There were 11 quarterbacks selected in the 2024 NFL Draft. Heading into Week 17, more than half have started games QBs.
The Falcons’ Michael Penix Jr. made it five of six first-rounders to lead their teams’ depth charts when he was promoted to start over Kirk Cousins in Week 16. That leaves injured Vikings. No. 10 overall pick, J.J. McCarthy (knee) as the only exception.
Along with McCarthy, Jordan Travis, Joe Milton, Devin Leary, and Michael Pratt have all yet to play this season for various late-round reasons.
Here’s updating the rookie grades for the quarterbacks who have now started at least one game going into Week 17, with Penix’s Falcons facing off with Jayden Daniels’ Commanders on Sunday night:
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Grading the 2024 NFL rookie quarterbacks
1. Jayden Daniels, Commanders (No. 2 overall, first round)
Daniels has completed 69.7 percent of his pass attempts, good for No. 6 in the NFL. He’s also No. 12 with his 7.6 yards per attempt. He has thrown for 22 TDs with only eight interceptions, adding up to a stellar 101.3 passer rating. He also has run for 737 yards and six more TDs.
He has completely turned around the Commanders in one season in the ideal Kliff Kingsbury offense to maximize his dual-threat talent. With Washington at 10-5 and positioned for the NFC playoffs, he’s a runaway Offensive Rookie of the Year with one of the best first-year seasons by any player ever.
2. Bo Nix, Broncos (No. 12 overall, first round)
Nix completed a solid 64.3 percent of his pass attempts for a more modest 6.4 yards per attempt. He’s matched Daniels with 22 TD passes, also posting 11 INTs and a pretty good 87.7 rating. He’s also made key plays with legs, adding 352 more yards and four more TDs on the ground.
His play under Broncos’ coach Sean Payton and OC Joe Lombardi has fixed the position in Denver to the tune of a 9-6 record and a great shot at earning an AFC wild-card spot behind Kansas City.
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3. Caleb Williams, Bears (No. 1 overall, first round)
Williams has 19 TD passes to only five INTs, averaging 6.5 yards per attempt. He’s rallied to push his passer rating above Nix at 89.3, and Williams also has done plenty with his legs, posting 442 yards.
The 60 sacks he’s taken are staggering, as the Bears’ offensive line play has been shaky. However, he also tends to hold the ball for too long, trying to make big plays that aren’t there. He needs some help in the form of play-calling, confidence, and accuracy, but there are flashes he can have a massive Year 2 to get closer to Daniels’ level.
4. Drake Maye, Patriots (No. 3 overall, first round)
Maye is up near Daniels with his 67.6 completion percentage. He has been more inefficient than the others above with only 14 TD passes to 10 INTs, rating 88.6 at 6.9 yards per attempt.
Maye has been almost as effective running as Nix and Williams behind the dominant Daniels with 389 yards for four more TDs. He’s made the Patriots a lot more competitive, as he’s taken command a little better with each week. New England also can feel like it hit on its franchise QB, who could use plenty of additional support in Year 2, much like Josh Allen once did for rival Buffalo.
5. Michael Penix Jr., Falcons (No. 8 overall, first round)
Penix was rather average replacing Cousins in his first start, but he did the job to facilitate the Falcons to a key victory based on running and defense to put them at 8-7, back in first place in the NFC South.
He did show his aggressive big arm right away against the Giants with 7.5 yards per attempt, having an INT without a TD. He can give the Falcons more good feelings for the future on the opposite of Daniels in his first prime-time game. Atlanta can’t turn back to Cousins at this point, and Penix should make them feel putting him now vs. waiting until Year 2 was smart.
6. Spencer Rattler, Saints (No. 150 overall, fifth round)
Rattler has not done anything of note in his five starts while filling the void of an injured Derek Carr. For the Saints fans who wanted to see Carr benched for his performance earlier in the season, they’re getting totally incompetent QB play, passing, and running from the overwhelmed Ratter.
Rattler seems always rattled (no pun intended) and has not been helped by the lack of healthy support. He also seems lost in a rather QB-friendly system under Klint Kubiak. The Saints found out that Rattler is no real Carr contingency, and they need to go a different rookie route, drafting one higher in 2025.
