• Jayden Daniels takes multiple superlatives: The LSU product proved to have the best mechanics and mobility in the class.
• Caleb Williams is the guy you want out of structure: His 81.7 passing grade when moved off of his spot was top three in the FBS, and his total attempts in such situations was top seven.
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As we head into the home stretch of the 2024 NFL Draft season, it’s time to stack some of these prospects up against one another with some superlatives. Here, we look at standout traits and styles from the top quarterbacks.
Strongest Arm: Joe Milton, Tennessee
Milton has the strongest arm in this class. It’s an absolute howitzer and rarely as accurate as it needs to be, but any team that drafts him will at least have a Hail Mary attempt in their bag if they take a knee in the end zone from a kickoff. Milton is the only quarterback in the FBS who has attempted multiple passes of 61 yards or more over the last three seasons. He also tied Josh Allen’s combine record of 62 miles per hour on the radar gun.
Best Out Of Structure: Caleb Williams, USC
Williams’ best attribute – among the many – is how he turns into a wizard making magic outside the pocket. In 2022, such plays won him a Heisman Trophy. His 81.7 PFF passing grade when moved off of his spot was top three in the FBS, and his total attempts in such situations ranked top seven. Over the last two seasons, Williams’ 21 big-time throws when moved off his spot are more than double the quarterback behind him: Drake Maye.
Best Mechanics: Jayden Daniels, LSU
There are many things Jayden Daniels does well, and throwing mechanics is absolutely one of them. He has such a quick and clean throwing motion from his feet to his follow-through. His feet are bouncy and light to navigate the pocket and form a throwing base at any moment. He has a bit of a wide kick of his leg sometimes, but it’s something you can live with. The ball is high and loaded to throw while scanning the field, and his release is quick. He doesn’t have the strongest arm – it’s adequate for the NFL level, not a major difference maker – but his mechanics are so clean he can maximize what arm talent he does have consistently.
Best Under Pressure: Bo Nix, Oregon
This is a truly wild thing to write given where Nix came from during his Auburn days. Over the last two seasons, no quarterback in the FBS has a higher PFF passing grade under pressure than Bo Nix at 85.0. Now, is he the most dynamic under pressure? No. His eight big-time throws in such situations ranked just 33rd in the FBS. Nonetheless, his zero turnover-worthy plays are tied for first. He also took only 11 sacks, had a 73.5% adjusted completion percentage (second in the FBS), and registered the highest QBR. That's incredible considering his PFF passing grade under pressure never landed above 59.0 at any point at Auburn.
Best Mobility: Jayden Daniels, LSU
This one is fairly obvious. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner was crowned the most outstanding player in college football partially due to his dual-threat ability. Among quarterbacks in the FBS over the last two seasons, Daniels has the highest PFF rushing grade at 92.1, the most rushing yards at 2,336, the most rushing touchdowns at 21 (tied with Caleb Williams), the most rushing first downs and the most missed tackles forced. As long as he can maintain the weight to take the tackles, he’ll bring plenty of that same ability to the league.
Best On Third Down: J.J. McCarthy, Michigan
This superlative was a dogfight between McCarthy and Bo Nix, who had a higher PFF passing grade on third down this past season but barely beat McCarthy at 92.2 to 91.0. McCarthy tied his three big-time throws and one turnover-worthy play. In adjusted completion percentage, Nix registered a higher mark at 86.5% than McCarthy’s 81.5%, but those are both great numbers. Though Nix was better on third down under pressure, McCarthy had Nix beat in two key categories: average depth of target (ADOT) and percentage of passes past the first down marker. McCarthy averaged 10.6-yard ADOT compared to Nix’s 6.3, and McCarthy threw past the sticks 64.9% of the time compared to just Nix's 44.2%. Nix had more first downs, so it’s hard to blame him too much for taking the throws that yielded the right results, but McCarthy was willing to push the ball to convert with his arm.
Best Over The Middle: Drake Maye, North Carolina
This one is close between a few quarterbacks, but I gave the nod to Maye. Specifically, we’re looking at throws of 10-20 yards downfield and between the numbers. First of all, Maye has done it often over the last two years with 104 attempts in that area. He also has NFL-caliber velocity to continue to attack in this area. His four big-time throws were tied for fourth in college football. He also only threw three turnover-worthy plays. He led the nation with 61 first downs targeting that area and had a strong 132.8 quarterback rating. Both Spencer Rattler and J.J. McCarthy have some really good numbers in this area as well and could have been good choices.
Best Touch Passes: Michael Pratt, Tulane
I don’t really have the stats to back this one up, but I’ve simply seen through tape study that Pratt has the ability to throw with such great touch and anticipation. Specifically in 2022, Pratt’s film has plenty of evidence of his natural touch on passes that require more timing and air. He wasn’t as confident in the pocket coming back from his knee injury in 2023, but I’ve seen the kind of passer he is when he is confident and letting loose. There are a handful of quarterbacks in this class who have great arm strength but struggle when the situation calls for a changeup. Pratt isn’t one of them.
Best Outside The Numbers: Michael Penix Jr., Washington
Penix led the country in passing yards outside the numbers in 2023 with an astounding 2,397. As you may suspect, his 23 big-time throws in that area were also the most in the FBS and yet, his three turnover-worthy plays and 1.2% TWP percentage were one of the lower numbers compared to other quarterbacks who started a full season. His 110 first downs were also the most in this category. He has a rocket launcher of an arm and loves to fire frozen ropes to the sidelines to show it off. If that’s where your vertical offense likes to look, he’s your guy.
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