This isn't the year we'll need a quarterback in the NFL draft, but several teams already know what their priorities must be in April of the upcoming year.
The Las Vegas Raiders and the New York Giants absolutely have to spend a high pick on a quarterback. The Tennessee Titans AND Carolina Panthers almost certainly should too, unless there is an unexpected turnaround for Will Levis AND Bryce Young. The Cleveland Browns are also in need of a change, although one wonders if ownership would allow them to use a valuable draft asset on a player who could usurp the position of Deshaun Watson, whose fully guaranteed contract runs through 2026. Depending on this, the Steelers may also be in limbo as to what they think of Justin Fields and Russell Wilson at the end of the season.
Meanwhile, the Miami Dolphins need a much better backup quarterback plan, while the New York Jets, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans Saints all need to think about the future. This group of teams can at least afford to choose their spots, which is better than imposing the problem. On the other hand, how often does a team turn a mid-round lottery pick into a franchise cornerstone?
The point is that we live in a time of year when teams need to be honest with their internal evaluations. But just because teams feel they need a quarterback doesn't necessarily mean they can get one.
Remember, the Giants tried last spring. When they couldn't move up in the draft, instead of forcing themselves to take someone they didn't love, they threw themselves at the rest of the class. There is something to be said for this, but this approach also increases the need to fix it next year.
League evaluators are still trying to figure out where to rank Texas' Quinn Ewers, Georgia's Carson Beck, Colorado's Shedeur Sanders, Alabama's Jalen Milroe, Miami's Cam Ward and Mississippi's Jaxson Dart, among others. These are intriguing players, but it wouldn't be too shocking if there was a repeat of 2022, when there was no QB in the top ten.
To complicate the hunt, there are no proven veterans ready to hit the market in free agency. The best of this group could bring in Sam Darnold and Fields, as well as veteran interims like Wilson and Joe Flaco.
The 2026 season will be much more exciting due to the likelihood of Arch Manning's declaration. Most likely, a team that fails to address its QB shortage next year will be in contention for that prized No. 1 pick.
The Athletic's QB rankings for Week 7
What's the difference?
Joe Burrow entered the NFL as the No. 1 overall pick in 2020 after leading LSU's historic offense to an undefeated championship run that captured national attention. He was basically the Cincinnati Bengals starter from the moment he arrived.
Brock Purdy entered the NFL as the last overall pick in the 2022 draft after a little-known career at Iowa State. He was buried behind Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo on the San Francisco 49ers' depth and didn't get the starting job until halfway through his rookie season due to injuries.
It's hard to dispute those labels, but it's probably long overdue to recognize Purdy as one of the best quarterbacks in the game.
Consider this pair's regular season stats from 2022 onwards.
We're not that different, you and me
| Joe Burrow (2022–24) | Brock Purdy (2022–24) | |
|---|---|---|
|
It begins |
32 |
31 |
|
Record |
19-13 |
20-7 |
|
% Completion |
68,4 |
68,0 |
|
Passing yards |
8362 (261.3/game) |
7283 (234,9/gra) |
|
Transfer of tank destroyers |
62 |
53 |
|
INT |
20 |
19 |
|
Passer rating |
99,4 |
108,9 |
|
Rushing yards |
439 (13,7/gra) |
284 (9.2/game) |
|
Rushing tank destroyers |
6 |
3 |
The numbers are remarkably similar. Burrow has a clear advantage in passing, but this could be expected after Purdy uses the dynamic play of Kyle Shanahan.
Burrow is also 5-2 in the playoffs and was outstanding in 2021 when the Bengals defeated the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. Defensively, they fell short of beating the Rams in the Super Bowl.
However, Purdy is 4-2 in the playoffs, where he has been outstanding, leading the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game in 2022 and the Super Bowl in 2023. They also came close to dethroning the Chiefs in February.
Purdy didn't get the same shine because of the way he entered the league. He also doesn't get as much recognition for his performance because of the 49ers program.
It's high time to change this perception. Purdy is undoubtedly one of the best in the game.
That star still shines in Seattle. Watch Brock Purdy's best plays #TNFonPrime.
More 🎥 at https://t.co/vpdsX5r07D pic.twitter.com/NXCjGiaonF
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) October 12, 2024
1 Maj
Drake Maye had a strong debut in the opener against Houston, Texas, going 20 of 33 for 243 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. He also led the New England Patriots with 38 rushing yards and lost a fumble.
Drake Maye DIME with his first career touchdown pass!
📺: #HOUvsNE w CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/psTLjZvOoK— NFL (@NFL) October 13, 2024
Maye has recorded the most passing yards against the Texans this season, which is impressive considering the team's performances of Anthony Richardson, Caleb Williams, Sam Darnold, Trevor Lawrence AND Josh Allen. You could argue that his total deserves an asterisk given the inconsistent result, but let's not overwhelm Maye with his first career start against a quality defense while the entire Patriots offense around him fell to pieces.
Maye certainly had some struggles. He was slurred with his accuracy, especially early on, but by half-time he had settled into a rushing rhythm. Maye put an exclamation point there with Kayshon Boutte's majestic 40-yard touchdown pass because the throw helped his sophomore wide receiver gain separation late in the game against cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. It was probably the best throw by a Patriots quarterback since Tom Brady has worn a uniform.
GO DEEPER
Buckley: Drake Maye, Patriots gave fans what they wanted – a glimpse into the future
Once Maye becomes comfortable enough to be able to make more consistent shots with ease, and he did more in the second half, his offensive game will develop even further. He will also eventually improve his confidence, although it may take longer given the state of New England's offensive line.
Speaking of which, Maye's performance should take some of the pressure off Jerod Mayo. Over the past few months, the first-year head coach has had some inconsistencies in his quarterback explanations, and opposing managers have pointed it out. Then people across the league wondered whether Mayo had rushed the decision to start Maye last week, perhaps feeling fatigue from the losing streak and breaking the plan to make things easier for Maye.
Moreover, the Patriots offensive line is one of the worst units in the NFL, and these problems are only made worse by injuries. Maye was under a lot of pressure on Sunday, especially with two substitutes playing for most of the match.
However, he still posted better numbers than Jacoby Brissett in any of his five starts. Maye had a high completion rate and passer rating on the Patriots' season (88.3) and had more touchdowns in his debut than Brissett had all season (two).
It was an encouraging start. Now Maye will take center stage on Sunday morning in London when the Patriots meet the Patriots Jaguars, whose defense has given up the most passes in the NFL.
Maye debuted at No. 23 in the rankings due to his potential to raise the cap with draft stock. This is also an appropriate spot because fellow rookies Caleb Williams (No. 19) and Jayden Daniels (No. 22) debuted slightly higher in Week 1.
I'm asking for a fourth
Because Nix is a fighter. His competitiveness kept the Denver Broncos in games that seemed lost heading into the fourth quarter, again nearly overcoming a 23-0 deficit and scoring 16 points in the quarter against the Chargers on Sunday.
The question, however, is whether the Broncos were too conservative with Nix heading into the fourth quarter or if the defense loosened up its look after some of those carries.
Breaking it down into quarters, Nix has been significantly more productive in the fourth, though it's not even close. It was there that he scored the most scores (41), yards (428), touchdowns (five, including passes and runs), first downs (28, including passes and runs), highest completion percentage (69.5) and passer rating (93, 0).
It's not like the Broncos are starting the game neutral. Nix has 97 first-half passing yards and 101 second-half passing yards this season. But there's something about the way he handles “must have it” situations in the fourth quarter.
The @oregonfootball connection!
Bo Nix finds Troy Franklin on his first TD catch!
📺: #LACvsDEN w CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/FU4T8eKNT8— NFL (@NFL) October 13, 2024
On the other hand, the Broncos trailed the Seahawks (26-13), Steelers (13-0) and Chargers by double digits in the fourth quarter. Nix wouldn't be the first quarterback to improve his statistical numbers in garbage time.
This is just the beginning of Nix's career, so it's important to find the bright spots in the rookie's performance and accentuate them. It would be fun to see if Nix can take the next step in his development as the Broncos build on some of their fourth-quarter success earlier in their games.
Ranking notes
It came up: Derek Carruraz oblique (last week, No. 21); Gardner Minshew, on the bench (last week, No. 27); Jacoby Brissett, on the bench (last week, no. 30).
Quick explanation: Carr has been removed from the rankings because he is expected to miss at least one more game. Anthony Richardson remains in the rankings (and not Joe Flaco) because his recovery timeline was more uncertain. If the Stallions established a more definitive timeline for Richardson's injury, thus definitively moving Flacco to the starting position, it would lead to an adjustment in the rankings.
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(Zdjęcie: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
