The 2024 NFL Draft quarterback class had their chance to impress the scouts and NFL evaluators in Indianapolis this past weekend. The group of quarterbacks who chose to participate turned out to be disappointingly small. While this was disappointing, the on-field workouts themselves provided us with some excellent displays of talent. For that reason, my Biggest Quarterback Winners and Losers from the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine will be largely based on the workouts and not the drills. For a look at our full rookie rankings, check out our Rookie Rankings Page.
Quarterback Winners
JJ McCarthy, Michigan
McCarthy didn’t exactly wow us as far as on-field drills go. He ranked in with the third-best time in the 20-yard Shuttle and 3-cone Drill, but with only four quarterbacks choosing to participate, that means next to nothing. Perhaps the most important measurement for McCarthy was his weigh-in. Checking in at 6-2 1/2″ and 219-pounds, he was significantly bigger than anyone anticipated. Both measurements rank in the top five in this full quarterback class. With several quarterbacks choosing to forgo certain tests and measurements altogether, it was a shot in the arm for the value of McCarthy.
Perhaps the highlight of his 2024 NFL Scouting Combine was the on-field workout itself. McCarthy showed excellent arm strength paired with pinpoint precision. This was not bad for a quarterback that many had doubts about due to the offense he ran at Michigan. His display of arm talent paired with his impressive size all but guaranteed he will secure first-round draft capital in the NFL Draft. As his stock continues to rise, it may soon see him thrust into the conversation with Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels who were seen as a tier ahead of McCarthy.
Joe Milton III, Tennessee
As with most of the quarterbacks in this class, Milton III was selective with which events he took part in. His 10’1″ Broad Jump and 35.0″ Vertical Jump checked in as best and second-best respectively. Milton also took part in the weigh-in, which for him was on an entirely different level. He weighed in at 6-5 and 235-pounds, the top spot in both categories. He may not have the all-around skillset of Anthony Richardson, but his size and explosiveness give him a similar upside should he learn to harness his elite arm strength. Milton III has fantasy league-winning potential if he can improve his accuracy.
As impressive as Milton’s size measurements were, it paled in comparison to his throwing session. Many experts expected Milton III to put on an impressive display of his cannon arm, but what he did on the field was well beyond what anyone could have hoped for. If you don’t believe me, head over to YouTube and check out his throwing session. It’s a true marvel to behold. His arm strength is unlike any quarterback we’ve seen in many years, and it all but guarantees that an NFL team is going to take a chance on him at some point on Day 2.
A cannon-armed quarterback, securing Day 2 draft capital is half the battle for fantasy football. All he would need at that point is to get a chance to improve his precision, and he could be a fantasy stud in the making. Milton III is the perfect late-round rookie pick. If he hits, he will be a monster, and if he misses you wasted almost nothing as far as draft capital is concerned. I’m very excited to see him at his Pro Day.
Quarterback Losers
Jayden Daniels, LSU
Daniels chose not to participate in a single thing this weekend, and that didn’t work out as well as he had hoped. Caleb Williams is the consensus QB1 in this draft class. With Daniels battling it out with Drake Maye for the QB2 spot, it was a poor decision by his brain trust to sit out the week. This poor decision was further exacerbated by the show put on by McCarthy. He went into the weekend hoping to beat out Maye for the second pick and now faces himself battling both Maye and McCarthy. This is a perplexing position that could have been put to rest by a solid 2024 NFL Scouting Combine showing.
Jayden Daniels Advanced Stats & Metrics Profile
Perhaps more confusing than his refusal to take part in any of the drills, was his choice to avoid the weigh-in. He is more than tall enough to be an NFL quarterback at 6-4, but he was widely expected to check in on the lighter side as far as weight goes. That’s likely the reason he chose to skip it altogether. It’s concerning that a quarterback listed at a frail 210-pounds chose not to weigh in. If he checks in under 200-pounds at his Pro Day, it could be terrifying to NFL teams.
Sam Hartman, Notre Dame
It pains me to call Sam Hartman a loser of the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. I greatly admire him for putting himself out there and taking part in every single drill. He was the only quarterback to do so. The problem for Hartman is, while admirable, it turned out to be foolish. Many of these prospects choose to avoid the drills because they can only go down in value and have little to gain. Hartman was significantly further down the draft board than the other three quarterbacks mentioned in this article, but his testing scores won’t be helping his cause. The best thing I can say about his workout is that his hair flow is elite.
As stated above, Hartman completed all tests this weekend. His weigh-in, while not horrible, put him on the lower end of this rookie class. His 6-1, 211-pound frame checks in as the third worst of all the quarterbacks. He is by no means tiny, but his size certainly isn’t going to earn him any bonus points. He also participated in all the drills, although he finished last or second last in all of them except for the 20-yard Shuttle. His 40-yard Dash time checked in at 4.80 seconds, which isn’t bad if you’re Tom Brady. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have Brady’s arm talent. Therein lies the real problem. Even if you aren’t an analytics person, and you are willing to dismiss the testing score completely, it was abundantly evident during the on-field throwing session that he had easily the worst arm strength in the class.
