The 2024 Senior Bowl QB crop was one of the most exciting in recent memory, and each day of practice carried heavy NFL Draft implications. With Day 3 of Senior Bowl practices in the rearview mirror, who stood out most among the quarterbacks?
Senior Bowl Day 3 QB Rankings
It’s important to note that these rankings do not equate to NFL Draft rankings. Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr. will likely leave the event as the top-rated QBs present just as they entered it. But these rankings aim to contextualize performance within the week.
For all quarterbacks, interviews with teams will be just as, if not more important, than their play on the field. These rankings, in the end, are only one part of the puzzle.
1) Michael Penix Jr., Washington
After a couple of practices plagued by inaccuracy, Michael Penix Jr. saved his best for last, putting on a show for evaluators on Thursday. Particularly in the red-zone session, Penix was impressive, throwing three touchdowns while beating the defense in different ways.
Early on, Penix used his mobility to evade pressure and extend plays. As the session went on, he used his quick release to get the ball out fast to RAC targets. To end it off, he hit Luke McCaffrey in the back of the end zone with an effortless, high-velocity flick off-platform.
Variability, control, and high-end talent — those are some of the things Penix showed on Day 3. NFL Combine medicals will still be big for him, but at the Senior Bowl, Penix at least proved that no talent argument will keep him out of the early rounds.
2) Spencer Rattler, South Carolina
There’s a case to make that Spencer Rattler played the best out of all the Senior Bowl quarterbacks this week. Penix surpassed him on Thursday with an immaculate showing, but Rattler was still in a separate tier from the rest.
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Not only did Rattler make impressive drive throws outside the numbers with his arm, but he also showed he could read high-to-low, work within structure, and decisively hit open options underneath. Rattler’s comfort and confidence level set him apart in Mobile and allowed his natural talent to shine.
Rattler rose in Mobile. Did he do enough to enter the same tier as Nix and Penix? That remains to be seen, but the gap between them may be closing.
3) Bo Nix, Oregon
Bo Nix‘s 2024 NFL Draft stock won’t be deflated too much by a middle-of-the-road Senior Bowl showing. But at the same time, for a passer who was so well-insulated by Oregon’s offense in 2022 and 2023, seeing him struggle to gain a rhythm in a new environment was notable.
Nix did improve on Thursday. He threw a crisp sidearm seed under pressure to a crossing WR over the middle. He also dished out a laser to Malachi Corley in the corner of the end zone in team drills and hit him again with a nice back-shoulder ball in 1-on-1s.
That said, while Nix’s arm talent allows him to make impressive throws, there’s also still a sense that he has trouble settling with his feet at the top of his drop. He also held the ball too long at times. Nix showed enough to maintain his place, but questions do remain.
4) Carter Bradley, South Alabama
Carter Bradley did what he needed to do in Mobile. It wasn’t a perfect multi-day showing for Bradley, but the South Alabama product piqued the interest of evaluators with his arm talent and also made some eye-catching throws with decisiveness and anticipation.
On Thursday, the highlight for Bradley was a wheel-route TD to Jaheim Bell. Bell worked himself wide open, but Bradley timed the pass well and hit Bell with pace. Bradley’s accuracy can be streaky, but the Jaguars product had some of the week’s best passes.
5) Michael Pratt, Tulane
After an accurate, on-target Wednesday practice, Michael Pratt was a bit less consistent on Thursday. He didn’t get many opportunities to push the boundaries, but when he did, the results were mixed.
On one team drill pass, Pratt threw too high for Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, causing a drop and inadvertent interception for Tykee Smith.
The silver lining for Pratt is that, even without top-end talent or flawless consistency, he still won the week with his demeanor and leadership ability. He was one of the first out to practice every day and was consistently giving his WRs tips, feedback, and encouragement. He’ll be a welcome addition to a QB room.
6) Sam Hartman, Notre Dame
Sam Hartman‘s Senior Bowl showing more or less reaffirmed what we already knew about the Notre Dame passer. He’s a poised and experienced quarterback with some veteran savvy to his game.
That much was evident on Thursday when he used a pump fake to freeze Kalen King on the scramble drill and open up a running lane for a red-zone TD.
As a thrower, however, Hartman’s limitations were only made more stark in a QB group dominated by strong arms. Hartman doesn’t have the velocity to make drive throws consistently, and even on more routine throws like quick outs, his passes stalled startlingly quickly.
He could be a quality depth QB or backup, but that’s likely Hartman’s ceiling.
7) Joe Milton III, Tennessee
Evaluators hoping to get a closer look at Joe Milton III‘s physical tools in Mobile will be inspired. However, evaluators hoping to see him take on more responsibility as an independent processor and distributor were likely left wanting more.
Milton had a good moment on Wednesday, hitting a tight window over the middle of the field with his rocket arm. But on Thursday, his day was nondescript, with one bad interception right to a linebacker in red-zone drills.
The interception wasn’t dissimilar to some of the issues on tape — that Milton predetermines throws and can’t adapt when defenders clog lanes. And on other red-zone throws, his lack of touch caused more than one overthrow.
KEEP READING: Top QBs in the 2024 NFL Draft
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