On April 25, the 2024 NFL draft will be held in Detroit. The opportunity to present the different prospects in more detail through new thematic articles, the “Prototype”. The idea is simple: identify the perfect prospect, with the main quality of each player entered in the draft. Today, honor to the position usually the most glamorous, namely the quarterbacks.
The question is simple: how to create the ideal quarterback for the 2024 Draft?
Arm Power: Joe Milton III
In a class that has quite a few vertically skilled players, Milton is undoubtedly the one with the most “elite” arm. It is no coincidence that Tennessee recruited him at the university to take over behind Hendon Hooker, in a team adept at deep play. Unfortunately for him, the person concerned deals with a reading of the game and random precision, but he should clearly score points at the Combine, due to the disconcerting ease with which he can throw as far as possible.
Pocket management: JJ McCarthy
It's a fact, Michigan's offense was leaning heavily on the ground the last two years. But don't think that McCarthy's record as a Wolverines starter (27 wins, one loss) is the result of chance. Without having been as statistically dominant as the other players in the position at university, the native Floridian has always been able to demonstrate a certain composure in the pocket, being able to manage pressure well (63% of completed passes in this register in 2023, 69% in the blitz phase) and to move efficiently to gain the necessary time. It is precisely these achievements that make it a very exciting project for franchises at the higher level.
Ball placement: Drake Maye
Plagued by risk-taking on certain sequences at North Carolina, Maye remains a formidable player thanks to his sense of timing and his ability to place the ball in the right place at the right time. This good sense of anticipation and trajectory can prove extremely valuable, even when receivers do not provide optimal separation. To give an idea, all North Carolina receivers who have at least 40 receptions this season finished with a percentage of at least 50% on contested receptions, within a group significantly renewed during the offseason, the image of the departure of Josh Downs (Colts) to the NFL.
Precision / Efficiency: Bo Nix
How far this 2019 season already seems when Nix arrived on the Auburn campus. In five years, the man who now plays at Oregon has silenced a lot of critics who summed him up as a player taking advantage of a system. Having become mature in his game, the Duck has continued to progress in terms of efficiency, like his 77% of passes completed in 2023, and his 45 touchdowns and 3 interceptions which earned him a finalist place for the title of best player of the season. Able to quickly identify his first reads, he is a player who undoubtedly needs to develop in improvisation, but once his window is found, Bo Nix very rarely misses his target, even under pressure. An interesting base.
Joe Milton, one of the most formidable arms in this class.
Speed of execution: Michael Penix Jr
This ability made him one of the most dangerous players of the season and led his Washington team to the college final. Often hampered by injuries during the first part of his NCAA course at Indiana, Penix was able to reinvent himself in a certain way by integrating a very vertical game, which he simply enhanced by his ability to throw very quickly. Another point he has in common with Tua Tagovailoa, for example, beyond the fact that he is also left-handed.
Mobility: Jayden Daniels
Is this really debatable? Smashing in the air, with 3,811 yards, 40 touchdowns and 4 interceptions, Daniels also reminded observers that he was an exceptional athlete. A defector from Arizona State in 2022, Jayden Daniels has twice crossed the 1,000 rushing yard mark in the last two years at LSU, propelling himself to the top of the NCAA as the best player last year. Certainly, the physique of number 5 may seem more frail than for other candidates in this draft, but his size (larger despite everything) is reminiscent of that of Lamar Jackson. A similar profile on the ground, with undoubtedly a better arm (coming out of university): this will please creative offensive coordinators within the league.
Improvisation: Caleb Williams
Let's be clear, the qualities of the former Oklahoma player are countless and still make him, today, a consensus number 1 in the draft in the eyes of many observers. But in the modern NFL, the quality that most highlights the USC prospect is undoubtedly this ability to create from nothing. On the move, Caleb Williams not only knows how to break tackles but also throws lethally. This improvisation sometimes comes at a heavy price, with 30 fumbles conceded in his college career, including 16 only in 2023. But by being better channeled, the best college player of 2022 is enough to give headaches to any NFL defense in the future. close …
