This season, we have already seen three NFL teams start rookie quarterbacks and it’s not yet the end of September.
How have these first-round picks performed?
Last April, a lot of teams needed a quarterback and many decided to try and fill that role for the long term through the draft. A record-tying five teams selected a quarterback in the first 10 picks and a record-tying six quarterbacks were chosen in round one.
Of these six first-round QBs, two have assumed a back-up role thus far – Drake Maye (Patriots) and Michael Penix (Falcons) – and one suffered a season-ending injury – J.J. McCarthy (Vikings).
The three quarterbacks currently starting around the league are Caleb Williams of the Bears, Bo Nix of the Broncos, and Jayden Daniels of the Commanders.
I previously described Williams as one of the greatest QB prospects in NFL history. And while he has demonstrated improvement each week through three games, his professional career has started out rockier than most expected.
Through the first three games, Williams has thrown for two touchdowns and a staggering four interceptions. He currently has a 26.8 quarterback rating and a 65.3 passer rating, which ranks him 29th and 28th, respectively, among 31 QBs.
These poor results are a combination of bad offensive line play and Williams not playing up to par. The former USC standout, however, is showing signs of improvement as the season progresses.
His mind already seems NFL-ready, as demonstrated by him adjusting protection at the line of scrimmage. He passed for a Bears rookie quarterback record 363 yards against the Colts last week and it seems like he will break out sooner rather than later.
Bo Nix is the outlier when I say “young” quarterback. The former Auburn and Oregon star is 24 and is the same age as Jaguars’ fourth-year QB Trevor Lawrence.
Nix has definitely been the most concerning out of the NFL’s 2024 rookie QB class. I’ve seen him described as “a first-round pick with second-round talent” and this is an accurate analysis after three weeks of action.
He currently ranks 29th in the league in passer rating and is the only quarterback in the NFL to start every game and not yet throw a touchdown pass entering Week 4 action.
It’s more than the raw stats with Nix, though he shows no elite traits on film. He has below average accuracy, below average timing, a below average arm, and quite frankly, has demonstrated poor decision-making.
The Broncos hope that Nix turns things around soon, or else head coach Sean Payton may very well wind up on the hot seat for his QB’s underwhelming results.
Lastly, I’ll touch on Daniels, who has been the best quarterback in the 2024 rookie class through three games.
Daniels looked decent through his first two games. His coaches didn’t ask him to do too much – he threw mostly quick, short passes.
That all changed last Monday night against Cincinnati. Daniels was sensational in his team’s win over the Bengals, throwing only two incomplete passes. He finished with a 91.3 completion percentage in the game, breaking the rookie record previously held by Dak Prescott.
The LSU product wasn’t just eye-popping on the stat sheet, but on film as well. He completed nine passes beyond 10 air yards from the line of scrimmage, including a 33-yard dime to Terry McLaurin.
Daniels showed everything Washington had hoped for when the franchise drafted him, from elusive quickness to deep-ball accuracy.
Through three weeks, he has been the most impressive rookie quarterback.
