Today, I’m going to be tackling my second of a three-part series comparing the 2024 incoming QBs. Last time, it was the two at the top: Caleb Williams and Drake Maye. Today, I’ll be looking at Jayden Daniels V Michael Penix Jr. and, lastly, J.J. McCarthy V Bo Nix. These QBs are some of the tops in this year’s class, and which is superior is worth discussing.
Jayden Daniels (QB – LSU)
I’ll be honest: Daniels is usually the type of prospect I despise. Anthony Richardson changed my mind this season. Daniels comps well to Richardson in that they both have good arms and amazing legs. Richardson showed me he could overcome his accuracy issues and looked stellar when playing this season. I believe it’ll be the same case for the Heisman Trophy winner in Daniels.
Daniels is a bit undersized at 6’4″ and 210 lbs, and I’d like to see him add on some muscle before entering the league. Short of that, he has the height and wheels to succeed at the next level. Also, Daniels was so good this year in his Heisman Trophy campaign that he made likely future first-round picks out of both Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr.
Daniels threw for 3.812 yards with 40 TDs and only 4 INTs in 2023 while adding 1,134 yards and another 10 TDs on the ground. That’s the definition of a true dual-threat QB, ladies and gentlemen. He burst onto the scene this year and set college football ablaze. The low number of interceptions tells me Daniels has a lot more accuracy to his game than we normally see from dual-threat QBs. There’s nothing not to love about a guy who can sling it while taking over a game with his legs and limiting mistakes.
I’d expect Daniels to see top-ten draft capital come the actual NFL Draft, making him a top 4 pick for dynasty SF rookie drafts and a value pick later in 1QB leagues.
Michael Penix Jr. (QB – Washington)
Penix put the NFL world on notice New Year’s Day by beating the Texas Longhorns 37-31 in a hard-fought battle that saw him throw for 430 yards and 2 TDs. Penix was dropping dimes on the Texas secondary all day long and showed off his amazing arm.
Penix stands at 6’3″ 214 lbs and has a little more muscle on him than Daniels. He also doesn’t utilize his legs much and is a traditional pocket passer. He threw for 4,648 yards and 35 TDs to go along with 9 INTs in 2023. The 9 INTs may seem daunting, but we must consider the situation. Simply put, Penix was expected to put the team on his back with his arm, and mistakes will happen when that happens.
I’m hearing Penix is a polarizing prospect in NFL circles, as he suffered several season-ending injuries in college. However, assuming his medicals check out come combine time, I still expect Penix to be a first-round pick in the NFL Draft, making him an interesting Dynasty SF prospect.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Jayden Daniels is my pick here, and I was intrigued enough by these two that I ran a Twitter/X poll for them, which ended with Daniels receiving 74% of the vote. Penix has a better arm, but Daniels’ dual-threat ability sets him apart. Mobile QBs are a gold mine for fantasy as long as they stay healthy.
Thanks for reading! Any questions/positive feedback/negative feedback/whatever, I can be found on Twitter @DynastyPatrolHQ #DFFArmy #AlwaysBeBuilding #AlwaysBeScouting #DynastyFootball #NFL #NFLTrades #NFLDraft #NFLInjuries #PlantYourFlag
