The South Florida Sun Sentinel opens its nine-part series previewing the top players in the 2024 NFL draft (April 25-27) with quarterbacks.
There will certainly be three quarterbacks selected in the first round, likely in the first three picks, and there could be as many as five quarterbacks selected in the first round. The Miami Dolphins could be looking for a developmental quarterback in the later rounds. Miami, of course, has Pro Bowl quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and backups Mike White and Skylar Thompson on its roster.
As a reminder, the Dolphins have six picks in the draft — one in the first round (No. 21), one in the second round (No. 55), one in the fifth round (No. 158), two in the sixth round (Nos. 184 and 198), and one in the seventh round (No. 241).
Here’s a breakdown of the top quarterbacks in the draft:
Caleb Williams, USC
Williams (6-1, 214) doesn’t have that prototypical old-school quarterback size, rather he has the new-school quarterback qualifications of agility, a strong arm and an ability to read defenses. Williams (30 TDs, 5 INTs in 2023; 42 TDs, 5 INTs in 2022) is known for being a playmaker. That could be good or bad.
Jayden Daniels, LSU
Daniels (6-4, 210), the most-recent Heisman Trophy winner, is a good combination of height, stats (40 TDs, 4 INTs), accuracy (72.2% completions), running ability (1,134 yards rushing, 10 TDs) and high football IQ. He’s slender, especially for someone who runs, so durability is a question.
Drake Maye, North Carolina
Maye (6-4, 223) is an interesting prospect because he seems to be a feast or famine type of guy. Maye (24 TDs, 9 INTs, 63.3% completions) is big and strong-armed, but scouts say his decision-making is questionable and he sometimes tries to do too much.
J.J. McCarthy, Michigan
McCarthy (6-2, 219), who is shooting up draft boards, is regarded as a game-manager by many, but there’s no doubt he’s a winner, as his national title attests. McCarthy (22 TDs, 4 INTs, 72.3% completions) doesn’t have many weaknesses as a player. He’s an efficient quarterback. But a few of his best strengths are intangibles, such as being a winner.
Bo Nix, Oregon
Nix (6-2, 214) is a borderline first-round prospect. Nix (45 TDs, 3 INTs), who won the Campbell Trophy (academic Heisman), does everything well, including displaying a fairly strong arm, reading defenses and driving the ball between the hashmarks. But there’s concern how he’ll fare outside the Oregon offense, which didn’t feature many downfield throws or throws outside the numbers.
Best of the rest
Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. (36 TDs, 11 INTs) is a southpaw who is a solid prospect but isn’t likely to sneak into the first round. South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler (19 TDs, 8 INTs) has potential as a mid-round selection and career backup. …
Tulane’s Michael Pratt (22 TDs, 5 INTs) is a Deerfield Beach product who seems likely to be drafted on Day 3 (rounds 4-7). …
Florida State’s Jordan Travis (20 TDs, 2 INTs), a local product from The Benjamin School, might have led FSU to a national title playoff spot if not for a late-season leg injury. …
Western Kentucky’s Austin Reed (31 TDs, 11 INTs) attended Southern Illinois and West Florida before settling at Western Kentucky for two seasons.
Class Grade: A-
It’s a mixed bag. This class is full of first-round prospects but none of them seem to have superstar projections. The top guys seem as though they could be longtime starters but even the No. 1 prospect, USC’s Williams, doesn’t seem headed for, say, five or six Pro Bowl appearances. The class falls off after the second round.
Teams in need
The top three teams selecting — Chicago, Washington and New England — are all expected to take quarterbacks. Minnesota and Denver are the top two candidates to trade up, possibly with Arizona at No. 4. Lower in the first round watch teams such as the Los Angeles Rams, who might want a 2024 backup/future starter for Matthew Stafford, or Seattle, which might want a 2024 backup/future starter for Geno Smith.
Dolphins’ focus
The Dolphins could be seeking a No. 3 quarterback because it seems White is set at backup. And because the Dolphins don’t have third- or fourth-round picks, it seems unlikely they’d draft a quarterback. As things stand now, they’d either select a quarterback in the first or second rounds, or the fifth, sixth or seventh rounds. Remember, Thompson, Miami’s current No. 3 QB, was a seventh-round pick in 2022, so they already have their developmental draftee. The Dolphins will likely sign an undrafted free-agent quarterback to have another training camp arm and challenge Thompson for a roster spot.
