11 quarterbacks were selected in the 2024 NFL Draft. Entering Week 17, more than half of the players started as QBs.

The Falcons’ Michael Penix Jr. became the fifth of six first-rounders to reach the top of their teams’ depth charts when he was promoted to starter ahead of Kirk Cousins ​​in Week 16. That leaves the Vikings injured. No. 10 overall pick, JJ McCarthy (knee) as the lone exception.

In addition to McCarthy, Jordan Travis, Joe Milton, Devin Leary and Michael Pratt have yet to play in the late rounds this season for various reasons.

Updated here are the rookie grades of quarterbacks who have now started at least one game prior to Week 17, with Penix’s Falcons taking on Jayden Daniels’ Commanders on Sunday night:

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Rating the 2024 NFL rookie quarterbacks

1. Jayden Daniels, Commanders (No. 2 overall, first round)

Daniels has completed 69.7 percent of his pass attempts, good for sixth in the NFL. His 7.6 yards per attempt is also No. 12. He has thrown 22 TDs with just eight interceptions, for a stellar passer rating of 101.3. He also ran for 737 yards and six more touchdowns.

He completely transformed the Commanders in one season in the ideal Kliff Kingsbury offense to maximize his dual-threat talent. With Washington at 10-5 and positioned for the NFC playoffs, he is a standout offensive rookie of the year with one of the best first-year seasons of any player ever.

2. Bo Nix, Broncos (No. 12 overall, first round)

Nix completed a solid 64.3 percent of his pass attempts, a more modest 6.4 yards per attempt. He matched Daniels with 22 TD passes, as well as 11 INTs and a pretty good 87.7 rating. He also made key plays with his legs, racking up 352 more yards and four more touchdowns on the ground.

His play under Broncos coach Sean Payton and OC Joe Lombardi has locked Denver into a 9-6 record and a great chance to clinch an AFC wild-card spot behind Kansas City.

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3. Caleb Williams, Bears (No. 1 overall, first round)

Williams has 19 TD passes to just five INTs, averaging 6.5 yards per attempt. He stepped up to boost his passing number to 89.3 over Nix, and Williams also did a lot with his legs, racking up 442 yards.

The 60 sacks he took are staggering as the Bears’ offensive game was shaky. However, he also tends to hold the ball for too long and tries to make big plays that don’t come off. He needs some help in the form of skill, confidence and accuracy, but there are signs that he has a huge year ahead of him in the second grade to get closer to Daniels’ level.

4. Drake Maye, Patriots (No. 3 overall, first round)

Maye is close to Daniels with a completion percentage of 67.6. With just 14 TD passes to 10 INTs and an 88.6 rating on 6.9 yards per attempt, he was more inefficient than the others above.

Maye was almost as effective as Nix and Williams behind the dominant Daniels with 389 yards for four more touchdowns. He has made the Patriots much more competitive as he has taken charge a little better each week. New England may also feel like they’ve hit their franchise quarterback, who could use plenty of extra help in year two, much like Josh Allen once did for rival Buffalo.

5. Michael Penix Jr., Falcons (No. 8 overall, first round)

Penix was average as Cousins’s replacement in his first start, but he managed to use running and defense to give the Falcons a key win and move them back into first place in the NFC South at 8-7.

Against the Giants, he immediately showed off his aggressive big arm with 7.5 yards per attempt and an INT without a touchdown. He can give the Falcons more good feelings about the future in his first primetime game, unlike Daniels. Atlanta can’t turn to Cousins ​​again at this point, and Penix should make them feel like it’s smart to use him now instead of waiting until year two.

6. Spencer Rattler, Saints (No. 150 overall, fifth round)

Rattler hasn’t done anything of note in his five starts while filling the void of the injured Derek Carr. Saints fans who wanted to see Carr on the bench because of his performance early in the season have found the overwhelmed Ratter making completely incompetent QB plays, passes and runs.

Rattler always seems unsettled (no pun intended) and the lack of healthy support hasn’t helped him. He also seems lost in a more QB-friendly system under Klint Kubiak. The Saints have figured out that Rattler isn’t a real possibility for Carr and that they need to take a different rookie path to reach a higher draft in 2025.