The Best Quarterback Class Ever?
It might be. But let's talk it about it correctly.
The success of this years rookie quarterbacks has led some to wonder openly if it’s the best quarterback class of time. It well might be, but it’s safe to say we simply don’t know that yet. But that’s never stopped me before, so let’s talk about it.
What are the other possible candidates for the best quarterback classes? There are really two in modern history - 1983 and 2004. 1983 included John Elway, Dan Marino, Jim Kelly … and we can stop the list there with three Hall of Famers. But it also included other starters such as Tony Eason, Ken O’Brien, Todd Blackledge and Gary Kubiak (who I must say I forgot played in the league before coaching). That’s a HELL of a list. So if we are saying any class exceeds this, it needs to have at least three Hall of Famers. Tall bar to clear, no?
In 2004, we saw Eli Manning, Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger drafted, and it’s not inconceivable that all three will make their way to the Hall of Fame. That’s four Super Bowl wins in there, but … sorry, I’m calling it. This doesn’t surpass 1983, not by a long shot.
So what’s the competition from the 2024 class? Here are the drafted quarterbacks, in order:
Caleb Williams, Bears
Jayden Daniels, Commanders
Drake Maye, Patriots
Michael Penix, Falcons
J.J. McCarthy, Vikings
Bo Nix, Broncos
Spencer Rattler, Saints
Jordan Travis, Jets
Joe Milton, Patriots
Devin Leary, Ravens
Michael Pratt, Packers
The first six players were drafted with the first 12 picks in the draft, and Rattler wasn’t drafted until the 5th round, so it was quite top heavy.
And anyone who paid attention this season knows a few things - Jayden Daniels is the Truth, and is playing in the NFC Championship this weekend. Bo Nix played out of his mind and helped lead the Broncos to the playoffs, while Williams, Maye and Penix look like the future for their teams. The jury is out on McCarthy, who missed his rookie season with a torn ACL. Rattler and Milton also started games and flashed a bit, though are unlikely to be starting anywhere anytime soon.
That’s an impressive list. What stuns me is that even within this list, there are those that think that Williams had a terrible rookie season, while Penix flashed and showed he can be the answer. This simply doesn’t pass muster.
Penix only played in five games, and only started three of them. There’s absolutely no reason to dive into stats - and of course, stats don’t tell the COMPLETE story - but if you think Penix showed enough, then Williams absolutely did. And with head coach Ben Johnson coming in and running a professional offense, I expect Williams to progress well.
Remember, it’s not normal for quarterback to immediately click like Daniels and Nix did. There’s a reason that quarterbacks are paid more than almost anyone else in sports - it’s incredibly hard, and even if you get a guy who isn’t elite but still very good (Dak Prescott, Trevor Lawrence, Tua, etc.) you pay them. It’s HARD.
So it’s crazy to think that this draft might have at least six starters in it, and more than a few who could become special. It’s not a stretch to say Daniels is already there.
But better than Elway, Marino and Kelly? We aren’t even CLOSE to that level. And folks who say so are either being ignorant or looking for hot takes. Tread carefully. It’s very exciting that this COULD be a class like that, and honestly I do expect good things out of all six first rounders. But 1983 was a game changer, and we probably won’t reach that level ever again in a single class.