NFL Power Rankings: Every rookie QB situation ranked worst to best after OTAs

Our latest NFL power rankings will take a look across the spectrum of first-round rookie quarterbacks in the NFL today. Which rookies have the best situations around them? Which players are poised to succeed immediately?

We're going to rank each situation from worst to best considering the player's coaching, playmakers, and offensive line. It's clear as of right now that some quarterbacks in this class are set up much better than others with all of those factors considered.

Rookie QB situations ranked worst to best in 2024

6. Drake Maye, Patriots

• Playmakers: C-
• Offensive line: C-
• Coaching: C

Without being too harsh on the Patriots and still being brutally honest, there's no "worse" situation that a rookie QB has stepped into this year. Drake Maye drew the short straw as the Patriots move forward in year one of the Jerod Mayo era. Bill Belichick is gone, and the Patriots are resetting all over offensively.

His offensive coordinator with the Pats will be Alex Van Pelt, and it's possible that his top target in the passing game will either be Kendrick Bourne or Hunter Henry. We'll see how soon Ja'Lynn Polk can emerge. The Patriots also seem to be going with Chukwuma Okorafor as their starting left tackle and Cole Strange will miss time due to injury this season. It's a bit of a rough situation overall.

5. Jayden Daniels, Commanders

• Playmakers: B-
• Offensive line: C-
• Coaching: C

Jayden Daniels has talent to spread the ball around to, but some question marks remain on this Commanders roster overall. The offensive line rebuild is still a work in progress, and the Commanders will be breaking in Kliff Kingsbury as their offensive coordinator.

It's not impossible to think that Kingsbury could have Daniels playing well and set up for success based on some of the best we saw when he was with the Arizona Cardinals, but I'm skeptical until given reason to be something else.

4. Michael Penix Jr., Falcons

• Playmakers: A
• Offensive line: B+
• Coaching: C+

Very few teams set up a young quarterback with the type of playmakers and offensive line help that Michael Penix Jr. will have with the Atlanta Falcons, but Penix probably won't even play this year so we're really talking about Kirk Cousins's great situation, aren't we?

There's no doubt that the Falcons have invested in their offensive weapons (substantially) and the new coaching staff is solid led by Raheem Morris and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson.

3. Bo Nix, Broncos

• Playmakers: C
• Offensive line: A-
• Coaching: A

The Denver Broncos don't have an outstanding group of playmakers, just a handful of really solid players at every offensive skill spot and the potential for a breakout with guys like Marvin Mims Jr., Troy Franklin, Lucas Krull, and Greg Dulcich. Bo Nix has some solid veterans in Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, and Josh Reynolds surrounding him as a rookie.

The Broncos had one of the better offensive lines in football last year, ranking top-10 both in pass block win rate and run block win rate.

Nix is getting some of the best coaching in the league from head coach Sean Payton as well as rising assistant Davis Webb, the Broncos' QB coach and one of the risers in the coaching community.

2. Caleb Williams, Bears

• Playmakers: A+
• Offensive line: B
• Coaching: C+

If you want to consider any two players on this list seemingly in a "tie", I would say you'd have to put Caleb Williams and Bo Nix on similar playing fields. The coaching situation favors Nix, but the playmaker situation favors Caleb Williams. Williams is entering the NFL with legitimate studs at every skill position, including his 2024 draftmate Rome Odunze at receiver.

The Bears have a strong foundation in place to be able to welcome Williams, who is getting a pretty enviable situation when you consider the Bears had the #1 pick this past year (thanks to the Panthers). Not many #1 overall picks are going to step into a situation like this.

1. JJ McCarthy, Vikings

• Playmakers: A+
• Offensive line: B+
• Coaching: A

The Minnesota Vikings might be planning on Sam Darnold starting this year, but they have a great situation for a young quarterback to step into. And that's why you saw them let Kirk Cousins walk in NFL free agency. Cousins was obviously coming off of injury and is aging, and the Vikings realized they've got a great head coach, they've got a strong offensive line, and they've got an elite set of offensive weapons.

Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, TJ Hockenson, and Aaron Jones are the headliners for the Vikings offensively and it would be tough for a quarterback not to have success there. I guess we'll get our fairest evaluation of Sam Darnold yet, and whenever JJ McCarthy takes over, he'll be properly surrounded and supported.