2024 NFL Draft: Why North Carolina’s Drake Maye is clearly No. 2 QB in class over LSU’s Jayden Daniels

Under 10 days to go until the NFL kicks off the 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit, and one thing is just about certain: USC quarterback Caleb Williams, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner who is the only college quarterback during the 21st Century to throw for 30 or more touchdowns and run for 10 or more touchdowns while throwing five or fewer interceptions in multiple seasons, will be the first overall pick by the Chicago Bears. 

Caesars Sportsbook’s odds for Williams being the upcoming draft’s are -10,0000, implying a 99.9% chance he will be the first to shake commissioner Roger Goodell’s hand on April 25. Following Williams going to Chicago, the draft gets interesting with the quarterback-needy Washington Commanders possessing the second overall pick and the quarterback-starved New England Patriots in control of the third overall pick.

LSU’s Jayden Daniels, the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner who set college football’s passing efficiency rating record for a single season (208.0), is favored to go to the Commanders with -275 odds while North Carolina’s Drake Maye, college football’s only player with over 7,000 passing yards (7,929) and over 1,000 rushing yards (1,247) overt the last seasons, has the second-highest odds to be the second player off the board at +200. If you’re an NFL fan who doesn’t watch much or any college football, you may think “well those odds sound about right.”

However, Daniels having a 73.3% chance to go second overall to the Commanders, per Caesars Sportsbook, doesn’t quite add up when taking a closer look at both his and Maye’s resumes. Here is the case for why Maye should be the second quarterback drafted in the 2024 NFL Draft. 

Biographical/collegiate background context

Daniels played five seasons of college football from 2019-2023, the first three at Arizona State and the final two with LSU, so he will will 24 during his rookie season in December. Maye suited up for three seasons at North Carolina and will turn 22 in late August just before the start of the 2024 season. 

The Heisman Trophy winner put up massive numbers during his two seasons as did Maye, but recognizing the offensive ecosystems in which the two passers did so is critical to this evaluation. 

Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye Since 2022

Daniels…