While I was staying on a cattle ranch in South Dakota for a summer internship, the head rancher there made a bleak comment: “Man, we picked a bad time to let our horse herd get old.”
On a ranch, having young and fit horses is obviously essential – and horses past their prime must eventually be replaced.
Not to be too crude with a man-to-horse metaphor, but in today’s NFL, fans see the same conundrum. There are essentially three classifications of quarterback in the league: Veteran, Young but Established, and Available. And because the list of Available quarterbacks is short, and highlighted by mediocre names like Zach Wilson and Mac Jones, the NFL Combine over the weekend served as a crucial opportunity for teams to examine the hottest college prospects.
Fourteen QBs were invited to the event, held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, to showcase their skills to NFL scouts. Caleb Williams, the USC quarterback who is practically guaranteed to go to the Bears as the number one pick, refused to conduct workouts, as did top prospects Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye.
But with the remaining prospects, the league got an interesting look at who could be a good fit, either as a starter or backup, for next season. So without further ado, here is a summation of the five most interesting quarterbacks at this year’s combine, along with their most likely pro destinations.
Sam Hartman, Notre Dame: Likely destinations: Atlanta Falcons (pick 8), N.Y. Jets (pick 10), Las Vegas Raiders (pick 13).
Hartman brings two intangibles to the NFL’s doorstep: experience and swagger. After five years at Wake Forest and one at Notre Dame, the 6’1’’ prospect has played a lot of ball. In terms of arm talent or physicality, though, his combine workout did little to help him stand out from the pack. His ball has a slight wobble. And while last season’s stats show he is adept at limiting turnovers, it takes more than ball control to ensure success at the NFL level.
It is for these reasons that Hartman won’t go very early, but he should still be a first-round pick, either as a tentative starter for a team in need of an upgrade (like the Falcons) or as a backup for an aging starter, like the Jets’ Aaron Rodgers.
Bo Nix, Oregon: Likely destinations: Las Vegas Raiders, Denver Broncos, Cincinnati Bengals, Minnesota Vikings
Bo Nix also brings plenty of experience. With 61 collegiate starts, he enters the draft with more playing experience than some rostered NFL quarterbacks. Nix could go either one of two directions: a starter for a needy team (see Broncos, Raiders, Vikings) or an understudy for an established but injury-prone QB (like Joe Burrow). What makes Nix exciting is his excellent ability to push the ball deep downfield. In a league dominated by run-heavy quarterback play, Nix’s tendency to simply stay in the pocket and throw deep could be a serious threat for opposing defenses.
J.J. McCarthy, Michigan: Likely destinations: Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Detroit Lions
McCarthy leaves a bit of a bad taste in the mouth for some fans, especially given that his Michigan team was run-heavy throughout his tenure there. Of course McCarthy can throw, but there is just cause to wonder whether he will be able to lead a pass-heavy offense. Either a desperate team like the Vikings picks him up, or he goes somewhere as a backup, perhaps to Detroit.
Michael Penix Jr., Washington: Likely destinations: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, L.A. Chargers, Detroit Lions
Few of these new QBs can make the ball “sing” like Penix does. A leftie, Penix throws the ball fast, hard, and with precision. But there don’t seem to be many openings for him as a starter. He isn’t incredibly athletic, and he isn’t ready to step into a QB1 role just yet. Expect a team in need of a strong backup (perhaps the Buccaneers, Chargers, or Lions) to take Penix.
Michael Pratt, Tulane: Likely destinations: Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, N.Y. Jets
Pratt was a star at Tulane, leading the Green Wave to an 11-3 record in 2023. He enters the combine as an X-factor: clearly not starter material yet, but certainly a strong apprentice for a current starter. The Lions may start thinking about a replacement to Goff, and the Jets will want a reliable backup in case Rodgers falls again. Don’t expect Pratt to play a snap in 2023, but expect him to go in the first or second round.
In short, beyond the top three QBs who skipped the combine, there are several quarterbacks whose combine performances mark them as interesting targets for pro teams. And this fall, fans will get to see these players’ impact on the league as they finally don NFL uniforms.
