In the Market: Looking at the Top QB Prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft Class, NFL Combine edition

The 2024 NFL Scouting Combine has come and gone. All 32 teams had the chance to get a look at some of the top prospects from college participate in drills, while also speaking with them in meetings. From there, teams will now build their draft boards, which will then be adjusted leading up to the NFL Draft in Detroit on Apr. 25, when they attend specific Pro Days and meet with prospects for additional interviews.

Much like it is every year, the quarterbacks take the spotlight. It's no secret that USC's Caleb Williams, LSU's Jayden Daniels, and North Carolina's Drake Maye are the top quarterbacks in this year's class. With that, neither worked out at the combine, instead taking all or some measurements and focusing on speaking with interested teams.

With that, it was up to the likes of J.J. McCarthy, Bo Nix, and Michael Penix Jr. to step up as second-tier quarterbacks and possibly make a push to be one of the top three drafted.

Without further ado, let's look at what took place at the NFL Combine, who was the biggest winner and loser. Oh, and we take a crack at a quarterbacks-only mock draft in the latest edition of "In the Market."

Previous editions of "In the Market" can be viewed at the links below:

• Bowl Games
• Champions Week
• Week 13
• Week 12
• Week 11
• Week 10
• Week 9
• Week 8
• Week 7
• Week 6
• Week 5
• Week 4
• Week 3
• Week 2
• Week 1

QB measurements at NFL Combine

QB Combine drill results

Not all quarterback prospects participated in drills. Only seven of the 14 at the Combine took part in drills, whether all or some of them. Here's how each prospect performed in the 40-yard dash, 10-yard split, vertical jump, broad jump, 3-cone drill, 20-yard shuttle, and bench press.

QB prospect who raised their stock at NFL Combine: Michael Penix Jr. Washington

Most of the attention during quarterback drills was on Michigan's J.J. McCarthy, which was expected given the hype surrounding him. But when it came to throws, he was a bit inconsistent but didn't do anything to hurt his stock.

But when it comes to a quarterback who raised their stock, it's Michael Penix Jr. The southpaw quarterback of the Washington Huskies had questions surrounding him entering the pre-draft process. He is coming to the NFL a bit older, but with a lengthy injury history. Notably, he saw two seasons end due to torn ACLs in both knees.

Penix received great news, as he received a clean bill of health from doctors. He only helped his case by showcasing his accuracy and throw power. While Penix won't be taken above Williams, Daniels, Maye, or McCarthy, he should be the undisputed QB5 of the draft class, and quite possibly worked his way into a late first-round pick.

QB prospects who hurt their stock at NFL Combine: Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels

The attention was always going to be on the top quarterback prospects who opted to skip out on participating in drills. While it was farfetched to say, they could be at risk of seeing the stock drop as a result, especially if one of the prospects who was participating in drills impressed.

Williams appears destined to be drafted by the Bears with the No. 1 overall pick. But as for Maye and Daniels, they were at risk of seeing their chances of being QB2 and QB3 in the draft taking a hit.

From what it sounds like at the Combine based on various reports, NFL teams were really impressed by McCarthy. In fact, there was buzz that McCarthy could be taken ahead of either Daniels or Maye in the NFL Draft. Yes, McCarthy didn't like up the stat sheets like NFL fans would like, but he won games for Michigan and has the build and intangibles that teams like. Especially with the 2025 class seen as weaker, quarterback-needy teams will jump at the opportunity to take the prospect they like.

There is still so much time left in the pre-draft process, that stock in all of the quarterback prospects is going to fluctuate. But, there is the chance that Daniels or Maye fall down draft boards.

NFL Mock Draft with only QBs

Now, let's take a crack at where the top quarterback prospects could land in this mini mock draft.

• 1. Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams, USC
• 2. Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels, LSU
• 3. New England Patriots: Drake Maye, North Carolina
• 6. New York Giants: J.J. McCarthy, Michigan
• 42. Minnesota Vikings: Michael Penix Jr., Washington
• 51. Los Angeles Rams: Bo Nix, Oregon
• 76. Denver Broncos: Spencer Rattler, South Carolina
• 77. Las Vegas Raiders: Michael Pratt, Tulane

The way things have been trending, the Chicago Bears are going to move on from Justin Fields and replace him with Caleb Williams. This allows the regime of Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus to start anew and probably get another year or two of leeway.

As for the Washington Commanders, it really feels that they would prioritize a quarterback who can make a difference in both the passing and running games. With offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, who worked with the likes of Williams at USC, Patrick Mahomes at Texas Tech, and Kyler Murray with the Arizona Cardinals, they all could make plays through the air and ground. With that Jayden Daniels makes perfect sense for them. But it could backfire if Drake Maye really lives up to his draft potential dating back for the past two years.

Speaking of Maye, it's hard to imagine the New England Patriots passing him up, even with the appeal of Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. remaining on the board. Head coach Jerod Mayo will have the chance to, hopefully, have his Tom Brady in Maye.

It has become apparent based on buzz at the NFL Scouting Combine that the New York Giants are preparing to move on from Daniel Jones. They can't do it this year, but they can do it before the 2025 season. Given that next year's draft class isn't viewed as favorably as this year's, teams could reach for a quarterback. Regardless of how fans and media may feel about J.J. McCarthy, the NFL really seems to love him, and he's going to be a top 10 pick. While some Giants fans may not like the pick, he does have much more upside than Jones did out of Duke.

With the top four quarterbacks off the board, that feels like the cutoff point until Round 2. Even though Michael Penix Jr. did shine at the Combine and received a clean bill of health from doctors, teams may wait to address other positions of need. But he will be the first quarterback taken off the board on Day 2. It makes too much sense for Penix to land with the Minnesota Vikings, where he can throw to the likes of Justin Jefferson (hopefully) and Jordan Addison.

Bo Nix had a rough start to his college career at Auburn but he turned things around at Oregon. Perhaps his best landing spot would be with the Los Angeles Rams, led by head coach and offensive innovator Sean McVay. Come on, that's the perfect landing spot. He can learn from McVay and Matthew Stafford before taking over the reins to throw to Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua.

The Denver Broncos don't have a second-round pick, and they missed out on the top four prospects. So, they will have to wait until the third round to land one. Spencer Rattler was once considered one of the top quarterback prospects the past two years, but had a less than ideal ending during his tenure at Oklahoma. But, Rattler did rebound when transferring to South Carolina. You'd have to imagine Sean Payton would love to get the most out of Rattler's dual-threat ability.

Rounding things out, the Las Vegas Raiders find a quarterback to compete with Aidan O'Connell, either for the starter's position or the backup job if the team signs a free agent.