- Jayden Daniels enters 2025 on the heels of a historic rookie season: Daniels was otherworldly in his first NFL marketing campaign, etching his identify into PFF historical past. His ceiling is now that of Lamar Jackson, and his ground stays extremely excessive.
- Caleb Williams should do extra in 2025: The No. 1 total decide in 2024 endured a disappointing rookie season, and he’ll want to show it round this season to keep away from being labeled a bust.
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Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes
Similar to the 2023 class, these chosen on the prime of the 2024 NFL Draft skilled radically completely different seasons as rookies. Jayden Daniels put collectively one of many biggest rookie campaigns ever, whereas No. 1 total decide Caleb Williams and Drake Maye every endured some trials and tribulations. How does that have an effect on every passer’s future projection?
We will deal with the “large six” quarterbacks from the 2024 NFL Draft class. While Joe Milton seemed unbelievable in a single sport for the New England Patriots in 2024 — after which was traded to the Dallas Cowboys — and Spencer Rattler has a chance to turn into a starter in 2025, neither tasks to be a long-term reply for his or her crew.
Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
Ceiling: Jordan Love
Floor: Bust
Williams entered the NFL with an amazing quantity of hype, solely to disappoint as a rookie. Especially when in comparison with the remainder of the category, Williams’ season was, at greatest, underwhelming. He flashed big-play potential and unbelievable arm expertise, however he struggled with accuracy and took on stress and sacks far too typically.
His 63.5 PFF passing grade was the worst of the 5 first-round quarterbacks who noticed motion in 2024, as have been his 54.7% correct price, 23.2% uncatchable-pass price and 26.1% pressure-to-sack price. All of the problems we noticed in his ultimate season of school soccer confirmed up in his rookie marketing campaign.
Granted, prime prospects who do not put all of it collectively as rookies are nonetheless able to turning issues round — Jared Goff is one notable instance, and Bryce Young seems to have turned a nook forward of 2025 — however struggling as badly as Williams did normally doesn’t finish effectively. Still, he has the expertise and top-of-the-line supporting casts within the NFL to show it round in 2025.
Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
Ceiling: Lamar Jackson
Floor: Kyler Murray
Daniels engineered arguably one of the best rookie season of all time. His 91.3 PFF total grade ranks second amongst all rookie passers within the PFF period (since 2006), and he led his crew to the brink of a Super Bowl look. Daniels’ capability to persistently generate optimistic performs is a facet of Lamar Jackson’s sport that makes him extremely troublesome to defend. Factor within the elite athleticism that each deliver to the desk, and the thought of Daniels as a future MVP shouldn’t be out of the query.
With how nice his rookie season was, it’s arduous to check Daniels not being a long-term, high-end starter. Murray’s low finish is because of accidents; when wholesome, he has been a game-changing participant. Expect defensive coordinators to regulate to some issues Daniels does effectively, however his capability to increase performs along with his legs shall be an issue for defenses for the foreseeable future.
Highest-Graded NFL Quarterbacks in 2024
Drake Maye, New England Patriots
Ceiling: Trevor Lawrence
Floor: Daniel Jones
Maye confirmed off an unbelievable arm in faculty (80 big-time throws in two seasons) and the flexibility to guard the ball (1.7% turnover-worthy throw price in 2023). The Patriots, sadly, put one of many worst supporting casts round Maye, so his projections transferring ahead actually shouldn’t change based mostly on his efficiency in 2024.
While flashing a few of his athleticism and playmaking skills, Maye wasn’t capable of showcase his large arm persistently. He notched simply 14 big-time throws and 16 turnover-worthy performs, making his rookie season just like Daniel Jones’ of their PFF grades and effectivity. Maye posted a 64.9 PFF passing grade and Jones logged a 65.1 mark, whereas Maye averaged 6.7 yards per move try and Jones averaged 6.6.
Obviously, Jones struggled to generate big-time throws over the previous 4 years with the Giants. I do not anticipate that being a problem for Maye, however Jones had a greater big-time throw price as a rookie. Maye’s athleticism and massive arm give him a high-end ceiling like that of Trevor Lawrence, who I feel has higher play in his future.
Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons
Ceiling: Justin Herbert
Floor: Jameis Winston
Penix’s rookie season consisted of simply 120 dropbacks and three begins. His 87.9 PFF total grade and 87.6 PFF passing grade are proof of his high-end capability, although. He generated a 9% big-time throw price with only a 1.7% turnover-worthy play price — numbers that time to the Falcons doubtlessly having discovered themselves a franchise quarterback.
Of course, three begins aren’t sufficient to attract conclusions a couple of participant. One difficulty that Penix had coming into the league was ball placement. While his Week 18 sport showcased all the things good about him (94.5 PFF passing grade and 7 big-time throws), his Week 17 outing was the alternative (54.3 passing grade and 34.4% uncatchable throw price).
Despite Penix’s accuracy points, he protected the ball in his two seasons at Washington, generated 70 big-time throws and infrequently took sacks. The ground for Penix is a Jameis Winston-type profession the place his accuracy points end in up-and-down performances with excessive highs and low lows. But if Penix can repair these points, his ceiling of Justin Herbert is mouth-watering. Herbert has been one of many NFL’s greatest regular-season quarterbacks of the previous 5 seasons, simply with an lack of ability to win the massive sport within the playoffs.
Michael Penix Jr.’s 2024 PFF Game Grades
J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings
Ceiling: Joe Burrow
Floor: Sam Darnold
McCarthy’s rookie season ended earlier than it began, as he wanted knee surgical procedure to restore a torn meniscus. Whatever you considered him heading into the 2024 season shouldn’t change for 2025 and the longer term.
McCarthy wasn’t requested to hold the national-championship Michigan crew, however when he wanted to, he delivered. While he wasn’t elite at producing big-time throws, nor was his turnover-worthy price spectacularly low, McCarthy excelled below stress and when going through the blitz. His success price in each conditions ranked third within the class, behind Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix.
Darnold’s profession seemed over till his unbelievable 2024 season with the Vikings. Assuming McCarthy is healthier than Darnold for his profession isn’t a stretch, however nothing is ever a assure at quarterback.
Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
Ceiling: Drew Brees
Floor: Mac Jones
Nix shocked many along with his play as a rookie, contemplating most analysts considered him as a second-round prospect in final yr’s draft. He proved to be a really succesful starter who might execute Sean Payton’s offense. His 73.8 PFF passing grade in 2024 wasn’t spectacular by any means, however he displayed a capability to guard the soccer (1.8% turnover-worthy play price) and his knack to keep away from sacks carried over from faculty (12.9% pressure-to-sack price).
Nix doesn’t have Drew Brees-like accuracy — who does, actually — however he’s correct sufficient and avoids sacks, that are two Brees traits that helped him have a Hall-of-Fame profession. Considering Nix’s low-end playmaking skills, his ground is Mac Jones. In the tip, although, he’s more likely to by no means hit that ground and needs to be a succesful long-term starter.