Power ranking QBs taken in the first round of the NFL Draft by nickname potential

The biggest question marks in the 2024 NFL Draft where all the top ranked quarterbacks would land. Caleb Williams to the Chicago Bears at No. 1 was a foregone conclusion but in the end we saw five others selected in the first-round — Jayden Daniels to the Commanders at No. 2, Drake Maye to the Patriots at No. 3, Michael Penix Jr. to the Falcons at No. 8, J.J. McCarthy to the Vikings at No. 10 and Bo Nix to the Broncos at No. 12.

Opinions on their relative pro potential vary wildly and there are no sure things in projecting the success of NFL Draft prospects. But being a star is more than touchdowns and rushing yards, it's about building a brand and an identity and often a killer nickname is the place to start. Here are the six first-round quarterbacks power ranked by nickname-ability, both their current nicknames and potential for new monikers to emerge.

6. Jayden Daniels
Nicknames: Smooth, Heisman, That Kid, The Golden Arm

Daniels has the potential to be an electric playmaker at the next level but he's extremely lacking in the nickname department. There are probably 35 other guys in the NFL who were also nicknamed "Smooth" at some point in their athletic lives. That Kid and The Golden Arm are a bit more unique but there's no panache, no allusion to the way he plays and no delightful wordplay on his name. Heisman is by far the most interesting and commanding possibility in a vacuum but it loses a significant portion of it's impact in the transition from college to the pros. When he's a seven-year veteran, no one is going to be impressed by the nickname anymore.

Daniels might have as much potential as anyone other quarterback in this draft class but he's starting behind the field when it comes to personal branding.

5. J.J. McCarthy
Nicknames: Iceman

Technically, J.J. is the nickname Jonathan James McCarthy uses but that's not really what we're talking about here. Iceman is fine — he looks vaguely like a 1980s Val Kilmer, it captures something about his confidence and steely approach to pressure. But it's not that distinct or creative. However, he could rocket up these rankings if he really leans into it. Start wearing a leather bomber jacket and aviator glasses when he arrives at the arena. Keep those tips frosted. Get really into shirtless beach volleyball. Celebrate touchdown throws by sauntering up to the defensive back he just burned and snapping his teeth in their face. If McCarthy wants to be called Iceman, he should focus on being Iceman.

4. Caleb Williams
Nicknames: Bobby Boucher

According to Dane Brugler of The Athletic: "Williams originally played running back and linebacker at the Pop Warner level and often played up several levels because of his athleticism and physicality (earned [sic] the nickname “Bobby Boucher” after Adam Sandler’s character in
The Waterboy)."

Like Iceman McCarthy, this only works if he's really willing to inhabit the character and do the stammering Louisiana accent. Call the Packers the devil, call his new coach "mama" and give quotes about how "mama said we needed to get the play actiona game going."

If not, it's a waste and we need to move on. But with the hype, expectations and this particular franchise, there is plenty of potential here — The Plan. The Program. The System. Paddington.

3. Michael Penix Jr.
Nicknames: Big Penix Energy

This one isn't on the nose, it is the nose. I wish there was something better especially since the way his last name is pronounced doesn't actually rhyme with the body part that makes this nickname work. But it's too obvious for anything else to really take hold so we're kind of stuck with it. And at the very least it's descriptively accurate in a way some of the nicknames we've already looked at just aren't.

2. Bo Nix
Nicknames: Bodacious

There is some potential overlap here with Bo Jackson — but Nix has a chance to make Bodacious all its own. It's a slang word so far out of the modern, hip lexicon that it's delightfully camp. It's fun. It rolls off the tongue. It's descriptive. And, it's easily tied into those iconic bars by Nelly. Imagine Nix hitting Cortland Sutton on a post pattern for a 50-yard TD as Cris Collinsworth cries out, "Good gracious, that was Bodacious!"

Opinions on Nix's pro potential seem mixed to say the least, but he's already got his nickname game locked in.

1. Drake Maye
Nicknames: Drake the Snake, Drake and Bake, Maye Day, Drizzy

Caleb Williams may have been the consensus No. 1 pick and widely regarded as the best quarterback prospect in this group, but he's nowhere near Maye's level in the nickname department. And if you don't like any of these there are so many other possibilities — just hollering "It's gotta be Maye" in your best Justin Timberlake voice, turning his name into a verb and talking about how the opponents got Draked, playing with the "It's all cake" meme; It's all Drake!

It may be a challenge for Maye, his fans and his PR team to hone in on the best versions but there are so many possibilities that it's easy to imagine him sliding seamlessly between different nickname iterations depending on the circumstances.

When it comes to nicknames, Drake Maye has the highest floor, the highest ceiling and unmatched versatility among the quarterbacks taken in the first round. He's absolutely in a class by himself.