The 2024 NFL Draft, like any other class, will have its staples at the top of big boards, specifically at quarterback. USC's Caleb Williams and North Carolina's Drake Maye are the consensus top two at QB for the 2024 draft and it would take an act of divine power to change that.
Having said that, through the first six weeks of the college football season, several other quarterbacks have started to put their names more firmly on the draft radar.
By using NFL Mock Draft Database, we can get an idea of what the current consensus is around these prospects, and where they are projected to be taken at the moment. But these five quarterbacks have made their names known in 2024 NFL Draft circles already this season.
5. Riley Leonard, Duke
Current consensus rank: 91st
When looking at the box score, it doesn't really make sense for Leonard to be ranked highly. The Blue Devils are 4-1, but Leonard has thrown for only 912 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception while adding 326 yards and four scores on the ground. But NFL evaluators will be looking beyond the stat sheet, and they'll see an impressive passer with the athletic ability for today's game. Leonard is a well-built 6-4 209 pounds with good quickness and speed for his size.
He isn't Lamar Jackson with the ball, but he is an effective runner and Duke features him often in their rushing offense, as he carried the ball 124 times in 2022, generating 699 yards and 13 touchdowns. As a passer, he is mobile within the pocket and has a strong and accurate arm, with the coveted ability to throw from multiple arm angles.
Duke may be a smaller school in college football, but they have had a QB selected in the top 10 fairly recently, with Daniel Jones going sixth overall in 2019. Leonard is routinely being mocked in the top 25, and given his on-field performance and physical ability, it would not be surprising at all to see him wind up as a first-round pick in April, despite not being a household name.
4. Michael Penix Jr., Washington
Current consensus rank: 28th
Given that only 10% of the population is left-handed, it makes sense that lefty passers are fairly rare in the NFL, but Tua Tagovailoa will be joined by Penix Jr. in 2024. Penix spent four injury-prone seasons at Indiana before transferring to Washington and finishing eighth in Heisman Trophy voting in 2022 after throwing for 4,641 yards and 31 touchdowns.
He's picked up right where he left off this season, leading the Huskies to five straight wins behind his 1,999 yards and 16 scores.
Penix is a pocket passer who doesn't offer a whole lot on the ground, but he throws one of the most beautiful balls in college football. It's been really great to see him recover from the injuries he's sustained in the past, and he looks like a completely different player than the one he was for the Hoosiers.
Many mock drafts are putting Penix in the top 20 right now, and it's hard to argue with the reasoning. If he continues to put up these types of numbers and stays healthy, he'll hear his name called early on April 25th.
3. Bo Nix, Oregon
Current consensus rank: 37th
Nix has had one of the most interesting career arcs in recent college football history. As a four-star recruit and second-ranked dual-threat QB in the 2019 class, Nix went to Auburn and started 13 games as a true freshman. His three seasons for the Tigers were rough, to put it lightly, and he was not thought highly of at all in evaluation circles.
Then, Nix transferred to Oregon, and everything changed in 2022. He looked unrecognizable, particularly under pressure, and threw for 3,593 yards, 29 touchdowns, and seven picks. He added 510 yards and 14 TDs on the ground, and has been even better thus far in 2023 -- his stat line is eye-popping, as he is completing an astronomical 80.4% of his passes, averaging 9.0 yards per attempt, 10.5 air yards per attempt, 1,459 yards, 15 touchdowns, and just one INT.
The Ducks' coaching staff has helped Nix completely reinvent himself, settling down and ironing out many of the bad habits he displayed at Auburn. His arm has always been strong, but now he has the patience and accuracy to complement it. Nix's draft stock is currently in the top 15, and that would have been an unthinkable sentence even just a year ago, but his hard work and development are paying off in a huge way.
2. J.J. McCarthy, Michigan
Current consensus rank: 50th
When was the last time a Wolverines QB was a legitimate draft prospect? Yeah, it's been quite a while. But McCarthy had a quality 2022 campaign and has improved even further in 2023, with a 77.6% completion rate and 11 touchdowns while averaging 10.4 yards per attempt. He may not have the bonkers volume numbers of other passers on this list, but Michigan's offense isn't conducive to that.
What McCarthy is being asked to do, he is doing extremely well, and evaluators will take notice of that. He's got good zip and touch on his passes, enough athletic ability to be a threat on the ground, and good height for the position at 6-3.
The leader of arguably the nation's best football team could conceivably return for his senior year and another shot at a College Football Championship, but if he keeps up this level of play, his draft stock may be too high for him to pass up the NFL next season.
1. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
Current consensus rank: 29th
Shedeur may not be Deion's favorite son, but he's one heck of a quarterback. The Buffaloes have dropped two of their last three after winning the first three games of the Prime era, but Sanders has put himself firmly in the NFL discussion with his performance. He isn't the biggest guy, and he doesn't have the strongest arm, but Sanders does have impressive touch and accuracy and he's just a smart passer.
Some may dismiss his draft stock as media hype because of his father, but Sanders is so much more than just style and flash. He isn't exactly a dual threat, but he is mobile enough to maneuver around within the pocket and convert third downs with his legs. He levels the football all across the field and has enough zip to throw those sideline out routes on time.
His football IQ is excellent, and that's an ideal trait to have in a QB. Whichever team selects Sanders will be adding to their fanbase and national coverage, but they'd be drafting him because he's a good QB prospect. That's pretty rare for a guy who plays at a smaller Pac-12 school, and who was at an HBCU just a year ago.
