The 2024 NFL Draft tied a league record for the most first-round quarterbacks — and each of those six signal-callers saw their first pro action in last weekend’s preseason openers.
How did each Round 1 QB perform in their first NFL snaps? We’re ranking and analyzing all six first-round NFL rookie quarterback debuts.
First-Round NFL Rookie QB Debuts Ranked
6) Drake Maye, New England Patriots
Drake Maye’s NFL debut was pretty uneventful. The No. 3 overall pick followed veteran Jacoby Brissett in the Patriots’ QB pecking order, entering last Thursday night’s rainy game against the Panthers on New England’s second offensive series.
Maye attempted just three passes against Carolina, completing two for 19 yards. He hit RB Antonio Gibson for a screen, slightly overthrew WR Jalen Reagor, then found RB Kevin Harris on a short dumpoff.
“I think I was a little nervous,” Maye said. “I think if you’re not getting nervous, then it doesn’t mean something to you. That’s how I look at it. I think nerves are a good thing. After you get that first snap, they blow the whistle at the end of the first play, you kind of settle in.”
5) Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons
“No nerves, no jitters. I was ready to go.”
Michael Penix Jr. said he wasn’t fazed by his first preseason start with the Falcons, and his production proved that. He mostly looked comfortable against the Miami Dolphins’ backup defense, completing 9 of 16 passes for 104 yards while playing on Atlanta’s first five possessions.
Penix’s best throw came on the Falcons’ third drive when he found WR Chris Blair for a 41-yard hole shot down the right sideline.
Penix makes the connection downfield!
📱: Stream #ATLvsMIA on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/fJcfCmUO2x
— NFL (@NFL) August 9, 2024
Penix was pressured three times but didn’t take a sack. He’s not a mobile quarterback, but his average time to throw — 2.14 seconds — ranked fourth-best among passers with at least 10 passing attempts in preseason Week 1, according to TruMedia.
“We got a little pass-happy with (Penix) obviously being a first-round quarterback,” Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said. “But it was fun to see him go out there and execute some of the pass plays, to be able to get some stuff done and really lead the offense, to get them in and out of the huddle.”
Atlanta hopes Penix doesn’t play for at least two seasons, given that it signed veteran QB Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal in March.
4) Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
Jayden Daniels only dropped back four times in his Commanders debut, but the No. 2 overall pick and reigning Heisman Trophy winner made the most of his limited snaps.
On his second attempt, Daniels hit wideout Dyami Brown on a 42-yard vertical shot up the right sideline. Then, he scored a three-yard rushing touchdown on a zone-read attempt near the goal line — something we’ll probably see quite a bit from Daniels during the regular season.
Although head coach Dan Quinn hasn’t formally named Daniels the Commanders’ starting quarterback, the rookie took Washington’s first reps in the preseason opener and isn’t facing realistic competition from QB2 Marcus Mariota.
3) Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
Caleb Williams only handled two drives for the Bears in his NFL debut, but the first pick in April’s draft looked more than ready to handle a pro offense.
Williams completed four of seven passes for 95 yards; his 10.6-yard average depth of target (aDOT) ranked first among rookie quarterbacks in the first week of the preseason.
Perhaps even more impressive was Williams’ 13-yard rush against the Bills’ two-high man coverage, which he broke down in detail after the game.
I matched Caleb Williams’ breakdown of his scramble from the press conference up with the All22 film. pic.twitter.com/2xqHSbMXgY
— ImBearingDown (@ImBearingDown) August 12, 2024
2) Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
While Bo Nix is technically competing with veteran Jarrett Stidham for Denver’s starting QB job, the first-round rookie will inevitably take snaps in 2024, regardless of who’s under center for the Broncos in Week 1.
Denver’s competition is ongoing, but head coach Sean Payton had to have liked what he saw from Nix, who went 15 of 21 for 125 yards and one touchdown while leading four scoring drives. While Payton lumped Nix, Payton, and fellow Broncos QB Zach Wilson together after Week 1, Nix has to be considered the favorite.
Nix averaged just 6.2 yards per attempt. Among the 58 quarterbacks with at least 10 pass attempts in Week 1, his aDOT ranked 36th. Those numbers won’t help Nix avoid questions about his willingness to go vertical, but he did attempt several downfield shots.
Nix also rushed for 13 yards and showed solid mobility after scoring 38 rushing touchdowns in 61 college games.
1) J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings still seem likely to deploy veteran Sam Darnold as their Week 1 starting quarterback, but J.J. McCarthy is trying to make Minnesota’s decision as difficult as possible.
McCarthy completed 11 of 17 attempts for 188 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception against the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday. The Michigan product didn’t take any sacks despite pushing the ball downfield (10-yard aDOT) and added 18 rushing yards for good measure.
McCarthy got to play against Las Vegas’ backup defense, but he made the most of his opportunity. The No. 10 overall pick posted 0.57 EPA per dropback in the Vikings’ preseason opener, the second-best mark among quarterbacks with at least 10 passing attempts in Week 1, per TruMedia.
