Giants Meet With Bo Nix, Spencer Rattler
While consistent rumors have connected the Giants to trading up from No. 6 for a quarterback, other teams outside the top three will be interested in doing so as well. This could lead to the Giants going elsewhere at 6 and still eyeing a QB investment later in the draft.
On this note, two quarterbacks that are not viewed as in play to go in the top 10 met with the team this week. Oregon’s Bo Nix and South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler stopped through New York for “30” visits, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets.
Nix’s itinerary has featured a few meetings already — with the Raiders, Seahawks and Vikings — and Broncos connections have persisted. A rumor about the Giants circling back to Nix or Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. emerged recently, however, even as the Giants have done continued work on this draft’s top QB tier (non-Caleb Williams division).
As we covered in the most recent Trade Rumors Front Office installment, the Giants face a big-picture decision centering on whether they can go into another season with Daniel Jones as the unchallenged starter or if this No. 6 pick needs to be used to acquire a replacement. The Giants also have failed in their attempts to give Jones an upper-crust wide receiver.
Considering the QB needs that will be filled to start the draft, the Giants are guaranteed to have one of this draft’s receiver top tier available to them if they stay at 6. The receiver route would leave Big Blue’s QB position with an uncertain future, but the team can also attempt to move back up for a Nix-type prospect.
The Giants have met with Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels and J.J. McCarthy. A reality in which each of these passers is unavailable — due to the Cardinals perhaps accepting another team’s trade offer to climb to No. 4 — is not difficult to envision. While the Giants have been mocked recently to be the team that trades up to No. 4, the Vikings, Broncos and Raiders also loom as contenders. Minnesota acquiring a second first-round pick makes the NFC North team the logical top threat to a Giants path up the board.
Mel Kiper Jr.’s ESPN.com big board slots Nix and Rattler, respectively, as the draft’s sixth- and seventh-ranked QB prospects. Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com offering places Nix 29th overall, with Rattler not in the top 50. A recent rumor suggested the Broncos not nabbing Nix could induce a Will Levis-like slide down the draft board. This would benefit the Giants, who do not pick again until No. 47. The team traded No. 39 to the Panthers for Brian Burns. The team holds one third-round pick as well. Dane Brugler’s mock draft for The Athletic has Nix remaining on the board until No. 52 (Rams) and Rattler going to the Broncos in Round 3.
Like Nix, Rattler transferred after three seasons (at Oklahoma). Unlike the eventual Pac-12 standout, Rattler did not post elite numbers at his second school. Rattler’s best season came back with Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma in 2020. Not eclipsing 20 touchdown passes in either of his two Gamecocks seasons, Rattler did complete a program-record 67.5% of his passes last season. Scouts mentioned Levis and Sam Howell as potential comps for Rattler.
QB Prospect Notes: Williams, Patriots, Commanders, Giants
Caleb Williams is still expected to hear his name called first during next week’s draft, but the USC quarterback didn’t make the best impression on teams during the pre-draft process. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Williams’ interviews with teams were described as “good, not great” and “just OK.”
As Fowler notes, Williams declined medical exams and only did a handful of interviews, where he didn’t show the same poise and preparation as his fellow QB prospects. Naturally, some teams assumed this was a “byproduct of being a player who knows he’s going No. 1.” While Williams’ pre-draft strategy wasn’t considered a personality red flag by scouts, one AFC executive believes Williams left the door open for the Bears to pivot.
“I don’t think he’s had a great spring,” the executive told Fowler. “He’s still going first. That’s pretty much a done deal. But while he was a no-brainer three months ago, there’s at least a conversation now. Even still, I think he’s a smart kid, a good kid. He just knows where he’s going.”
Perhaps partly due to Williams’ offseason showing, there are some coaches who have actually graded LSU’s Jayden Daniels over the USC QB, per Adam Caplan of ProFootballNetwork.com. Of course, the only opinion that matters belongs to the Bears, but this recent grading adjustment at least leads Caplan to surmise that Daniels will be selected ahead of North Carolina’s Drake Maye.
While Maye is an underdog to be selected in the top-two, it’s no longer a guarantee that he’s even chosen with the third-overall pick. As Albert Breer of SI.com notes, there’s a “healthy debate” in New England between Maye and Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy. While there’s still a chance the Patriots trade out of the No. 3 spot in pursuit of future picks, Breer believes owner Robert Kraft “views this as a rare chance to get a quarterback at this level.” The organization has certainly made it clear they’re eyeing all of the top-tier prospects, as the Patriots have met with Daniels, Maye, and McCarthy.
Washington is currently sitting with the second-overall pick, and they’ve been equally active in scouting QB prospects. Interestingly, the team will be hosting all of Daniels, Maye, McCarthy, and Washington’s Michael Penix for their top-30 visits at the same time, per Breer. This stems from GM Adam Peters‘ experience from San Francisco, where the 49ers would bring in groupings of prospects to see how they interact with peers.
With the Cardinals and Chargers likely out of the running for a top QB prospect, the Giants are next in line at the position behind Chicago, Washington, and New England. There’s been recent buzz that the Giants could look to move up (per Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post) or even move back (per Fowler, via WBG84), but either way, it’s pretty clear the organization is targeting a signal-caller.
Dan Duggan of The Athletic believes the Giants are high enough on Maye that they’d swing a trade up the draft board. The writer also believes the organization isn’t enamored with McCarthy, perhaps necessitating a trade back if the Michigan QB is there at No. 6. If the Giants do end up trading back, Duggan could see a scenario where the team is actively pursuing Penix or Oregon’s Bo Nix in the back half of the first round.
Latest On Broncos’ First-Round Plans
Holding a first-round pick for the first time since they chose Patrick Surtain in 2021, the Broncos obviously enter this draft with a major need at quarterback after releasing Russell Wilson. But they are not flush with ammo to move up to acquire a top QB prospect.
Denver’s 2023 trade for Sean Payton‘s rights cost a 2023 first-rounder and a 2024 second. The Broncos already traded the third-rounder they acquired for Payton to move up for cornerback Riley Moss last year. Denver does hold another third-rounder but is certainly outflanked by Minnesota (two first-round picks) regarding assets to trade for a top-four draft slot. J.J. McCarthy‘s pre-draft rise certainly could make a top-four pick necessary to acquire one of this draft’s top four QBs.
[RELATED: Broncos Host QB Michael Penix Jr. On Visit]
Despite this, Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline notes Payton has “desperately” wanted to move up for a passer. We heard that was the case in February, and the second-year Denver HC is open to a move up the board. But reporting around the Senior Bowl indicated the steep cost would likely steer the Broncos away from yet another trade involving a first-round pick. As it stands now, the Broncos should be considered more likely to trade down than trade up from No. 12 overall, ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold writes.
The Broncos’ lack of first-round picks over the past two years has certainly impacted the roster. With Jerry Jeudy being traded to the Browns, only two homegrown first-rounders (Surtain, Garett Bolles) are on Denver’s roster. The team has traded three homegrown first-rounders (Noah Fant, Bradley Chubb, Jeudy) since the 2022 deadline. While the Broncos’ QB depth chart may be the NFL’s worst (of the teams not in position to land a passer atop this draft), they could attempt a move down the board to add draft capital while picking up a passer later in Round 1.
Bo Nix and the Broncos have been tied together for several weeks, due partially to the team’s draft slot. Though, no news of a Broncos-Nix “30” visit has emerged. Nix has met with the Raiders and Seahawks and scheduled a Vikings workout. Setting the record for Division I-FBS starts by a quarterback (61), the former Oregon and Auburn arm posted big numbers with the Ducks over the past two seasons. Last year, he closed with a 45-3 TD-INT ratio with the Pac-12 program. This came in a QB-friendly system, one that has generated questions about the Auburn recruit’s ability to function at a high level in an NFL offense.
Nix is 29th on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board, and ESPN.com’s Mel Kiper Jr. has him falling out of Round 1. If Nix falls past the Broncos at No. 12, the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy writes he could experience a Will Levis-like draft slide. Levis tumbled to No. 33 last year.
Still planning to add a veteran to a depth chart that currently houses Jarrett Stidham as the starter, the Broncos’ need here is no secret. While offseason reports have indicated the Broncos would be OK going into the season with Stidham as the starter, an AFC exec told ESPN.com’s Jordan Reid in the above-reference piece there is “no way” heads into the season with the QB room the team currently possesses.
With the Raiders joining the Vikings as a team that will be eyeing QBs, the Broncos have a complex mission. It would indeed be unusual if Payton, who turned 60 earlier this year, agreed to effectively stand down at quarterback this year and go through a stopgap season with Stidham. But the team did not add one of the bridge-type arms in free agency. Though, Ryan Tannehill remains available.
Payton’s 2021 season featured four starters — due to Jameis Winston going down with an ACL tear — and led to a steep quality drop from the Drew Brees era. After making it clear he was not happy with where Wilson was late last season, Payton and GM George Paton will likely attempt to upgrade in the draft. The Broncos will be a team to monitor as the draft moves past its Caleb Williams stage.
Latest On Vikings’ Quarterback Plans
Making their intentions fairly clear via the March trade with the Texans, the Vikings are in position to present an intriguing offer to a team willing to trade out of this draft’s prime QB real estate. A path that would make Sam Darnold a bridge (at best) is firmly in play for Minnesota.
Third-year GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said this draft features multiple quarterbacks the Vikings “love,” creating a similar scenario to the 49ers of 2021. The team was high on multiple QBs when it acquired the No. 3 overall pick from the Dolphins, and the team had not decided which QB it would select when it made that move. The Vikings have not traded up yet, but it would not shock to hear offers emerging soon.
“There’s multiple guys that we’re in love with just on an outright basis, but there’s also other guys that we’re in love with given what — if we get them at a certain value — what they’d also be able to come with,” Adofo-Mensah said (via NFL.com) of this year’s QB class. “As I talked about earlier skillset-wise, if you’re talking about the ability to overcome context, well, if the guy has less ability but we have assets to go get somebody that’s not going to put him that situation, those things add up too.”
As ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert notes, the Vikings would prefer to trade up and land their long-term QB in this draft. But it takes two to tango here. A trade with the Patriots, Cardinals or Chargers would likely be necessary for the Vikings to acquire their preferred passer. All three have been linked to trading down, with Arizona perhaps the most willing trade partner. The expectation around the league points to the Vikes trading up for a passer, though the Commanders and Pats’ calls at Nos. 2 and 3 will influence — unless Minnesota strikes a deal with one of those teams — which arm the NFC North team will acquire.
It would appear Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels or J.J. McCarthy would be in play for the Vikings; one of them definitely will be on the board at No. 4, when the Cardinals (as of now) are slated to go on the clock. The Vikings are believed to be high on Daniels, who is set for a Minnesota meeting soon, and new QBs coach Josh McCown mentored Maye in high school. McCarthy is also coming up in Vikings rumors, offering more intrigue to this post-Kirk Cousins search.
Moving from 11 to 4 would be costly. It cost the 49ers two future first-rounders and a third to climb from 12 to 3 in 2021, but the Vikings are in better position thanks to acquiring the No. 23 overall pick from the Texans. That choice would certainly be attractive in a trade, and if the Vikings are required to send off a 2025 first-rounder, they would likely only go one draft — as opposed to two, as the 49ers did — without a first.
The Vikings have never drafted a quarterback in the top 10, though Daunte Culpepper (1999) and Christian Ponder (2011) were just outside that neighborhood. Ownership also may be making it known that, after the Cousins partnership moved to a year-to-year stage as the QB’s Twin Cities tenure wore on, a long-term option is needed now. The Vikings scheduled workouts with five of the draft’s top six passers (Maye, Daniels, McCarthy, Michael Penix, Bo Nix), ESPN.com’s Matt Miller adds, preferring to gauge them in that setting compared to at a controlled pro day. Kevin O’Connell was not at this year’s QB pro days, raising the stakes for these Minneapolis-area workouts.
Cousins joined Sam Bradford, Case Keenum and Brett Favre as veteran fixes for the Vikings, who had seen their QB plan veer off course when Culpepper suffered ACL and MCL tears in 2005. The homegrown options Minnesota used in the years since did not last long, with Teddy Bridgewater‘s severe knee injury dealing the team another bad break. After Cousins left for Atlanta, his former team appears committed to finding a successor via a move up from No. 11.
“Just because something is risky doesn’t mean you have to stay away from it,” Adofo-Mensah said of a trade-up for a QB. “It’s something that is hard to grasp, but if you grasp it, you know what the rewards are, right? And that’s something you have to weigh and measure. … You can look at countless examples of other teams who’ve made decisions, but maybe the decision you thought was going to be the decision, it was a different decision that ended up being right and the outcomes were good.
“… I think our odds will be better than the margins. How good are those odds? I think it’s still a pretty risky thing, but just because something’s risky doesn’t mean you’re scared from it, you’re scared of it — you just have to believe. It’s uncertain, right? It’s uncertain and we have to take our swing, but that doesn’t give us any pause, I would say.”
Seahawks Host QB Bo Nix
The Seahawks’ quarterback depth chart already features incumbent starter Geno Smith and trade acquisition Sam Howell. As the draft approaches, though, the team is showing at least passing interest in some of the top options at the position.
Seattle hosted Bo Nix on a pre-draft visit over the weekend, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. Nix is within the second tier of QB prospects in the 2024 class, often viewed closer to Washington alum Michael Penix Jr. than the established top four signal-callers (Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy). The Seahawks have previously been linked to Penix.
Nix put up less-than-impressive numbers during his time at Auburn, but a transfer to Oregon ahead of the 2022 campaign paved the way for his draft stock rising considerably. He totaled 94 touchdowns (74 passing, 20 rushing) in his two seasons with the Ducks, remaining efficient as a passer. Nix completed 74.9% of his attempts at Oregon, throwing only 10 interceptions along the way.
After finishing third in Heisman voting during the 2023 season, Nix found himself on the radar of teams not positioned at the top of the draft order but nevertheless in need of a quarterback addition. The Seahawks currently own the 16th overall pick, slotting them behind the likes of the Vikings, Broncos and Raiders (known trade-up candidates). The team could stand to fill other needs with their top pick, especially with Smith and Howell each on the books for the next two seasons.
However, Seattle’s next selection is No. 81, and Nix will quite likely be off the board by that point. Smith’s future faced a number of questions this offseason, one in which GM John Schneider (who now has full say on roster decisions) and new head coach Mike Macdonald have eventually named him the team’s starter. Howell – acquired to replace Drew Lock in the QB2 role – spent the 2023 season as Washington’s starter and he could be viewed as a developmental option to take over from Smith in relatively short order.
Nix – who also has a Raiders visit lined up – could provide the Seahawks with another long-term project under center (although it should be noted he is 24, making him one of the older QB prospects in this year’s class). It will be interesting to see how the team proceeds in the coming weeks with respect to other visits amongst quarterbacks.
Raiders To Host QB Bo Nix
The Raiders were the rare team last year to bring in the top five quarterback prospects on “30” visits. That ended up being a smokescreen effort, with the team pleased to see three passers going in the top four. That allowed for a highly touted defensive prospect (Tyree Wilson) to fall to No. 7.
This year, the Raiders have been more transparent about their interest in drafting a QB. Michael Penix Jr. will meet with the team Thursday in Las Vegas, and SI.com’s Albert Breer notes Bo Nix will go through a visit on Friday in Nevada.
[RELATED: Raiders Schedule Jayden Daniels Meeting]
The Oregon prospect looms as a player who may well be available at No. 13. While the Raiders have been tied closely to a trade-up effort, a Penix or Nix move would be an alternate route — one far less costly — the AFC West team may consider. Nix put together an eye-popping TD-INT ratio in his final season with the Ducks — 45-3 — but checks in as this draft’s fifth- or sixth-best QB prospect, illustrating the depth the 2024 class has supplied.
Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson, Will Levis and Hendon Hooker met with the Raiders last year. The team would have only had a shot, barring a trade-up move, at Levis or Hooker. The then-Dave Ziegler– and Josh McDaniels-led team opted not to address the position until Round 4. That pick became Aidan O’Connell. While O’Connell played a key part in the Raiders’ 2023 season, it appears likely the Purdue product will be competing with whomever the Tom Telesco– and Antonio Pierce-run team chooses early in this draft.
Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board slots Nix 29th and Penix 33rd. Both Pac-12 products put up monster numbers after transferring. Nix, who used his NCAA-provided fifth year of eligibility following the pandemic, transferred from Auburn in 2022. Nix completed 77.4% of his passes last season and totaled 510 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns in 2022. Stationed in less pass-friendly offenses at Auburn, Nix did not reach 20 TD passes in any of his three seasons there.
The Raiders have been more closely tied to a Jayden Daniels-driven move up the board, as Pierce is close with the former Arizona State recruit. But that would almost definitely cost at least two future first-rounders. If the team is not keen on paying that price — if such a deal even presents itself for the LSU product — the Nix-Penix tier would be a place to look. The Broncos, who have traded three first-round picks since 2022, may also be eyeing that prospect plane. This will add some intrigue to the draft, with neither AFC West team in position to land one of the top four QB prospects at their present draft slots; Denver holds the No. 12 choice.
Caleb Williams Will Not Throw At Combine
The importance of the NFL Scouting Combine continues to be called into question two years after stringent COVID-19 rules nearly caused a mass boycott of the event in 2022. The topic of the boycott brought attention to how important the combine is for late-round, fringe, and small school prospects while potentially serving as a negative for some of college football’s best. Those debates may crop up again with recent news that USC quarterback Caleb Williams plans not to throw at next week’s combine, according to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report.
To clarify, Williams still plans on attending the event in Indianapolis, according to Ian Rapoport. He’ll be available to interview with any interested teams. It’s unclear if he’ll perform in any of the other workouts of the combine, but we know for sure that he will not throw. Rapoport informs us that Williams’ plan is to wait until his pro day, where he will throw and workout for scouts.
There will be pundits chirping on both sides of the story. Some will support the decision, claiming that he has nothing to gain from throwing at the combine. He’s already expected to be selected at No. 1 overall and plans to throw on March 20 at the Trojan’s pro day. What good can be done by working out twice?
The other side will point to character issues that have persisted in the media throughout his junior year of college. Williams’ mentality and leadership took hits late in the year from the media after the quarterback refused to speak to reporters following what ended up being his final game of college football. Rapoport himself seemed to call out the 22-year-old citing Joe Burrow as an example of how a quarterback should handle his role and responsibilities. His refusal to work out among the other quarterbacks is sure to draw criticism from those who already believe that “off-field concerns” exist for the young passer.
In reality, there are advantages to working at the combine, namely the officiality of the measurements and the additional opportunity to work with NFL coaches. Sure, he will get to perform workouts at his pro day, but the results of timed exercises will be hand-timed. Also, while some coaches will choose to attend USC’s pro day, the combine serves as an additional opportunity to work with NFL staff. Some will look down on Williams’ decision to reject that opportunity.
So, yes, there are advantages, but are they minimal for someone with his current draft stock? That’s difficult to answer. We have certainly seen bad combine performances affect draft stock. Most recently, free agent tight end Isaac Nauta went from first-round prospect to seventh-round pick in 2019. Similarly, Bengals offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. fell to the third round after what is classically seen as one of the worst combine performances of all time. Still, there are examples of players like Terrell Suggs, who, despite a terrible combine performance, still turned out to be a top-10 pick.
Could Williams be the next to fall victim to the combine? Probably not. He isn’t expected to deliver anywhere near that poor of a performance and, even if he did, his current stock is simply too high to warrant a drastic fall. Still, when he’s already at the top of most prospect rankings, there’s nowhere for him to go but down. It’s hard to blame him for choosing not to take any chances heading into the 2024 NFL Draft.
His announcement has, obviously, caught headlines, though. In the time between the Schultz’s initial report and this one, both Schultz and Rapoport have reported on a number of other prospect’s intentions. So far, South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler, Washington’s Michael Penix Jr., Oregon’s Bo Nix, and Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy have all made it known that they intend to throw next week. Only LSU’s Jayden Daniels has joined Williams in announcing his intentions to wait until his pro day, per Rapoport. The other four passers will have the opportunity to not only work out at the combine in front of NFL coaches but also to do so in direct comparison to their competition, with the lone exceptions (so far) of Williams and Daniels.
Broncos Moving Toward Russell Wilson Decision; Team Eyeing J.J. McCarthy, Bo Nix?
The Steelers became the first team to go through with post-Super Bowl cuts, moving on from former starters Mitchell Trubisky and Chukwuma Okorafor. A much bigger domino is likely to fall in Denver.
Although the Broncos’ path to upgrade on Russell Wilson is complicated, they still are likely to separate from the pricey passer they benched before Week 17. The team and Wilson had gone through a messy behind-the-scenes chapter pertaining to the decorated QB’s guarantee vesting date, but pushback on that decision being strictly contract-related ensued. The Broncos benched Wilson for Jarrett Stidham, and while the latter is almost definitely not the team’s long-term answer, the Payton-Wilson partnership appears in its final days.
Payton confirmed during an appearance on Up & Adams a decision on Wilson should emerge sooner rather than later (video link). The second-year Broncos HC said the team began its draft meetings Monday. When asked if he was looking to “fall in love” with a QB this offseason, Payton responded, “Yeah,” continuing to point to the Broncos absorbing the record-shattering dead money that would come with a Wilson release. Wilson holds a no-trade clause, though his five-year, $245MM deal is not viewed as tradeable on the surface.
It would cost the Broncos $85MM in dead money to release Wilson; that will be spread over two years due to the expected release set to be classified as a post-June 1 cut. That will slot the 2024 dead money at $35.4MM. That number checks in just $300K north of what the Buccaneers absorbed when Tom Brady retired. Of course, Tampa Bay is no longer restricted by any Brady money this year. The Broncos will be set to deal with $49.6MM in dead cap in 2025. That alone will smash the NFL record, one the Falcons still hold (at $40.5MM) after trading Matt Ryan to the Colts in 2022. A Wilson release will need to occur before March 17; his 2025 base salary ($37MM) becomes fully guaranteed on that day.
The Broncos hold the No. 12 overall pick and cannot enter true negotiations with an outside free agent until March 11. The Bucs and Vikings can respectively talk with Baker Mayfield and Kirk Cousins now. If one of those players becomes an option in Denver, such a signing would be costly. Considering the dead money coming via the likely Wilson release, the Broncos would be tying up plenty of cash at QB were they to go with a pricey free agent option. Of course, none of this year’s UFA passers beyond Cousins or Mayfield are expected to be especially expensive.
During an appearance on the Jim Rome Show (via 9News’ Mike Klis), Payton mentioned Patrick Mahomes and Drew Brees as quick-processing QBs while notably leaving out Wilson when discussing that important skill in his offense. Known more for off-schedule brilliance than pocket mastery, Wilson had moments in Payton’s offense. He still finished in the top 10 in passer rating, while QBR slotted the ex-Seahawks star 21st. A market is likely to form for the 12-year veteran, though he will not be tied to anything close to the $49MM-per-year deal he signed in Denver. Wilson, 35, is unlikely to command anything near his $35MM-AAV Seahawks extension from 2019. The less Wilson makes, however, the more money the Broncos owe due to offset language.
New NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell said (via the Washington Post’s Mark Maske) the Broncos mistreated Wilson when they attempted to move his vesting guarantee date from 2024 to 2025. Wilson’s camp said the team threatened a benching had the QB not gone along; Broncos brass denied the benching threat occurred. The NFLPA had urged Wilson to call the team’s bye-week bluff. Wilson did, and the Broncos stayed with him as their starter until they were realistically eliminated from playoff contention. Despite Denver’s limitations when it comes to securing an upgrade this offseason, a reconciliation here — despite Wilson indicating in January he wanted to stay with the team — should be considered highly unlikely.
At No. 12, the Broncos are not realistic candidates to end up with Caleb Williams or Drake Maye. Jayden Daniels‘ rising stock may well ensure the Heisman winner goes off the board well before No. 12. The Broncos have been loosely connected to trading up for one of these passers, but the team — which has not made a first-round pick since 2021, thanks to the Wilson and Payton trades — views the cost as high enough a move into the top three is unlikely.
This would naturally tie the Broncos to this QB class’ second-tier options, and Denver7’s Troy Renck notes that is already happening. Denver is being connected to Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy and Oregon’s Bo Nix within scouting circles, per Renck. An ex-Jim Harbaugh pupil who is not yet 21, McCarthy joins Nix in not yet being a first-round lock. Given the supply-and-demand issues at quarterback, however, it would certainly not surprise to see both prospects be chosen on Day 1.
The Broncos selecting a QB at 12, as opposed to trading up, would be optimal given the draft capital the team surrendered for Wilson and then to obtain Payton’s rights. Excepting Jay Cutler‘s intermittent promise, the Broncos have not had much luck drafting QBs. The franchise’s top passers (John Elway, Peyton Manning, Jake Plummer, Craig Morton) all game via trade or free agency. But Denver will likely be connected to this year’s crop. The 2025 group, although it is still quite early on that front, is viewed as a lesser group. That could force some teams’ hands ahead of this draft.
Teams Likely To Move Up For QBs In 2024 Draft
For much of the 2023 football season, there was a clear 1-2 punch at the top of the list of 2024 draft eligible quarterbacks. It was also widely believed that this year’s crop would provide a good bit of depth throughout all stages of the draft. Both of those opinions appear to be up for debate now as depth issues and the projected 2025 class have teams thinking twice about how long they can wait for a young project passer this April. 
The clarity at the top of the draft has been muddied a bit by the meteoric rise of LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, who has pushed North Carolina’s Drake Maye for the honor of QB2 behind Caleb Williams from USC. For some time, it was thought that the first-round considerations ended there, but all of the sudden, three other college passers have entered the conversation of Day 1 draft candidates.
Initially, quarterbacks like Michigan national champ J.J. McCarthy, national championship runner-up Michael Penix Jr. out of Washington, and Oregon’s Bo Nix were considered strong contributors to the depth of the draft’s quarterback class, slotting in as likely Day 2 picks. The depth behind them, though, began to slim down as fringe Day 2-3 passers saw the allure of returning to the NIL-potential of college ball and a chance to better their stock for the subsequent year’s draft.
This migration of 2024 depth pieces to the 2025 class has also done little to improve the projection of next year’s quarterback crop. It improves the depth of the 2025 quarterback class, but the group of passers in college next year remains bottom-heavy. Early class headliners like Texas passer Quinn Ewers, Georgia’s Carson Beck, and the prodigal son at Colorado, Shedeur Sanders, all give reasons to excite, but none have cemented themselves as first-rounders and, beyond them, the cupboard is quite bare for top talent.
A few veterans who once sought Day 1 acclaim have disappointed in recent years to the point where they have left for greener college pastures in an attempt to rejuvenate their potential draft status. Journeyman Dillon Gabriel, who has spent three years at UCF and two years at Oklahoma, will spend his final year of eligibility replacing Nix in Eugene. Once promising Duke passer Riley Leonard will try to replace Sam Hartman as the next leader at Notre Dame. A former freshman phenom at Miami (FL), Tyler Van Dyke will try to reestablish his passing prowess at Wisconsin. The Hurricanes will replace Van Dyke with former Washington State passer Cameron Ward, who backed off an earlier declaration for this year’s draft in order to announce his transfer to Coral Gables. After an injury-ruined 2023, Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels, one of a few talented passers who returned to their college home instead of transferring, is on the shortlist of Heisman Trophy contenders after impressing in 2022.
A number of sophomore passers will hope to have breakout years that help them rise like Daniels has this offseason. Penn State’s Drew Allar has impressed early with his efficiency, throwing for 29 touchdowns to just two interceptions in his first two years, but has a tendency to disappear from a gameplan far too easily. Conner Weigman has done little to inspire much confidence in College Station, but the former five-star recruit will hope to rebound for new head coach Mike Elko. Lastly, SMU redshirt sophomore Preston Stone will look to take the next step this year under Rhett Lashlee, who coached the earlier-mentioned Van Dyke to his best season in south Florida.
There are several other names that could be added to the previous few paragraphs, but the inability of any of these players, like Florida State’s transfer addition D.J. Uiagalelei, new Ohio State passer Will Howard, new Huskies quarterback Will Rogers, or any of the players above, to separate themselves above the rest of the batch is a testament to the lack of true top talent in next year’s class. The potential depth is real, but if none of these names can establish themselves as potential Day 1 or 2 picks, the 2025 class faces the same dangers as this year’s group as any passers with remaining eligibility will turn back to NIL money if the NFL has yet to warm up to them.
Because of this lack of excitement in the 2025 crop, there’s belief that teams this year may be a bit more eager to take a quarterback, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. This sentiment was echoed today by Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network, who stated his belief that four to five teams could be looking to move up for a passer leading up to the draft due to the lack of top talent in next year’s group. This hasn’t changed the status much of the established Day 1 picks for this year, though it could push likely mid-first-rounders like Daniels and Maye up closer to the draft position of Williams. The real effect has been attributed to the likely Day 2 picks, Penix, McCarthy, and Nix.
The increased interest in this year’s fringe group can already be seen on the big board of Trevor Sikkema at Pro Football Focus. Sikkema has ranked Penix and Nix at 20th and 22nd overall, respectively, on his 2024 NFL Draft big board, placing them securely in the first round, if his rankings at all reflect NFL interest. McCarthy trails a bit, ranked at 57th, while Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt provides the only decent depth at 75th overall.
Since it’s becoming more and more likely that the Bears will keep their No. 1 overall draft slot, it falls to the Commanders (No. 2) and Patriots (No. 3) to decide how valuable Maye and Daniels will be. Both teams are likely to be interested in adding a quarterback this offseason themselves, but if they decide to stick with young passers Sam Howell or Bailey Zappe or address their needs through free agency, they could potentially cash in on a team more desperate to add a top passing prospect.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes the Raiders (No. 13) and the Vikings (No. 11) as potential teams to move up for a quarterback. Las Vegas is set to head into 2024 with their two veterans, Jimmy Garoppolo and Brian Hoyer, and second-year passer Aidan O’Connell, who took over as the starter for much of last year. Minnesota, on the other hand, is set to watch Kirk Cousins and Joshua Dobbs head to free agency, leaving only Nick Mullens and second-year quarterback Jaren Hall on the roster.
While those two teams could prove to be contenders for Maye or Daniels, the possibilities are far more numerous for new potential Day 1 picks like Penix and Nix. They could end up falling anywhere in the first round, getting selected in the late-teens or seeing teams trade up at the end of the first night to guarantee that fifth-year option granted to first-round picks. Regardless, teams are being forced to do their homework on future draft classes in order to determine their quarterback needs for this year. The result could see up to five or six passers hearing their names called on the night of April 25th.