Dynasty Rookie Draft Advice: J.J. McCarthy, Caleb Williams, Drake Maye (Fantasy Football)

The fantasy football season has come to an end, but that doesn’t mean the NFL stops. It’s time to start getting excited for the 2024 NFL Draft. Dynasty fantasy football managers and redraft players alike can dive into the upcoming class of fantasy football rookies to prepare for the 2024 NFL season. We’ll take a look at players to know from the 2024 NFL Draft class.

Dynasty Rookie Draft Prospects

J.J. McCarthy (Michigan)

Stats:

2023 (among FBS QBs, minimum 150 dropbacks)
- PFF passing grade: 10th
- Adjusted completion rate: 4th
- Yards per attempt: 11th
- Big-time throw rate: 26th

Deep passing (minimum 20 deep passing attempts)
- Adjusted completion rate: 3rd
- Deep throw rate: 101st
Pressured passing (minimum 50 pressured dropbacks)
- Adjusted completion rate: 4th
- Pressured rate: 60th

2022 (among FBS QBs, minimum 150 dropbacks)
- PFF passing grade: 43rd
- Adjusted completion rate: 53rd
- Yards per attempt: 26th
- Big-time throw rate: 37th

Deep passing (minimum 20 deep passing attempts)
- Adjusted completion rate: 43rd
- Deep throw rate: 49th
Pressured passing (minimum 50 pressured dropbacks)
- Adjusted completion rate: 60th
- Pressured rate: 22nd-lowest

Scouting Report:

McCarthy is a playmaker from the pocket. He’s adept at buying time with his legs when it’s called for and isn’t scared to go off-script. While on the move, he keeps his eyes downfield as he surveys the field.
McCarthy has a top-shelf pocket presence. He has quiet feet and will climb the pocket and hang tough in the face of pressure. McCarthy will roll out when it’s required and can fire bullets on the move. I won’t be surprised to see him utilized on the move with boots more in the NFL. He has the arm talent to change his arm angle when it’s needed and still fire rockets.
McCarthy paces well through his reads, consistently getting to his second and third options. He has no problems letting a play develop and hitting a receiver with a second-window throw versus zone coverage.
The former Wolverine has all the arm strength needed for the NFL. His film is littered with second-level darts to the boundary and into tight windows. His accuracy and ball placement need to improve some on deep tosses, especially on go balls on the boundary, but it’s nothing to see him hit a receiver in stride on a post downfield.
He won’t be confused as a true dual-threat quarterback but he can add some value as a rusher. McCarthy is a linear runner who displays some open-field maneuverability with good bend and change of direction skills and a well-placed jab step. He’s no statue and could see a handful of designed runs weekly in the NFL.

Player Comp: Rich Gannon

Caleb Williams (USC)

Stats:

2023 (among FBS QBs, minimum 150 dropbacks)
- PFF passing grade: 14th
- Adjusted completion rate: 14th
- Yards per attempt: 8th
- Big-time throw rate: 18th

Deep passing (minimum 20 deep passing attempts)
- Adjusted completion rate: 14th
- Deep throw rate: 59th
Pressured passing (minimum 50 pressured dropbacks)
- Adjusted completion rate: 48th
- Pressured rate: 56th-highest

2022 (among FBS QBs, minimum 150 dropbacks)
- PFF passing grade: 5th
- Adjusted completion rate: 24th
- Yards per attempt: 9th
- Big-time throw rate: 23rd

Deep passing (minimum 20 deep passing attempts)
- Adjusted completion rate: 32nd
- Deep throw rate: 52nd
Pressured passing (minimum 50 pressured dropbacks)
- Adjusted completion rate: 25th
- Pressured rate: 62nd-highest

Scouting Report:

Williams has the gunslinger mentality cranked up to 11 at all times. While I won’t fault him for that because I would rather have aggression than more passiveness when playing, it can get him into trouble at times. Williams will force throws into strapped coverage where he should have taken what the defense gave him with an easy underneath route or checkdown. This could come back to bite him in the pros if he doesn’t reel it in at times.
His high-wire act played up better in 2022 than in 2023, when his supporting cast wasn’t as adept at getting open. At times, when you watch his 2023 tape, it’s evident every receiving option is covered up quickly and Williams was forced into a backyard scramble ball. In 2023, on some reps, he looked frantic as he was pressing to play hero ball, whereas in 2022, on similar reps, he was a seasoned explorer sprinting in the dark with a playmaking compass pointing him toward home. He needs to play with more controlled aggression, like in 2022, and less, like in 2023.
Williams has easy velocity at all levels of the field, which allows him to fit in strikes into some precariously tight windows. His flick of the wrist plus velocity helps him out when he’s on the run, as it’s nothing for him to toss it 40 yards downfield while on the move and make it look easy. Williams has a quick release and can alter arm angles at the drop of a hat.
He’s a strong processor on the field but he can rush through progressions at times. He’ll flip from his first to his second read or his second to his third without allowing the play to flesh itself out. Williams developed some bad habits in 2023 as he would bail some clean/workable pockets at the first sign of pressure instead of stepping up in a workable pocket to avoid the rush. He needs to get back to the 2022 version of himself, where he balanced his Superman tendencies with a tad more Clark Kent.
Williams will offer some rushing upside in the NFL; although he’s probably unlikely to be a consistent 500-yard rusher like in college, he could kick in 300-400 in some seasons. Williams has a decent change of direction ability but his start/stop isn’t lightning fast, as he’s equipped with more build-up speed. He will probably run a 4.5 40-yard dash, so I don’t want to shade his wheels too much. His escapability in the pocket would lead many to believe that, as a rusher, he would be twitchier. He can chew up yards when it’s called for but don’t look for him to be a heavy-designed rush attempt quarterback in the NFL.

Player Comp: Right-handed Steve Young

Drake Maye (North Carolina)

Stats:

2023 (among FBS QBs, minimum 150 dropbacks)
- PFF passing grade: 8th
- Adjusted completion rate: 30th
- Yards per attempt: 29th
- Big-time throw rate: 8th

Deep passing (minimum 20 deep passing attempts)
- Adjusted completion rate: 8th
- Deep throw rate: 25th
Pressured passing (minimum 50 pressured dropbacks)
- Adjusted completion rate: 23rd
- Pressured rate: 51st

2022 (among FBS QBs, minimum 150 dropbacks)
- PFF passing grade: 3rd
- Adjusted completion rate: 30th
- Yards per attempt: 31st
- Big-time throw rate: 4th

Deep passing (minimum 20 deep passing attempts)
- Adjusted completion rate: 11th
- Deep throw rate: 59th
Pressured passing (minimum 50 pressured dropbacks)
- Adjusted completion rate: 52nd
- Pressured rate: 30th-most

Scouting Report:

Maye is a deep-ball sniper. His arm strength consistently shows up in his film. His downfield prowess is one of his shining attributes, as he has ranked in the top 12 in deep ball-adjusted completion rate in each of the last two seasons. The deep ball velocity is palpable and easy as the ball jumps out of his hand. Maye also displays good touch and the ability to toss a precise change up in the short and intermediate when it’s called for.
Maye has a pretty good pocket presence. He moves through progressions well overall but he does seem a tick-late on some reps. It’s not a constant problem as he gets through reads one and two with regularity. It’s rare to see him progress to his third option or a check-down unless they are earlier in the progression.
He will stand tall against pressure to deliver strikes. Maye offers some off-script play-making ability but he can get out over his skis in this realm at times. It’s not a consistent theme but he will bail the occasional clean pocket. He does offer the ability to be utilized on bootlegs and on the move, whether scripted or if he’s working through a broken play. Once in scramble mode, he tends to lock onto one option while maneuvering through the noise. He needs to improve at keeping his eyes downfield in improv mode and continue to utilize the entire field as his canvas.
Maye can get the ball out quickly for quick hitters but his delivery can get long at times. He’ll need to clean that up more in the faster NFL.

Player Comp: Matthew Stafford