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Ben Arthur
AFC South Reporter
The Houston Texans shocked the NFL world in 2023.
Led by No. 2 overall pick C.J. Stroud, who put together arguably the greatest rookie quarterback season in NFL history, Houston won 10 games — a seven-win improvement from the prior season — en route to a division title, and was one win away from the AFC Championship Game.
So which rookie quarterback’s team is poised to make a similar leap in 2024?
Like Stroud, each of the six quarterbacks taken in the first round of this year’s draft — Caleb Williams (Chicago Bears), Jayden Daniels (Washington Commanders), Drake Maye (New England Patriots), Michael Penix Jr. (Atlanta Falcons), Bo Nix (Denver Broncos) and J.J. McCarthy (Minnesota Vikings) — join teams that had a losing record the previous year.
Apart from Penix, who’s expected to be on the bench as a rookie (barring an injury to Kirk Cousins), here’s a breakdown of the situations each of the first-round quarterbacks are entering — and the chances they have to lead a rise similar to Stroud:
Chicago Bears
Perhaps no quarterback ever taken first overall has been placed in a better situation than Williams.
The Bears have plenty of firepower, for one. Veteran wide receivers D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen both registered more than 1,200 receiving yards last season, while No. 9 overall pick Rome Odunze led the FBS with 1,640 receiving yards at Washington in 2023. Then you must factor in their impressive tight end room led by Cole Kmet, who last season tied for sixth at the position in receiving touchdowns, ninth in receptions and 10th in receiving yards. He’s backed up by Gerald Everett, who has started 46 NFL games.
Chicago also has continuity on the offensive line, returning all five starters. Its running back committee is led by D’Andre Swift, who was a 1,000-yard rusher for the Philadelphia Eagles last season.
Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron has a prior…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/can-any-rookie-nfl-qb-cj-stroud-texans-ascension-2024
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Publish date : 2024-07-18 14:41:00
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