QB starters Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix lead list of NFL rookies to watch in 2024

AP Pro Football Writer

Three rookie quarterbacks drafted in the first round are set to start on opening day with Chicago’s Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels of Washington and Bo Nix for Denver.

If that sounds familiar, it is. Happened last year with three of the first four picks — Carolina’s Bryce Young, Houston’s C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson of Indianapolis.

Quarterbacks could easily dominate the list of rookies to watch in 2024 because six went among the top 12 picks in the draft. But there are a couple of worthy receivers in Arizona’s Marvin Harrison Jr., the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison, and Malik Nabers of the New York Giants.

It could have been — and might still be — four rookie QB starters from the first round.

J.J. McCarthy, who led Michigan to the national championship, was looking good with Minnesota before a season-ending knee injury sustained in his preseason debut.

Drake Maye wasn’t expected to start for New England, but rookie coach Jerod Mayo acknowledged the former North Carolina QB outplayed veteran Jacoby Brissett in the preseason.

Caleb Williams

There was never much question that Williams would start for the Bears, who launched their second attempt in just four seasons to find a franchise QB by taking the former Southern California star with the No. 1 pick and trading Justin Fields.

“Straight off the bat, he’s just a leader,” seventh-year receiver D.J. Moore said. “He took control of the huddle. His arm talent was amazing. I think that’s what stood out to everybody. And him trying to make all those throws this offseason in OTAs was like, ‘Dang, he really just made that.’ Or ‘he just did that on the run.’ It was amazing to see.”

Jayden Daniels

The decisions came last week on Daniels, the second overall pick, and Nix, who went 12th.

There wasn’t much surprise in new Washington coach Dan Quinn giving Daniels the chance over Marcus Mariota, who was the No. 2 overall pick by Tennessee in 2015 but is on his fourth team since leaving the Titans following the 2019 season.

“He went through the whole thing,” Quinn said. “He didn’t miss a beat. He hit all the targets we put in front of him. He’s ready, and he’s earned the right to do that.”

Bo Nix

Denver’s Sean Payton, who decided to move on from Russell Wilson before the end of his only season with the former Seattle star, went with Nix over veterans Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson.

Nix, who started an NCAA QB-record 61 times at Auburn and Oregon, led the Broncos to scores on six of the seven drives in the preseason. Now he’s first up to try to end an eight-year playoff drought since winning Super Bowl 50.

“You saw in every game he played (at Oregon) a dirty pocket, a quick plant step, ball out accurately. And for some guys that’s hard to do, they need a full stride and a clean pocket,” Payton said. “He became a tough sack because the ball is out. Now, you have to go be able to process very quickly, too. You saw that on film.”

Drake Maye

Taken after Williams and Daniels, Maye figured to be the only one of the three not to start the opener. That’s still the consensus, even after Brissett injured a shoulder in the preseason finale.

Mayo said Brissett could have kept playing if it had been in the regular season, and while the coach said Maye had played better, he added that the decision was more complicated than that.

For his part, Maye is saying the right things.

“You’ve got to be ready. You’re one snap away if I’m the backup,” Maye said. “Jacoby has done a great job. He’s a great player and a great teammate. He’s been repping with the ones all summer, so I’m excited for him.”

Marvin Harrison Jr.

The first non-quarterback drafted this year — at fourth overall — entered the NFL with a pedigree few could match.

Not only was Harrison a two-time All-American at Ohio State, his dad was a Super Bowl champion, three-time All-Pro and member of the NFL’s 2000s All-Decade Team and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

If he wants to take some pressure off, the younger Harrison can look at his dad’s career stats and see that his first 1,000-yard season didn’t come until Year 4.

“I’m my own person,” Harrison said. “But he was more of a smaller receiver when I was watching him grow up. I use my size a little bit more. I think I’ve made it to this point on my own path, and I’m going to continue to work hard and see where it takes me.”

Malik Nabers

The former LSU receiver went sixth overall as the Giants tried to add some clout to one of the NFL’s worst passing offenses from 2023 in what could be a make-or-break year for QB Daniel Jones.

New York tried this three years ago with Kadarius Toney, the 20th overall pick in the first round in 2021, but he didn’t even make it through a second injury-filled season before a trade to Kansas City. The Chiefs just waived Toney in their final cuts.

Nabers can be the first deep threat playmaker for the Giants since Odell Beckham Jr. — if he stays healthy.

“He’s going to be a game-changer the first day he steps out there,” backup quarterback Drew Lock said. “People are going to have to worry about him, teams are going to have to worry about him. That’s going to help everybody on this team. He’s been impressive.”

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