• Caleb Williams is off to a flying start: His big-play ability was on full display this preseason. He made three big-time throws (tied for the second most in the preseason), two of which came out of structure.
• An unfortunate end to J.J. McCarthy's rookie season: He was accurate to all levels of the field and even flashed some of his athletic ability scrambling in his one showing before undergoing season-ending surgery.
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Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes
The 2024 NFL Draft marked the first time in league history that six quarterbacks were selected within the opening 12 picks. A lot of eyes are now on those six signal-callers.
The NFL preseason can be a time to overreact to every throw. However, all six quarterbacks showed some real flashes in limited playing time that have, so far, warranted that draft capital. While some showed a bit more than others, all six have their fan bases excited about the future.
1. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
- 70.3 PFF overall grade
- 65.7 PFF passing grade
- 61.1% adjusted completion rate
- 9.8-yard average target depth
The No. 1 overall pick faces massive expectations but quickly showed why onlookers think so highly of his potential. His big-play ability was on full display, with three big-time throws (tied for the second most in the preseason), two of which came out of structure. Williams' out-of-structure playmaking ability was his calling card in college.
The one knock on him so far is that he missed some easier throws, which led to his lower adjusted completion percentage. If he can consistently hit the layups, then the sky is the limit for this Bears offense.
This angle of Caleb Williams’ DIME to Rome Odunze 🤯
pic.twitter.com/eyN0J8Zi5e— PFF (@PFF) August 17, 2024
2. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
- 80.4 PFF overall grade
- 78.4 PFF passing grade
- 80.0% adjusted completion rate
- 6.4-yard average target depth
Nix handled the most dropbacks out of any of the first-round quarterbacks and showed some nice flashes. He displayed an ability to throw on the run and make plays with his legs. In his second game, he did a good job of playing within the structure. The one knock on his performance so far is that he did tend to leave clean pockets early and make throws unnecessarily hard. While he was pressured only six times, Nix was charged with two of those pressures, the second most among rookie quarterbacks.
Bo Nix looking comfortable out there 🔥
He finds Tim Patrick for the @Broncos TD!
📺: #GBvsDEN on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/zUCHmJT6Cp— NFL (@NFL) August 19, 2024
3. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
- 81.0 PFF overall grade
- 78.0 PFF passing grade
- 80.0% adjusted completion rate
- 5.5-yard average target depth
Daniels got off to a flying start in his first preseason action connecting on a 42-yard deep shot for his first NFL completion. It was a perfect deep ball, showing off his best trait coming out of LSU. He displayed his quick release and accuracy on some shorter timing routes and was used in the run game to great success. Outside of that, the Washington offense didn't ask much of him.
Only three of Daniels' throws traveled over 10 yards, and his average time to throw was under two seconds, the quickest in the preseason. Still, he didn't make any glaring mistakes and looked good.
Jayden Daniels launches it DEEP on his second throw
📱: Stream #WASvsNYJ on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/tGSoMxc4gI
— NFL (@NFL) August 10, 2024
4. Drake Maye, New England Patriots
- 60.0 PFF overall grade
- 68..6 PFF passing grade
- 68.8% adjusted completion rate
- 8.0-yard average target depth
Maye didn’t get a chance to do much in his first preseason action, seeing only three dropbacks, with one of those being a screen. However, he saw plenty of action in both the second and third preseason games. In his second outing, Maye had two big-time throws — although both fell incomplete. He also had a really nice throw over the middle of the field, showing off his ability to get through his progressions.
In the third game, Maye was quite up and down while dealing with tight pockets. He had a few plays where he seemed under control in navigating the pocket and delivering the ball and others where he was creating more pressure on himself. There were a few inaccurate throws — a problem in college for Maye — and two dropped snaps under center that lowered his PFF grade. The under-center snaps could be a cause for concern in the future, considering being under center is something he very rarely did in college.
Here’s the A22 shot of Drake Maye’s throw to Javon Baker. A beauty. pic.twitter.com/WfNwTFCdoK
— Mike Kadlick (@mikekadlick) August 16, 2024
5. J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings
- 81.6 PFF overall grade
- 84.0 PFF passing grade
- 75.0% adjusted completion rate
- 10-yard average target depth
Unfortunately, McCarthy's one performance will be all we see of him in his rookie season due to a season-ending injury. However, that one performance brought a lot of hope to Minnesota. McCarthy showed a bit of everything across his 19 dropbacks. He showed off great timing within the structure of the offense and looked like he’s been in the Minnesota offense for years. He was accurate to all levels of the field and even flashed some of his athletic ability scrambling. McCarthy would probably be higher on this list if not for the injury and limited snaps.
6. Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons
- 63.2 PFF overall grade
- 62.6 PFF passing grade
- 56.3% adjusted completion rate
- 8.6-yard average target depth
Penix started the Falcons' first preseason game, and the results were a mixed bag. There were some nice throws, including a 30-yard deep shot with perfect accuracy, and some good plays showing off his ability to get through progressions on time. The biggest thing that held back his performance was inaccuracy. It’s a facet he struggled with in college, and the 56.3% adjusted completion percentage in his first game could be a cause for concern. It would’ve been nice to see him get more live reps, but the Falcons chose to have him sit out their second and third preseason games.
Michael Penix Jr. 🎯 pic.twitter.com/QXpt7jUQIT
— PFF (@PFF) August 9, 2024
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