The NFL Draft is still a few months away, and players are yet to compete in the NFL Combine, but that certainly isn’t stopping some of the biggest names in the media world from putting out their mock drafts. Most recently, Mel Kiper, the most credible source from ESPN released his Top 10 list.
Of all the positions, the quarterback is always the most interesting position since it is arguably the most important position in any team sport. However, ranking quarterbacks can be very difficult, particularly in today’s game, where so many different playstyles are able to work at a high level.
Mel Kiper’s Top 10 NFL Draft Quarterbacks
One thing to understand with Mel Kiper’s big board is that he isn’t necessarily ranking the top ten quarterbacks; he ranks the first ten quarterbacks that will be drafted. This can be different from the top ten overall in that a team may be looking for a mobile quarterback over a pocket passer. This may mean despite quarterbacks six, seven, and eight being available, the ninth quarterback may get picked up.
Here are Mel Kiper’s Top 10 quarterbacks:
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Caleb Williams – USC
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Jayden Daniels – LSU
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Drake Maye – North Carolina
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JJ McCarthy – Michigan
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Michael Penix Jr. – Washington
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Bo Nix – Oregon
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Spencer Rattler – South Carolina
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Michael Pratt – Tulane
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Jordan Travis – Florida State
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Joe Milton- Tennessee
NEW: Top 10 QBs in the 2024 NFL Draft per Mel Kiper🎯
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Biggest Surprises
There are quite a few surprises in Mel Kiper’s list. The biggest is JJ McCarthy from Michigan, who, while at Michigan, was often given the title ‘game manager’. He is also the sixth-ranked QB, according to PFF, a very reputable ranking site that takes into account many different data points. But with quarterbacks such as Brock Purdy and Tua Tagovailoa excelling in the league as game managers themselves, Kiper believes that a team will jump on him earlier in the draft than what his rankings show.
Another surprise and debate is Jayden Daniels vs Drake Maye. Maye has a much higher PFF grade and fits the traditional NFL QB mold, while Jayden Daniels is the more athletic scrambling type of quarterback that has become more popular in recent years. Both QBs played on teams that underperformed in the win/loss column, adding another layer to the debate on which player is the more attractive player.
Finally, Sam Hartman, the starting QB for Notre Dame is nowhere to be found on this list. Hartman is making a lot of Top 10 lists, typically falling in the eight to ten range. Kiper may have Hartman as the next QB on his list, but as far as most readers and viewers go, he may as well be 20th since he’s not on the list at all.
Conclusion
Mel Kiper has earned a good reputation from years of great analysis and correct predictions. Despite this, he isn’t always correct. Every year, there are multiple teams that make surprise picks, and oftentimes, it is at the quarterback position. Last year, that team was every team passing on Will Levis. Levis was considered a very safe first-round NFL Draft pick by every analyst out there, yet he fell all the way to Day two.
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