2024 NFL Draft prospect primer, Ranking QBs to watch like Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Quinn Ewers and more
2024 NFL Draft prospect primer – The work never seems to end in the NFL player evaluation world, which means front offices have already turned their attention toward the upcoming college football season in advance of the 2024 NFL Draft. With that in mind, let’s kick off our CBS Sports summer prospect series on the top prospects at key positions in the next draft class with the most valuable one:
the quarterbacks.
Just like a year ago with Alabama’s Bryce Young and Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud — the first two picks of the 2023 NFL Draft who were selected by the Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans, respectively — two passers have established a tier of their own early in the 2024 evaluation process:
2022 Heisman Trophy winner and USC quarterback Caleb Williams and North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye, the 2022 ACC Offensive Player of the Year.
“I don’t know yet, I know there’s two up above [USC’s Caleb Williams and North Carolina’s Drake Maye], and then it drops off,” former longtime Minnesota Vikings general manager and current CBS Sports HQ NFL analyst Rick Spielman said July 6 on an episode of the “With the First Pick” podcast.
However, as seen in recent years, quarterbacks can come out of nowhere and vault up the draft boards with electrifying performances. Consider what Florida’s Anthony Richardson did last draft cycle (he was selected 4th overall by the Indianapolis Colts in the 2023 NFL Draft). BYU’s Zach Wilson (2nd overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by the New York Jets) and LSU’s Joe Burrow (1st overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals) were also present.
This summer series will examine how things stand as the upcoming 2023 college season kicks off, but Williams is a sure bet as the next top overall pick, and it won’t be until April next year. may change slightly in order. Here, Spielman and CBS Sports’ NFL Draft Analyst Ryan Wilson take a closer look at the current top five passers, along with a professional comparison and names that could move up the rankings next season. Quarterbacks are ranked in the NFL based on their readiness for the start of the 2023 college football season.
