In one month, the 2024 NFL Draft is to commence, with multiple quarterbacks expected to be taken in the first round. Chicago holds the first overall selection as part of last year's trade with the Panthers, but selecting the first quarterback does not necessarily mean that team will walk away with the draft's best quarterback.
Situation matters; coaching and a strong supporting cast are vital for a young quarterback, as they lay a foundation for the rest of his career. Few are truly unable to carry the team out of the mud. The Bears should be commended for the moves they have made over the past two years to support their current and future quarterbacks: acquiring wide receivers Keenan Allen and D.J. Moore, as well as offensive tackle Darnell Wright and depth along the offensive line. They are well-positioned to add another difference-maker at No. 9 overall.
Here is a look at the first five quarterbacks selected in each draft class since 2010:
2023
1. Bryce Young, Alabama (No. 1 overall)
2. C.J. Stroud, Ohio State (No. 2 overall)
3. Anthony Richardson, Florida (No. 4 overall)
4. Will Levis, Kentucky (No. 33 overall)
5. Hendon Hooker, Tennessee (No. 68 overall)
Other notable: Aidan O'Connell, Purdue (No. 135 overall), Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA (No. 140 overall)
Young really struggled as a rookie but the surrounding situation was less than ideal. Carolina did not give him the pass-catchers or protection that would allow him to have a fighting chance. The jury is still out long term.
There is no confusion with Stroud, who had one of the best rookie seasons by a quarterback in quite some time. The Texans are in a great position to capitalize on his rookie contract as a result of his play. They advanced beyond the wild-card round in his first season. Richardson dealt with injuries and missed the majority of the 2023 season. He showed promise in a small sample size, however.
An injury to veteran quarterback Ryan Tannehill allowed Levis to start and he made the most of that opportunity. The first-year QB out of Kentucky had some moments of brilliance but was certainly not flawless. Tennessee parted with head coach Mike Vrabel and hired Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan as his replacement. The team then went out and made some moves to bolster the offense around Levis.
Day 2 quarterbacks and beyond were in demand last season as Clayton Tune (Arizona), Jaren Hall (Minnesota), O'Connell (Las Vegas) and Thompson-Robinson (Cleveland) were all called in to start at least one game in 2023.
2022
1. Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh (No. 20 overall)
2. Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati (No. 74 overall)
3. Malik Willis, Liberty (No. 86 overall)
4. Matt Corral, Ole Miss (No. 94 overall)
5. Bailey Zappe, Western Kentucky (No. 137 overall)
Other notable: Sam Howell, North Carolina (No. 144 overall), Brock Purdy, Iowa State (No. 262 overall)
It is still early in the career of these young quarterbacks. Pickett has started 24 games and never showed enough to earn the starting role long term, so he was shipped to Philadelphia this offseason. Ridder got his opportunity to start in 2023 but was unable to uplift the team around him. As a result, he was traded to Arizona when the team signed Kirk Cousins. Zappe received a look from the Patriots but the organization is going in another direction this offseason by signing Jacoby Brissett and likely drafting a rookie quarterback.
Purdy has easily been the most productive of the bunch. Mr. Irrelevant has started 21 games and led San Francisco to the NFC Championship and Super Bowl in each of his two seasons.
2021
1. Trevor Lawrence, Clemson (No. 1 overall)
2. Zach Wilson, BYU (No. 2 overall)
3. Trey Lance, North Dakota State (No. 3 overall)
4. Justin Fields, Ohio State (No. 11 overall)
5. Mac Jones, Alabama (No. 15 overall)
Other notable: Davis Mills, Stanford (No. 67 overall)
It had been a tale of two seasons for Lawrence. There were the pre- and post-Urban Meyer eras. Lawrence performed closer to the expectations of a franchise quarterback in his first season under the direction of head coach Doug Pederson, but the most recent ended in frustrating fashion.
Wilson has been more frustrating than exciting to this point in his career. There is too much hero ball and poor decision-making. His on-field performance likely led to the team's pursuit of veteran Aaron Rodgers. Lance has been traded to Dallas since losing his starting job to Brock Purdy.
Fields has been a predominant runner in his career. The Bears catered the offense toward his skill set during the second half of the 2022 season and Fields showed progress. After the 2023 season, the team fired offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and traded Fields to Pittsburgh. Jones was in the hunt for Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2022 but found himself in more headlines than stat sheets trying to fend off Bailey Zappe. Jacksonville acquired him this offseason to be a backup. Mills has started 26 games, which is the fourth-most among this quarterback class behind Lawrence (50), Jones (42) and Fields (38).
Lawrence is the only quarterback from this group to inspire confidence.
2020
1. Joe Burrow, LSU (No. 1 overall)
2. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama (No. 5 overall)
3. Justin Herbert, Oregon (No. 6 overall)
4. Jordan Love, Utah State (No. 26 overall)
5. Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma (No. 53 overall)
Outside of Burrow's injury, he has been the best among this quarterback class. He led Cincinnati to consecutive AFC Championship appearances despite unstable offensive line play. Tagovailoa has been a solid quarterback when healthy, but that is obviously going to be the predominant narrative moving forward. The Alabama product was available for all 17 games in 2023 and he accounted for 29 touchdowns.
Herbert is a luxury car with all of the bells and whistles that has done more residential driving than exploring the ocean shores that are the postseason. He has all the necessary tools to be the best quarterback of this group, but does not have the postseason success to stack up favorably to Burrow. A second head coach was hired to unlock Herbert as Jim Harbaugh replaces Brandon Staley.
In his first extended look outside the shadow of Aaron Rodgers, Love acquitted himself very well. For the third consecutive attempt, the Packers may have orchestrated a successful transition of power at the quarterback position. Hurts began his career backing up Carson Wentz but is now charging up the ranks with a runner-up finish in the Super Bowl. No one is questioning his leadership but the results have been inconsistent. He is playing on the five-year, $255 million extension that he signed in 2023.
For more draft content, check out our latest prospect rankings and mock drafts, as well as our new weekly podcast, "With the First Pick," featuring former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman.
2019
1. Kyler Murray, Oklahoma (No. 1 overall)
2. Daniel Jones, Duke (No. 6 overall)
3. Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State (No. 15 overall)
4. Drew Lock, Missouri (No. 42 overall)
5. Will Grier, West Virginia (No. 100 overall)
Other notable: Jarrett Stidham, Auburn (No. 133 overall), Gardner Minshew, Washington State (No. 178 overall)
It is not a particularly stellar quarterback class in hindsight. The first two taken have had the most productive, lucrative careers. It goes to show how situation and coaching can alter one's perspective of a player. In 2021, New York declined Jones' fifth-year option worth $22.3 million. Prior to the season, Giants head coach Brian Daboll himself admitted that he did not envision Jones playing himself into a position to receive the contract (four years, $160 million) that he recently received. Daboll had Jones looking like a quality NFL quarterback and a player who the franchise felt was indispensable in Year 1, but that has been called into question on second glance.
Murray has looked like a game-changer when available. When defenses feel like they have him cornered, he scampers for a first down. The issue has been consistency and off-field murmurings about Murray's commitment to the game. The Oklahoma product signed a five-year extension worth $230.5 million two years ago. Time will tell if he is the type of quarterback who can lead his team deep into the postseason.
2018
1. Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma (No. 1 overall)
2. Sam Darnold, USC (No. 3 overall)
3. Josh Allen, Wyoming (No. 7 overall)
4. Josh Rosen, UCLA (No. 10 overall)
5. Lamar Jackson, Louisville (No. 32 overall)
Other notable: Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State (No. 76 overall), Mike White, Western Kentucky (No. 171 overall)
Insiders felt as though Cleveland's choice at No. 1 overall was likely boiling down to Allen or Darnold the week before the draft. In the final 48 hours, the decision leaked, and it became clear that Mayfield would be the choice. Mayfield nearly won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. He was efficient and effective despite the dysfunction within the organization. Head coach Hue Jackson was fired and Freddie Kitchens was named head coach the following season. Mayfield has thrown for more than 20,000 yards in his career and was selected to his first Pro Bowl this past season in Tampa Bay.
Darnold's career has been worse to this point. His career began with Adam Gase, and now he is on his fourth team in six years. There were some intriguing moments in a small sample size with San Francisco this past season. Rosen's career has been the worst of the quarterbacks taken in the first round. He was traded after one season in Arizona and has bounced around the league ever since.
Allen is the most successful quarterback from this class thus far, despite being taken third. He has more than 26,000 all-purpose yards for his career and 220 total touchdowns. The jury was out on Allen even two years into his career, but he blew up shortly thereafter, which is a credit to offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and the two-time Pro Bowl selection. Patrick Mahomes and Burrow have been blocking his path to the Super Bowl, but Allen is annually one of the best quarterbacks in the league.
Jackson is a two-time MVP winner. He holds multiple NFL rushing records by a quarterback but also led the league in passing touchdowns in 2019. The biggest difference between Jackson and Allen has been availability and postseason success. The former has missed 12 games in his career to Allen's five. Allen also has twice as many postseason appearances. There is no question Jackson is one of the most unique challenges for defensive coordinators when available, however.
2017
1. Mitch Trubisky, North Carolina (No. 2 overall)
2. Patrick Mahomes, Texas Tech (No. 10 overall)
3. Deshaun Watson, Clemson (No. 12 overall)
4. DeShone Kizer, Notre Dame (No. 52 overall)
5. Davis Webb, California (No. 87 overall)
Chicago traded up to select Trubisky, who is now on his third team. Mahomes has an argument as the most talented quarterback to ever play in the NFL and is the first real threat to Tom Brady's claim as the best quarterback ever. Mahomes has led Kansas City to the Super Bowl in four of the past five seasons, winning three. The Texas Tech product has shown the past two seasons that he does not need elite pass-catching talent to achieve the ultimate team goal.
Watson is easily the second-best quarterback from this class, but a lot of work has to be done to repair his public image following allegations of sexual misconduct. It has not helped that his play on the field has been a shell of his former self. Watson has thrown for nearly 17,000 yards despite playing 12 total games in the past three seasons.
2016
1. Jared Goff, California (No. 1 overall)
2. Carson Wentz, North Dakota State (No. 2 overall)
3. Paxton Lynch, Memphis (No. 26 overall)
4. Christian Hackenberg, Penn State (No. 51 overall)
5. Jacoby Brissett, NC State (No. 91 overall)
Other notable: Dak Prescott, Mississippi State (No. 135 overall)
Goff and Wentz had years of success but were never been confused for the league's best quarterback. Each has been to a Super Bowl, and Wentz nearly won MVP. One other commonality between the two is that they have been traded from the respective organizations that picked them in 2016. Goff has gone on to find success with a second franchise while Wentz's career has stalled.
Lynch started two games in his NFL career. Brissett has started at least one game for five different franchises, including 11 for the Browns last season. Brissett is a classic example of a low to mid-level starter.
It looked as though Prescott was going to be the best quarterback from this class by a wide margin. Prescott has been efficient throughout his career but incapable, to this point, of getting his team up the mountain. The 30-year-old has completed 67.0% of his passes for 202 touchdowns and 74 interceptions. His career will ultimately be judged on postseason success, and he currently has just two postseason victories.
2015
1. Jameis Winston, Florida State (No. 1 overall)
2. Marcus Mariota, Oregon (No. 2 overall)
3. Garrett Grayson, Colorado State (No. 75 overall)
4. Sean Mannion, Oregon State (No. 89 overall)
5. Bryce Petty, Baylor (No. 103 overall)
Other notable: Trevor Siemian, Northwestern (No. 250 overall)
Winston was a volatile quarterback in Tampa Bay. The range of outcomes swung too drastically on a play-by-play basis, so the Buccaneers elected not to hitch their wagon to him long term. Winston spent four seasons with the division rival Saints until signing with the Browns this offseason. He led the NFL in passing yards in 2019.
Mariota recently signed with his fifth NFL franchise (Washington) after beginning his journey with Tennessee. Situation called for Siemian to start several games in Denver, but it did not earn him an extended look elsewhere.
2014
1. Blake Bortles, UCF (No. 3 overall)
2. Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M (No. 22 overall)
3. Teddy Bridgewater, Louisville (No. 32 overall)
4. Derek Carr, Fresno State (No. 36 overall)
5. Jimmy Garoppolo, Eastern Illinois (No. 62 overall)
Bortles was never the reason for victory, but he did play well enough for Jacksonville to advance to the Super Bowl had it not been for a blown call in the AFC Championship against New England. He played for five franchises over the course of eight seasons. Bridgewater was off to a promising start in his career until injuries sent him on a detour. He was never able to fully regain his abilities and jumped around as a spot starter and backup before retiring.
Carr is similar to Kirk Cousins in that he plays well enough for his teams to have a shot at victory but is often not the reason for victory. The four-time Pro Bowl selection has thrown for more than 39,000 yards in his career, but Las Vegas deemed it not good enough last offseason when it granted his release. He then signed in New Orleans.
Garoppolo, ironically, replaced Carr in Las Vegas but that was short-lived. He was also drafted with the intent of one day replacing the ultimate draft steal: Tom Brady. Garoppolo was traded to San Francisco when Brady outlasted his contract, but he was not able to do enough to prevent the 49ers' eyes from wandering. They selected the shiny, new rookie quarterback in 2021 (Trey Lance) with the hope of that player eventually taking over.
2013
1. EJ Manuel, Florida State (No. 16 overall)
2. Geno Smith, West Virginia (No. 39 overall)
3. Mike Glennon, NC State (No. 73 overall)
4. Matt Barkley, USC (No. 98 overall)
5. Ryan Nassib, Syracuse (No. 110 overall)
Glennon has latched on as a traveled backup quarterback, but few others have amounted to much from this class. Smith is amid a resurgence in the Pacific Northwest. He signed a three-year contract with Seattle last offseason and now has Sam Howell breathing down his neck.
2012
1. Andrew Luck, Stanford, (No. 1 overall)
2. Robert Griffin III, Baylor (No. 2 overall)
3. Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M (No. 8 overall)
4. Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State (No. 22 overall)
5. Brock Osweiler, Arizona State (No. 57 overall)
Other notable: Russell Wilson, Wisconsin (No. 75 overall), Nick Foles, Arizona (No. 88 overall), Kirk Cousins, Michigan State (No. 102 overall)
Luck was viewed as one of the safest quarterback prospects to enter the draft since John Elway. He went to four Pro Bowls in seven seasons before abruptly announcing his retirement, which is certainly not something that Indianapolis could have seen forthcoming in its pre-draft evaluation, in 2018. Luck holds the NFL record for passing yards by a rookie quarterback (4,374).
Washington surrendered a massive pile of resources for the right to trade up and select Griffin. He was named Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2012, but injuries began to mount. The Baylor product played nine seasons in the league with three franchises. Miami essentially gave up on Tannehill and traded him to Tennessee. The Titans were able to resuscitate his career, and he just wrapped up his fifth season with the franchise but is a free agent. He has thrown for nearly 35,000 yards in his career.
Weeden played seven seasons with four franchises. He had some memorable interceptions during his career. Osweiler received a rather large contract from Houston after serving as Peyton Manning's backup in Denver. Before that contract had come to an end, the Texans shipped him and a second-round pick to Cleveland for the Browns to absorb the remainder of the contract.
The two quarterbacks with the most consistent success from this draft class were taken outside of Round 1. Wilson is a nine-time Pro Bowl selection and a Super Bowl champion. Despite his lack of traditionally ideal size, the third-round choice rose to prominence. He is now going into his 13th NFL season and first with the Steelers. He lasted two seasons in Denver after being acquired from Seattle in exchange for a package that included multiple first-round picks. Wilson has thrown for 43,653 yards in his career.
Cousins spent the first six seasons of his career attempting to pry the starting role from Griffin. He eventually would, but it was not enough for Washington to pay him the contract he felt he deserved. The Michigan State quarterback signed a lucrative contract with the Falcons this offseason after spending six seasons in Minneapolis.
Foles is the other quarterback in this class to win a Super Bowl as a starter.
2011
1. Cam Newton, Auburn (No. 1 overall)
2. Jake Locker, Washington (No. 8 overall)
3. Blaine Gabbert, Missouri (No. 10 overall)
4. Christian Ponder, Florida State (No. 12 overall)
5. Andy Dalton, TCU (No. 35 overall)
Other notable: Colin Kaepernick, Nevada (No. 36 overall), Tyrod Taylor, Virginia Tech (No. 180 overall)
Newton was the league's MVP in 2015 and went to three Pro Bowls. He holds an NFL record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (75). On the field, he was one of the most challenging matchups for opposing defensive coordinators but injuries derailed his career and prevented him from being effective late into his career.
Dalton led Cincinnati to the playoffs multiple times before becoming a well-traveled veteran quarterback. Kaepernick had some big seasons in San Francisco. Taylor has played replacement-level football serving as a starter in certain situations before settling into his role as a mentor and backup.
2010
1. Sam Bradford, Oklahoma (No. 1 overall)
2. Tim Tebow, Florida (No. 25 overall)
3. Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame (No. 48 overall)
4. Colt McCoy, Texas (No. 85 overall)
5. Mike Kafka, Northwestern (No. 122 overall)
Bradford was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year but missed 15 games over the following three seasons. He battled injuries most of his career, but teams were always willing to take a chance on his potential when available. As a result, Bradford was traded twice during his career.
Tebow had fewer passing yards (2,422) than Clausen (2,520) but did produce a playoff victory for the city of Denver when he found wide receiver Demaryius Thomas for an 80-yard touchdown in overtime. McCoy has had the longest career in the NFL, fulfilling a role as a valuable backup and competent spot starter. He's played 13 seasons in the NFL but has thrown for less than half the yardage (7,975) of Bradford (19,449) in nine seasons.
Kafka has ascended quickly in the coaching industry, currently serving as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator with the Giants.
The 2024 NFL Draft will take place from April 25-27 in Detroit. More draft coverage can be found at CBSSports.com, including the weekly updated draft order, mock drafts and a regularly available look at the eligible prospects.
