The 2024 NFL Draft's QB class is starting all across the NFL, so we ranked the class following Week 2 action. The second year for a starring QB in today's NFL is extremely important, as that is when many of them take a huge step forward or, conversely, regress big-time.
QBs like Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow hit their strides in year two, but a player like CJ Stroud regressed a bit. It's actually all over the place, and our latest power rankings indicate that. Now yes, it's still very early in their careers, so things can change.
Let's unveil our latest second-year QB power rankings.
Power ranking the second-year QB class following Week 2 action
7. JJ McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings
JJ McCarthy and the Minnesota Vikings came back down to earth in Week 2 after a shocking comeback in Week 1. McCarthy was flat-out awful and completed just over 50% of his passes and tossed two interceptions.
Simply put, people were overreacting with McCarthy after he was good for one quarter in Week 1. He's last in our power rankings, and there isn't much of a discussion here at all.
6. Spencer Rattler, New Orleans Saints
Spencer Rattler tossed three touchdowns against zero interceptions in Week 2 and has not thrown a pick in either game this year. He's looked quite solid and is proving to the New Orleans Saints why he won the starting QB job over Tyler Shough.
Rattler can profile as a mid-tier starter if he hits his stride, but the Saints are simply so far away from contending that it's hard to imagine he amounts to much with this team.
5. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
Are we now panicking about the Chicago Bears? Two ugly losses has started the Ben Johnson era off on the wrong foot, and that is putting it mildly. Caleb Williams has simply not looked great, and we might be soon talking about the first overall pick perhaps not being nearly as good as some thought he would be...
4. Michael Penix Jr, Atlanta Falcons
Through two games, the Atlanta Falcons are 1-1, and Michael Penix Jr has definitely looked solid. It's definitely going to be a growing process for Penix, as he's still only made a handful of starts in the NFL. As we get later on into his first full season as a starter, the entire picture will come into view.
The Falcons did invest along their defensive line this offseason, so the team fielding a stronger defense is going to help out Penix in a big way, and this team could be talented enough to hand around in the NFC South race. Penix improves in our power rankings.
3. Drake Maye, New England Patriots
The New England Patriots bounced back in Week 2 and defeated the Miami Dolphins, and Drake Mae played well. I am high on the Pats this year, but things may take some time to get going, and there was a lot of change that hit this franchise, so we could be looking at 2026 as being the year that this team can truly take off.
However, the infrastructure is in place for Maye to continue ascending, and there is a good chance that the discussion with the second-year QB is a lot more favorable. He could flirt with a top-12 QB ranking in 2025 when it's all said and done.
2. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
Bo Nix had a solid game against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2, but it was shockingly the Denver Broncos' defense that ruined things. Nix tossed three touchdown passes and looked sharp for most of the game. He did throw an untimely second-half interception on a play that forced the QB to throw the ball at a weird angle.
Overall, though, the Broncos are in good hands with Nix and Sean Payton - this duo helped lead the Broncos to the playoffs for the first time since 2015, and Bo Nix himself is clearly trending toward being a high-end franchise QB at some point.
He's second in our QB rankings.
1. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders dropped a disappointing game against the Green Bay Packers in Week 2, but this team is going to be fine for the long-term, and Daniels is simply excellent, and he's likely going to remain atop these rankings for quite some time.
He is close to the type of QB that Lamar Jackson is, and when the 2025 season is done, Daniels could find himself deep in the MVP voting race.