rookie quarterback. Williams, through two weeks, has spent most of his time on the field running for his life.

Through two games, Williams has yet to throw a touchdown pass, nor has he recorded a rushing TD. During a Week 2 matchup against the Houston Texans, Williams went 23-37, passing for 174 yards and two interceptions, including a terrible decision to throw the ball into triple coverage. For the season, Williams is 37-66 for 267 yards and has 10 rushing attempts for 79 yards.

The offensive line remains a problem in the Windy City, and Williams will likely turn out fine. But, for a team that hasn’t had a franchise QB since Jay Cutler, it’s an alarming start for Bears loyalists.

Head Coach, Matt Eberflus came into the season on the hot seat, and moving on from him after this season would mean that Williams has to learn another new offense, which has often spelled doom for young QBs.

Most experts agree that if Williams tries to cut down on the “hero ball” antics, such as slinging it into triple coverage, he can improve his overall play. It’s not uncommon for successful college QBs to come into the pros and struggle, and Williams is no exception.

Jayden Daniels: Washington Commanders

Speaking of teams who have been struggling to get the quarterback position right, the Washington Commanders have gone through more QBs than name changes in recent years, which is saying something when you realize that the team is on its third nickname.

There was a lot of discussion surrounding the second overall pick, as some experts expected the team to take Drake Maye. Instead, they went with reigning Heisman winner, Jayden Daniels out of LSU.

Overall, Daniels has looked better than his rookie peers, but the season is still young. Like Williams, Daniels has yet to throw for a touchdown, but his two rushing scores have helped put him at the top of the heap when it comes to rookie QBs.

Of everything that Daniels has done right, and there has been plenty, the fact that he’s 40-53 through two games and hasn’t turned the ball over yet is the most impressive. Focusing on accuracy and protecting the ball has made Daniels the best of the rookie QB class. It certainly doesn’t hurt that he has a great supporting cast around him.

Daniels came to Washington with fewer expectations than Williams, which was amazing since he’s the defending Heisman Trophy winner. The Commanders brought in Dan Quinn as the new head coach, and he’s completely revamped the staff, including Kliff Kingsbury’s appointment as the new offensive coordinator.

Through two games, the pairing of Kingsbury and Daniels has looked good, and the Commanders are sitting at 1-1 on the young season.

Bo Nix: Denver Broncos

The Broncos’ decision to draft Bo Nix brought about some questions. Nix, who started his college career at Auburn transferred to Oregon where he did a lot to rehab his image.

At Auburn, Nix was known as a reckless QB who didn’t do enough to protect the ball. At Oregon, he seemed to turn that around and led the Ducks’ explosive offense. The Broncos took Nix with the 12th overall pick, and even with his rehabbed image, that came as a surprise to many.

In the offseason, the Broncos added former Jets starter Zach Wilson. Along with Jaret Stidham, it was assumed that Nix was going to sit this season and get himself up to pace in the pros. The Broncos shocked the sports world once again when they named Nix the starter coming into the season.

Sean Payton has long been considered an offensive genius and a QB whisperer. However, that hasn’t translated into much success for Nix, at least through his first two career starts.

Outside of a rushing touchdown in Week 1, Nix hasn’t put the ball in the endzone and has four picks through two games. Nix’s endzone interception against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2 proved to be one of the worst plays of his young career and brought back some of the fears that analysts had about his reckless behavior.

It's probably not fair to criticize Nix much, but four turnovers through two games, both of which ended with the Broncos losing by one score have put some heat on the young QB. If there’s a coach in the league who can help him get things figured out, it’s Payton.

However, right now, the Broncos are one of only six winless teams in the AFC, and when you’re in a division with the Kansas City Chiefs, every game matters in the divisional hunt.

What’s To Come

Williams, Daniels, and Nix will suit up again in Week 3, as the Bears head to Indianapolis to take on the Colts, the Commanders go to Cincy to face the Bengals on Monday Night Football and the Broncos fly to Tampa to take on Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers.

Will any of these QBs take the next step to separate themselves from the pack? We’ll have to see how Week 3 shakes out.