The 2024 NFL Draft saw an unprecedented run on quarterbacks that hasn’t been seen in the common era (since 1967). Three quarterbacks were selected with the first three picks of the draft, while two more were off the board by the time the Top 10 picks were announced.
The Chicago Bears made the expected move, selecting USC’s quarterback Caleb Williams with the first overall pick. LSU’s signal-caller Jayden Daniels went second overall to the Washington Commanders, while the New England Patriots selected North Carolina’s QB Drake Maye with the third overall selection.
Sitting at No. 8, the Atlanta Falcons surprised everyone by taking Washington’s quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The move was quite a shock considering that the Falcons just signed Pro Bowler Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal. The Minnesota Vikings, the team that Cousins left to join Atlanta, ended up trading with the New York Jets to move up one spot to No. 10 and select Michigan’s signal-caller J.J. McCarthy.
However, the pursuit of quarterbacks didn’t end there. Just two picks later, the Denver Broncos ended up selecting Oregon’s QB Bo Nix, meaning that half of the players selected with the first 12 picks were quarterbacks.
From there to the end of the third round, no single quarterback was taken. This doesn’t come as a surprise, considering that the remainder of the 2024 QB class was considered less talented compared to the six players that were already taken.
Among the QBs that could still get selected before the draft wraps up are South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler, Tulane’s Michael Pratt, and BYU’s Kedon Slovis.
