Not all 2024 Top-10 rookie QBs are too lofty for LA Rams reach

May be there at 19

If the Rams are strongly motivated to pick a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft, then all options must be on the table. That should include selecting a quarterback at 19 if the right prospect is there. The question is, who will be there at 19? Will a coveted quarterback fall to the team?

I personally do not believe that the Rams will waver from their 2023 NFL Draft strategy. Even though the effort failed to land them a solid backup quarterback option in 2023, QB Stetson Bennett has not been ruled out for returning in 2024. And the method seemed to make sense with how the season had played out. Were Bennett on the active roster for Week 9, the season may have ended much differently. Still there are two quarterbacks who may or may not be there at 19. As such, we should discuss their fit:

III - QB Jayden Daniels, LSU

LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels has been a bit late to the party, but his rapidly rising stock for the 2024 NFL Draft is well earned. Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 210 pounds, Daniels is a dual-threat quarterback who can beat teams with his arm and his legs, and many NFL teams will leverage that ability to run with plays designed to get him loose in open spaces. He has the arm to make any and all throws, but his ability to run can limit his patience in the pocket.

Daniels adds a mobile quarterback dimension to an offense but does not sacrifice height or arm strength. Because he is so gifted at fleeing from the pocket, he exhibits less patience from that spot than some plays require. He checks all of the boxes and offers an offensive coordinator a far more expansive set of play options. Still, he is less refined than you might hope from a first-round quarterback. Projected: Top 10

IV - QB J.J. McCarthy, Michigan

Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy is the first polarizing quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft. Some draft scouts love him and believe that he is the best quarterback talent-wise of this draft class. Others cite his lack of throws, and observed rawness, as reason enough to tap the brakes on his runaway stock rising. McCarthy stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 202 pounds. While not a featherweight by any means, he will likely be advised to hit the gym and muscle up another 10-15 pounds of armor to withstand the physicality of playing quarterback in the NFL. He played for a strong running team, Michigan, but was able to step up and take over games when necessary.

But that leaves the door open to questions of how will he perform without a strong running game. Can the shortfalls in his collegiate game be easily corrected, and quickly enough to start in the NFL in his rookie season? While he has been touted by NFL scouts, can he make a quick transition to the NFL? Those questions will need to have strong and acceptable answers for any team who selects him. Projection: Late Round 1