Drake Maye is the quarterback the New England Patriots have been starving for since Tom Brady left. Not only did he lead a game-winning drive for his first primetime win in his NFL career, but he did it against the previously undefeated Buffalo Bills. Maye made the argument that he could be the best quarterback in his draft class.
Jayden Daniels had a strong rookie season and proved he’s every bit ready to be the future of the NFL. Caleb Williams is starting to come into his own with the Chicago Bears this year, but hasn’t quite lived up to the billing of being the No. 1 overall pick. The top three quarterbacks in the 2024 class have all had their different paths, but there are quite a few quarterbacks from the 2024 class that have made a name for themselves.
Let’s re-rank the 2024 NFL Draft quarterback class after Maye made his claim and the rest of the class continues to carve out their role with their respective teams and in the NFL.
Re-ranking the 2024 NFL Draft quarterback class
1. Jayden Daniels (Round 1, Pick 2)
You can’t argue that Daniels is still the No. 1 quarterback in the 2024 draft class. While injuries have hampered him a bit, and he’s taken a step back from his standout rookie season, he’s still the No. 1 quarterback in the 2024 class. Daniels led the Washington Commanders to the NFC Championship Game in his rookie season, so the Bears would have absolutely jumped at him first instead of Caleb Williams.
2. Drake Maye (Round 1, Pick 3)
The Washington Commanders probably have PTSD from their failed North Carolina quarterback experiment in Sam Howell. I don’t think they would have jumped at Drake Maye strictly off what he accomplished at UNC. That said, with what he’s done last year and already this year, they’d sure be interested in landing him. Daniels probably would have been their top choice still, but choosing between Williams and Maye, Maye makes an argument as the better option.
3. Caleb Williams (Round 1, Pick 1)
If we’re being honest, Williams hasn’t looked bad this year, but he hasn’t quite looked like the best quarterback in his draft class. It’s fair to say he’s the third best right now. I know recency bias is probably playing in a little bit, but Williams just hasn’t looked like he was heralded to be coming out of college. Maye may not be more talented than him, but he’s playing better than him.
4. Bo Nix (Round 1, Pick 12)
Bo Nix is probably the fourth-best quarterback in his draft class, even if it doesn’t seem like it. I was going back and forth on Nix and Michael Penix Jr. and it just made sense to put Nix here because at the end of the day, Nix led the Denver Broncos to the playoffs last year. It took the Atlanta Falcons nearly all season to decide that Kirk Cousins wasn’t it, and this year, Penix just hasn’t really lived up to the hype. Nix has struggled a bit in 2025, but at the end of the day, his team is winning, and you can’t fault him for that. Only time will tell if Nix can be the quarterback the Broncos need him to be.
5. Michael Penix Jr. (Round 1, Pick 8)
The Carolina game, in both last year and this year, are his biggest indictment against Penix. Had he looked better in those games, maybe you could argue he’s higher, but I just don’t know if I can say that now. He’s finally the starter in Atlanta, but he hasn’t been consistent. Penix could ultimately finish the season better than he started, but right now, I don’t know if I’m ready to say he’s up there with Williams, Daniels or Maye.
6. J.J. McCarthy (Round 1, Pick 10)
This was an interesting choice for me. I want to believe in J.J. McCarthy, but right now Carson Wentz is outplaying him. McCarthy still has a lot of potential, but I don’t know if he’s a first-round selection still after how the start of his NFL career has gone. McCarthy is still good and could be the Vikings future, but it may take him longer to get there than the Vikings realized.
7. Joe Milton III (Round 6, Pick 193)
Given a re-do, I’m sure the New Orleans Saints would take a chance – or any of the other teams for that matter – would have taken a flier on Joe Milton. The Patriots drafted him as a backup option and in one game, generated enough attention to warrant a trade. He’s played in garbage time this season, but still is very unpolished.
8. Spencer Rattler (Round 5, Pick 150)
Spencer Rattler is starting for the New Orleans Saints and it’s not because he’s that good, unfortunately. It’s because Derek Carr left them no other option. Rattler is still the worst quarterback of the 2024 class that is actually playing now. He could eventually become a decent option in the future, but he’d need the right system. Rattler isn’t the quarterback everyone thought he would be out of high school and he’s proof of just how hard it is to make it and succeed at the professional level.