Ranking NFL Rookie Quarterbacks: Caleb Williams Falls Behind Bo Nix?

Where does former USC Trojans quarterback and current Denver Broncos starter Caleb Williams rank among rookie quarterbacks like Washington Commaders' Jayden Daniels, Denver Broncos' Bo Nix, and New England Patriots' Drake Maye?

Nov 10, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) drops back to pass against the New England Patriots during the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images / Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

Former USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears have had an up-and-down 2024 season. Where does the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft rank among the rest of the rookie quarterback class?

Ranking the 2024 Rookie Quarterbacks

There were 11 quarterbacks taken in the 2024 NFL Draft. Only five of them have started games this season. Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears, Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders, Drake Maye of the New England Patriots, Bo Nix of the Denver Broncos, and Spencer Rattler of the New Orleans Saints.

How do they rank 1-5 through the first 10 weeks of the regular season?

1. Jayden Daniels 

Nov 10, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) passes the ball as Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen (6) defends during the first half at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

There is no debate about who has been the best rookie quarterback in 2024. Jayden Daniels was selected by the Washington Commanders as the No. 2 overall pick. He has completely transformed the team's outlook. The Commanders are 7-3 this season after a 4-13 season in 2023. A highlight of this turnaround was Daniel’s 50-yard hail mary to Noah Brown to beat the Chicago Bears on the last play of the game.

What’s been most impressive about Daniels is his composure and efficiency. He has a completion percentage of 68.7 and has only thrown two interceptions to go along with 2,147 passing yards and 13 total touchdowns. He is the front-runner for offensive rookie of the year, and for good reason. 

2. Bo Nix

Nov 10, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) throws a pass against the Kansas City Chiefs during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Overall, Bo Nix has been the second-best rookie quarterback this season. Nix was selected No. 12 overall by the Denver Broncos. Nix doesn’t have any eye-popping stats, but he looks more and more comfortable in an NFL offense. He has thrown for 1,968 yards, ten touchdowns, and six interceptions. An underrated part of his game is his mobility, where he has run for 290 yards and four touchdowns, and he has escaped countless sacks with his elusiveness.  

It is also worth noting that Denver had very low expectations coming into the season, with their Vegas win total set at 5 or 6 wins. The Broncos are 5-5 and right in the thick of the wild card race.   

3. Caleb Williams

Nov 10, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) passes against the New England Patriots during the first half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images / David Banks-Imagn Images

It may be unfair to have Caleb Williams below Nix at this point, but the reasoning is the high expectations on Williams coming into the season. Williams was the slam dunk No. 1 overall pick by the Chicago Bears. The Bears boasted a great defense and added some weapons for the rookie Williams. Unfortunately for Chicago, the season has not panned out. Their offensive line has been a major issue and, frankly, putting Williams at a higher risk of injury. The Bears have to do a better job protecting their franchise quarterback. 

The Bears have a 4-5 record but have lost three straight games after a 4-2 start. The concerning thing for Chicago is that their offense is not getting any better. Williams has thrown for 1,785 yards, nine touchdowns, and five interceptions. There are occasional flashes of brilliance, but Williams appears to be running for his life and can never get into a rhythm. 

4. Drake Maye

Nov 10, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) drops back to pass against the Chicago Bears during the first quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images / Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

There are probably some Patriots fans who want Maye ranked over Williams after Sunday’s 19-3 Patriots win over the Bears. Maye was selected No. 3 overall by the New England Patriots. The Patriots didn’t throw Maye right into the fire and let him sit behind veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett through the first month of the season. This clearly helped Maye, as he has had some very solid games right off the bat since taking over.

Maye has started five games (with a 2-3 record) and has thrown for 954 yards, seven touchdowns, and five interceptions. The arrow is trending upwards for Maye as the season continues.

5. Spencer Rattler

Oct 27, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler (18) is sacked by Los Angeles Chargers defensive tackle Scott Matlock (44) in the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Spencer Rattler was taken No. 150 overall by the New Orleans Saints to be the backup to Derek Carr. Rattler got his chance to play when Carr missed three games with an injury. He looked like a fifth-round pick before Carr returned to the field.

The Saints lost all three Rattler starts by 18 or more points. In these games, Rattler threw for 571 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. He may eventually develop into a starting-caliber quarterback but he is not one right now. The Saints fired coach Dennis Allen, so the next hire will have the responsibility of developing Rattler.

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