Top 5
1. Drake Maye - UNC
Reminds me of a blend of Allen and Herbert, with the potential to be better than either. The floor feels extremely high for Maye, even as he grows into his talent, and, of course, the ceiling is high, as well. He could handle pressure better, but he's in range with Daniels here (much better vs pressure than Williams), and Nix and McCarthy are the only two who played significantly better vs pressure. But, for my money, he's the best combination of tools and process in this class.
2. Caleb Williams - USC
Supreme throwing talent and instincts, but I worry that he thinks he's already arrived. He was horrific under pressure in 2023. Still, his combination of playmaking ability and the aforementioned throwing talent is hard to ignore. And, for a guy with so much talent and success, he has a lot of experience/live reps.
Can blame some of his issues on the offense and OL. So long as he has the right mindset, he has easy #1 overall talent and skill. Obviously most people have him #1, and if I weren't so high on Maye, I'd feel great having William #1.
Top 10
3. Jayden Daniels - LSU
Takes too many sacks (like Williams), but (like Williams), his explosive playmaking compensates for the negative plays. In Daniels case, he led one of the most explosive offenses in CFB history. He's an explosive runner and a sharp, accurate passer - with the ability to layer throws. Thinner than ideal, but his speed and quickness mitigate that some.
4. Bo Nix - Oregon
Not as aggressive as any of the above QB's, but he makes good plays at a higher clip, and shows a good understanding of what's needed. He's the best QB in the class vs pressure and the only QB without an area that needs clear improvement. Quick release, quick feet, decisive, very rarely made negative plays, playmaker outside the pocket and vs pressure. Arm talent somewhere between Prescott and Carr.
5. JJ McCarthy - Michigan
Best QB in the draft on 3rd and long in 2023, he plays with excellent poise, which is noteworthy, because he has the fewest pass attempts of the top QB's. We only got to see what he could do in flashes, but the flashes look great. After Daniels, he's probably the fastest QB in this group. The only concerns are inexperience and thinness.
100+
6. Spencer Rattler - South Carolina
Based on pure throwing talent, Rattler is closer to Williams and Maye than the other guys. I think he showed a ton of growth at South Carolina - both in toughness and processing. He made a number of excellent throws while getting absolutely blasted. It's hard to evaluate him, because that South Carolina OL was so bad. On the negative side, he takes too many sacks, and he's small while being just OK as an athlete. His ability to deliver throws downfield while getting crushed reminds me of Tannehill on the Titans, but he's smaller, and it's hard for anyone to last while taking shots like that.
7. Michael Penix Jr - Washington
Love his ability to avoid sacks while maintaining an aggressive approach. I don't like how he throws or how wonky he gets vs pressure. While he's good at avoiding sacks, he doesn't have the tools (or instincts?) to become a playmaker vs pressure. Arm strength is good, and he does have a quick release. Feet are all over the place and his game in general lacks precision, which is a big deal to me, because he doesn't have the athleticism to win consistently outside of structure.
(
for Slimm)
1. Drake Maye - UNC
Reminds me of a blend of Allen and Herbert, with the potential to be better than either. The floor feels extremely high for Maye, even as he grows into his talent, and, of course, the ceiling is high, as well. He could handle pressure better, but he's in range with Daniels here (much better vs pressure than Williams), and Nix and McCarthy are the only two who played significantly better vs pressure. But, for my money, he's the best combination of tools and process in this class.
2. Caleb Williams - USC
Supreme throwing talent and instincts, but I worry that he thinks he's already arrived. He was horrific under pressure in 2023. Still, his combination of playmaking ability and the aforementioned throwing talent is hard to ignore. And, for a guy with so much talent and success, he has a lot of experience/live reps.
Can blame some of his issues on the offense and OL. So long as he has the right mindset, he has easy #1 overall talent and skill. Obviously most people have him #1, and if I weren't so high on Maye, I'd feel great having William #1.
Top 10
3. Jayden Daniels - LSU
Takes too many sacks (like Williams), but (like Williams), his explosive playmaking compensates for the negative plays. In Daniels case, he led one of the most explosive offenses in CFB history. He's an explosive runner and a sharp, accurate passer - with the ability to layer throws. Thinner than ideal, but his speed and quickness mitigate that some.
4. Bo Nix - Oregon
Not as aggressive as any of the above QB's, but he makes good plays at a higher clip, and shows a good understanding of what's needed. He's the best QB in the class vs pressure and the only QB without an area that needs clear improvement. Quick release, quick feet, decisive, very rarely made negative plays, playmaker outside the pocket and vs pressure. Arm talent somewhere between Prescott and Carr.
5. JJ McCarthy - Michigan
Best QB in the draft on 3rd and long in 2023, he plays with excellent poise, which is noteworthy, because he has the fewest pass attempts of the top QB's. We only got to see what he could do in flashes, but the flashes look great. After Daniels, he's probably the fastest QB in this group. The only concerns are inexperience and thinness.
100+
6. Spencer Rattler - South Carolina
Based on pure throwing talent, Rattler is closer to Williams and Maye than the other guys. I think he showed a ton of growth at South Carolina - both in toughness and processing. He made a number of excellent throws while getting absolutely blasted. It's hard to evaluate him, because that South Carolina OL was so bad. On the negative side, he takes too many sacks, and he's small while being just OK as an athlete. His ability to deliver throws downfield while getting crushed reminds me of Tannehill on the Titans, but he's smaller, and it's hard for anyone to last while taking shots like that.
7. Michael Penix Jr - Washington
Love his ability to avoid sacks while maintaining an aggressive approach. I don't like how he throws or how wonky he gets vs pressure. While he's good at avoiding sacks, he doesn't have the tools (or instincts?) to become a playmaker vs pressure. Arm strength is good, and he does have a quick release. Feet are all over the place and his game in general lacks precision, which is a big deal to me, because he doesn't have the athleticism to win consistently outside of structure.
(
for Slimm)
Last edited:
