• The Bears get themselves a franchise signal-caller: Williams has the kind of unique playmaking ability that every team is looking for at the quarterback position, and he earned 90.0-plus PFF grades in three consecutive years to end his college career.
• Was Penix the right choice for the Falcons: Penix was the only quarterback in college football who recorded more than 40 big-time throws during the 2023 season. Atlanta clearly values his skill set and will look to develop him behind Kirk Cousins.
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Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes
The 2024 NFL Draft was loaded at quarterback. Not only did it tie the record of six quarterbacks selected in the first round, but all six were selected within the first 12 picks. The last time that many quarterbacks were taken in the first round was in 1983, when Hall of Famer John Elway went No. 1 overall.
Here is how PFF graded each of the six first-round selections:
R1 (1) CHICAGO BEARS (VIA CAROLINA PANTHERS): QB CALEB WILLIAMS, USC
Pick Grade: Very Good
This decision came into focus after Chicago traded Justin Fields away earlier in the offseason. It’s the right decision for the Bears. Williams has the kind of unique playmaking ability that every team is looking for at the quarterback position, and he earned 90.0-plus PFF grades in three consecutive years to end his college career.
R1 (2) WASHINGTON COMMANDERS: QB JAYDEN DANIELS, LSU
Pick Grade: Average
Daniels is QB3 behind Drake Maye on both the PFF big board and the consensus big board, but the new regime in Washington takes him at No. 2 overall. Daniels does make sense as a theoretical fit in a Kliff Kingsbury spread-to-run offense that will allow Daniels to add on in the run game and get the ball out to players in space.
R1 (3) NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: QB DRAKE MAYE, NORTH CAROLINA
Pick Grade: Very Good
New England doesn’t have the ideal supporting cast on offense, but it would be difficult for the Patriots to pass on a quarterback prospect of Maye’s caliber here. The North Carolina product earned an elite PFF grade as a true sophomore in 2022 before following that up with another 90.0-plus grade in 2023. He has high-end arm talent and showed that he is comfortable making NFL throws over the middle of the field.
R1 (8) ATLANTA FALCONS: QB MICHAEL PENIX JR., WASHINGTON
Pick Grade: Below Average
This was the first shocker of the night. Penix had gained more first-round buzz leading up to the draft, but no one thought the Falcons were in the quarterback market after signing Kirk Cousins this offseason. Penix was the only quarterback in college football who recorded more than 40 big-time throws during the 2023 season. Atlanta clearly values his skill set and will look to develop him behind Cousins.
R1 (10) MINNESOTA VIKINGS (VIA NEW YORK JETS): QB J.J. MCCARTHY, MICHIGAN
Pick Grade: Average
With Penix being drafted before McCarthy, Minnesota had to move up only one selection to get their quarterback competition for Sam Darnold. McCarthy has traits to work with and was excellent when Michigan needed him to make a play in third-and-long situations, but he wasn’t asked to carry the offense much at the college level. He does land in one of the league’s better situations for a rookie quarterback, as Minnesota has a solid offensive line and a talented receiving corps.
R1 (12) DENVER BRONCOS: QB BO NIX, OREGON
Pick Grade: Below Average
The run on quarterbacks continues. Denver had one of the worst quarterback rooms in the NFL on paper. It’s not a surprise to see them address the position, though the way they did it — taking the QB6 at 12th overall — is a bit surprising. Nix excelled at getting the ball out quickly and accurately in the Oregon offense over the past two seasons. His 70.0% accurate pass rate since 2022 ranks second among Power Five quarterbacks with at least 250 pass attempts.
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