Ranking the NFL’s second-year QBs by the likelihood of their play taking a leap in 2024: Will Levis headlines

Nowadays NFLYear 2 is often when an eventual star quarterback comes into his own, finds his groove, and builds on past flashes into consistent, high-level play.

There was Carson Wentz in 2017, Patrick Mahomes in 2018, and Lamar Jackson in 2019. Josh Allen took a giant leap forward in year three, though in his second season, the setbacks of his rookie year turned into signs of his imminent MVP vote haul. . season to come.

In 2021, Joe Burrow built on a strong debut season cut short due to injury, leading the NFL in completion percentage and average yards per attempt on the way to leading the Cincinnati Bengals to a Super Bowl appearance. In 2022, Trevor Lawrence went from a colossal disappointment as a rookie to an impressive sophomore campaign en route to an AFC South title and epic playoff victory.

The 2023 season didn’t yield a breakout star at quarterback, which was probably more about the 2022 draft quarterback class than anything else. On the other hand, Will Levis shined when he was healthy – how about that crazy comeback against the Dolphins in Miami in prime time? — and Sam Howell threw for nearly 4,000 yards at Washington.

Of course, past results from other quarterbacks don’t guarantee that the sophomore (or third) year rash will continue. But let’s rank the passers in the 2023 draft class by how likely they are to elevate their game to franchise-altering status.

Will not happen

5. Aidan O’Connell, Raiders

I hate to put O’Connell here because he was so good relative to his draft position as a rookie. By Week 9, he was a full-time starter, primed for a long freshman audition during a tumultuous season in Las Vegas with a lot of moving parts. Ultimately, the fourth-rounder threw 12 touchdowns to just seven picks with a respectable 83.9 rating on a team with Davante Adams and little else at receiver.

But we’re not sure he’ll beat Gardner Minshew in camp or preseason this summer.

While it would take an impressive showing to do so, even if it were to happen, O’Connell neither has the mobility nor the talent to emerge as a bright young star at centre-back. Can it be useful? Absolutely. But that’s not what we’re looking for in this article.

Probably not, but crazier things have happened

4. Bryce Young, Panthers

I just don’t feel that way with Young. And what do I mean by that? Well, first off, I didn’t see any flash from Young as a rookie. You know, a few games – maybe not even in a row – where he looked confident and poised and that combination led to quality results.

There was the season-ending 300-plus yard effort against Green Bay that stood out. But even though that game was encouraging, it was completely offset by disastrous performances. In my weekly project ranking first- and second-year quarterbacks in 2023, Young earned one grade of “A” and two grades in the “B” range. All of his other matches ranged from “C+” to “F”.

Yes, that Packers game was impressive; It’s very difficult for me to see him repeating this type of performance regularly because of his lack of physical tools. He doesn’t have a strong arm NFL standards. He’s not brutal, but he doesn’t do you favors often. He’s a good athlete, but he’s not dynamic enough to make defenders miss repeatedly or run away from oncoming defenders often. Its precision and processing are its two strong points, but neither of them are so spectacular as to cancel out its difficult-to-improve weaknesses.

The Panthers made a concerted effort to build around him, trading for wideout Diontae Johnson in March before moving up in the draft to select South Carolina’s Xavier Legette. I still think Carolina’s group of receivers will have a hard time opening up collectively , but the offensive line should be more robust with the free agent adding Robert Hunt at right guard and Damien Lewis at left guard.

I don’t have enough faith in Young’s tools, nor Carolina’s lineup, to predict Young will make a leap in year two.

How much better can it get?

3. CJ Stroud, Texans

Stroud had a dazzling rookie season. It couldn’t have gotten much better, really. To escape NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award that was justified. Playoff victory. He led three game-winning drives in the regular season, had six 300-plus yard performances and finished the regular season with a 100.8 rating.

His pocket passing was surgical, but I mostly admired how vertical Houston’s passing game was. This wasn’t a season where a rookie had a high completion rate because he got to the checkdown faster than anyone. Counting the playoffs, Stroud had an average depth of target of 9.3 yards, the second-highest among all qualified quarterbacks in football.

Nico Collins enters a contract year. Tank Dell returns from a broken leg. Oh, and Stefon Diggs is now a Texan. My word. Houston has pushed its chips to the center of the table in 2024. We can’t forget Danielle Hunter on defense, too.

It will be a big challenge for Stroud to keep his interceptions at what was a league-leading rate of just 1.0% in 2023. I see him getting well above 8.0 yards per attempt on the Bobby Slowik-off-the-Shanahan branch – tree system with the weapons it has and one of the most robust offensive lines in Texas history.

The question will be: Can Strould rise high enough to be widely considered an elite quarterback in 2024? The talent and situation exist for it to be a distinct possibility.

The most probable

2. Anthony Richardson, Colts

Richardson teased us in September 2023. He provided a handful of plays reserved only for quarterbacks with supreme athletic and physical gifts. Sure, his accuracy was scattershot at times and he didn’t always throw to the “right” receiver based on the coverage the defense showed him.

But Richardson is exactly the type of quarterback who is thriving these days in the NFL. Big, legitimately fast and a monster arm.

And while I don’t absolutely love their skill position group, the Colts have a great basketball team around them at tight end and receivers. Michael Pittman is essentially part receiver and part tight end, capable of 1,000-yard seasons with low yards-per-catch averages. Josh Downs has proven his worth as a lightning slot receiver who can also move the chains from a pre-snap alignment closer to the line. And second-round pick Adonai Mitchell has the makings of an imposing vertical threat with route fluidity to open at the mid-range level. Alec Pierce is also that type, and fifth-round pick Anthony Gould has the speed of a track star.

In addition to Richardson’s ridiculous gifts, I have a lot of faith in his coach Shane Steichen, who has done nothing but a wonderful job fostering extremely QB-friendly environments wherever he has been in the NFL. If Richardson can stay healthy, I imagine he will become one of the scariest dual-threat quarterbacks in football this season.

1. Will Levis, Titans

Levis has that shine. Appeared on multiple occasions during his rookie campaign at Tennessee, one in which we weren’t sure he’d even see the field given the steady, veteran presence of Ryan Tannehill and, hell, 2022 third-round pick Malik Willis in the same room. quarterback.

Take, for example, his first NFL start. Four touchdowns, no interceptions. Not all four touchdown throws were ultra-challenging, but a four-point, zero-pick NFL debut is undeniably noteworthy. After a few tough games that followed, Levis was 13 of 17 for 9.29 yards per attempt with two more touchdown passes without an interception in a loss to the Jaguars. So, that return of the Dolphins. Levis got full Super Saiyanespecially in a torrid second half and fourth quarter when the Titans erased a 27-13 deficit in the final 4:33 of that game.

Levis finished with 327 yards at 8.61 yards per attempt in that dramatic 28-27 victory. But it was more than those few games. Levis was a rookie himself. Not timidly, like a first-year pro. Levis kept his foot on the gas as a pitcher and, more importantly, as a runner. Jump over defenders to get first downs. Now, not every pass or block attempt was successful, but Levis playing nearly identically to what he did at Kentucky is a tremendous sign of his breakout potential in 2024 and beyond. Furthermore, he has athletic characteristics and arm talent.

And while Levis’ actual abilities are, of course, critical, these three paragraphs didn’t address the ever-important supporting cast that Titans GM Ran Carthon has built around him. There’s DeAndre Hopkins, who proved he still has “it” with his first 70-plus catch, 1,000-yard season since 2020; free agent adds Calvin Ridley; and hyper-reliable slot Tyler Boyd, who has a long history with new coach Brian Callahan. Tennessee also signed prominent center Lloyd Cushenberry as a free agent and drafted Alabama’s colossal left tackle J.C. Latham in the top 10.

Levis is ready to take off in 2024.