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In the Market: Looking at the top QB prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft Class, Mock Draft Roundup edition

The 2024 NFL Draft is upon us. Check out where the top quarterback prospects are projected to go in mock drafts. Plus, we have the official In the Market mock draft.

By Scott Rogust

2024 CFP National Championship - Michigan v Washington
2024 CFP National Championship - Michigan v Washington / Jamie Schwaberow/GettyImages
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We are officially one day out until the 2024 NFL Draft. There has been smokescreen aplenty and various reports of prospects' stock rising or falling. Perhaps none has garnered more attention than the quarterbacks in this year's class.

Realistically, the NFL Draft begins at the No. 2 overall pick with the Washington Commanders. The consensus expectation is that the Chicago Bears will use the No. 1 selection on USC quarterback Caleb Williams. This comes after the team traded Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers. From there, it will be a matter of the Commanders picking their preferred quarterback.

At first, it looked as though Drake Maye would be the second-overall selection due to the hype and his play throughout his career at North Carolina. But that changed a bit when LSU's Jayden Daniels won the Heisman with his explosive play through the air and on the ground. But now, Michigan's J.J. McCarthy has shocked mots of the world outside of Michigan, having a meteoric rise up draft boards. A true far cry from when there were questions of McCarthy declaring for NFL Draft this early. Obviously, he and his camp knew that he'd be a darling for NFL teams.

Oh, and there's also the chance that Washington's Michael Penix Jr. and Oregon's Bo Nix could be first round selections as well. There are so many quarterback-needy teams, that they could feel the need to reach a bit to land their franchise signal caller.

With the draft being one day away, let's look at some of the more recent mock drafts and where they have each of the top quarterback prospects heading.

Previous editions of In the Market can be viewed below:

Looking at where the top 2024 QB prospects are projected to land in recent mock drafts

Below are all of the top quarterbacks, and where each NFL Draft analyst has them going in mock drafts

Caleb Williams, USC

No surprises here. If the Chicago Bears don't draft Caleb Williams, you can draw that up as a genuine shocker. But, it looks as though Williams will begin his career with the Bears in hopes that he can end the quarterback carousel in the Windy City.

Drake Maye, North Carolina

For years, Drake Maye had been considered a top-two quarterback prospect in this year's draft class. But as we approached closer to opening night, more criticisms of Maye's play had been brought up. With that, you get a bit more variety in landing spots in mock drafts. Perhaps the most consistent team Maye has been mocked to has been the New England Patriots.

Jayden Daniels, LSU

Jayden Daniels can be considered the favorite to be selected second overall by the Washington Commanders based on recent reporting and mock drafts. Daniels having Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson to throw to would help him succeed in what will be a tough NFC East.

J.J. McCarthy, Michigan

J.J. McCarthy's stock is at an all-time high. While he didn't light up stat sheets or have an abundance of highlight reel plays per game, teams like the Michigan quarterback a lot. Based on mock drafts, McCarthy's most popular landing spot is the Minnesota Vikings, who have the No. 11 and 23 overall picks in the first round to make a move up into the top five to select a quarterback of their choosing. The belief is that McCarthy would be the one available.

Bo Nix, Oregon

Bo Nix really raised his stock when transferring over from Auburn to Oregon. This past season, he was a Heisman Trophy finalist. But Nix is in the tier below Williams, Daniels, Maye, and McCarthy. He could go anywhere from the middle of the first round to the middle of the second round. With that, you get a variety of predictions on mock drafts. But the one team linked to Nix a bit more than others is the Los Angeles Rams.

Michael Penix Jr., Washington

Michael Penix Jr. is older than his fellow quarterback classmates and has an injury history, but the arm talent is hard to deny. Once viewed as a safe Day 2 pick, there is now an expectation that Penix could be drafted in the first round. The Las Vegas Raiders have been a popular landing spot for Penix in mock drafts.

Spencer Rattler, South Carolina

Spencer Rattler's draft stock dropped during college, where he was initially billed as a future No. 1 overall pick. His stint at Oklahoma ended after he was benched for Williams. Rattler had a bit of a resurgence at South Carolina. Rattler's skill set as a passer and playmaker can't be denied, although he would be best off landing on a team where he can sit for the 2024 season. Realistically, Rattler would be an option for any team that passes on a quarterback in the first round, hence why Rattler is projected to teams like the Patriots, Rams, Broncos, and Giants.

In the Market 2024 mock draft

Now, let's take a crack at my mock draft for where I think the top quarterback prospects will end up this year.

  • Caleb Williams: Chicago Bears, No. 1 overall
  • Jayden Daniels: Washington Commanders, No. 2 overall
  • Drake Maye: New York Giants (via trade with New England Patriots), No. 3 overall
  • J.J. McCarthy: Minnesota Vikings (via trade with Los Angeles Chargers), No. 5 overall
  • Michael Penix Jr.: Las Vegas Raiders, No. 13 overall
  • Bo Nix: New England Patriots, No. 34 overall
  • Spencer Rattler: Los Angeles Rams, No. 52 overall

Let's start with the least shocking portion of the mock draft -- Caleb Williams to the Chicago Bears. This feels like a lock to happen to open up the proceedings in Detroit on Thursday.

The Washington Commanders carry a bit of intrigue, mostly in part to their mass top-30 visit that resembled more of a scene out of the reality show The Bachelor. While this did reportedly upset Jayden Daniels' camp, the Commanders will likely draft him. After all, he fits the mold of quarterback that offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury likes to work with in terms of dual-threat skill set.

Now, let's get to the surprise of the draft. Drake Maye had long been considered one of the top two quarterbacks in this draft class. Now, all of a sudden, reports are coming out that some teams aren't too keen on selecting him due to his play this past season. Maye is still the QB2 of In The Market.

The Giants have done so much homework on the quarterbacks in this year's class. The team has an out of Daniel Jones' contract after the 2024 season, and injury concerns continue to surround him. Considering this year's quarterback class is infinitely better than 2025, the Giants need to get a new quarterback to start over in the Joe Schoen/Brian Daboll era. If they are desperate enough, they can give the Patriots the "godfather offer" to move down three spots to land a top wide receiver that their offense desperately needs.

Maye makes too much sense for the Giants. I mean, come on, Maye has been receiving advice from Eli Manning throughout the pre-draft process! Plus, ESPN's Jordan Raanan reported on draft week that the Giants have "at least" explored trading up, and the belief is it's for Maye. Schoen and Daboll were a part of the Buffalo Bills regime that traded up for Josh Allen in 2018. Now, they get their quarterback in Maye.

J.J. McCarthy is going to go in the top 10, that's basically a guarantee. Given that the Minnesota Vikings have two first round picks at their disposal, they have the ammunition needed to move up. With Williams, Maye, and Daniels all off the board, they get McCarthy, who enters a pretty favorable situation in the NFL. Maybe not as ideal as Michigan, but ideal nonetheless.

Michael Penix Jr. does have the injury history, but it doesn't feel as though teams are scared off. There's no denying Penix has the arm talent, but they have to ensure they have a quality offensive line. The Las Vegas Raiders o-line is pretty good, which would benefit Penix. Not to mention, he could serve as the team's long-term option in the future, while sitting behind Gardner Minshew in 2024. Pierce needs to get his quarterback to start his tenure as head coach, and Penix would be a great selection for him.

Bo Nix is going to be one of the top six quarterbacks selected in the NFL Draft. The thing is, he'll probably be the fifth or sixth signal caller taken off the board. With not many quarterback-needy teams in the back half of the first round, this could open the door for the New England Patriots to select Nix in the early portion of the second-round of the NFL Draft.

The Los Angeles Rams should explore finding a young quarterback to sit behind Matthew Stafford and develop in Sean McVay's offense. Adding Spencer Rattler would be tremendous for both parties. Rattler's arm talent is ridiculous. Oh, and joining a team that will have Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua as options would be stellar for any quarterback entering the NFL.

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