ESPN's Matt Miller evaluates NFL Combine throwing of JJ McCarthy, Bo Nix, Michael Penix Jr., Spencer Rattler

Quarterbacks always headline the NFL Combine, with teams getting ready to put their hopes for the future on the back of a new signal caller. So, with the 2024 NFL Draft loaded with quarterback talent, it’s no surprise that all eyes were again on the quarterbacks, even with the presumed top three choices not throwing.

ESPN NFL Draft expert Matt Miller appeared on SportsCenter after watching the quarterback workouts. There, he broke down four of the quarterbacks who did perform at the NFL Combine and specifically broke down how they threw during their workouts.

Miller broke down JJ McCarthy, Bo Nix, Michael Penix Jr, and Spencer Rattler‘s play, giving them one word to describe how they threw.

JJ McCarthy, Michigan: Uneven

One of the most interesting quarterbacks in the NFL Draft is JJ McCarthy, who is coming off a national championship season but threw the ball less during his college career than many other quarterbacks. He did, however, throw at the NFL Combine in what Matt Miller thought was an up-and-down performance.

“You saw the throw to the right there looked beautiful, throwing to his left was a lot more uneven during the workout. He settled down nicely, calmed down and found his rhythm,” Miller said. “They are throwing to unfamiliar targets, these wide receivers that they’ve not played with before. So, McCarthy has some room to grow I think at his Pro Day later this month. Could still be one of those top 10 picks once we get to the first round.”

Bo Nix, Oregon: Solid

One of the most experienced quarterbacks throwing at the NFL Combine was Bo Nix, whose college career took off when he transferred from Auburn to Oregon. He put up massive numbers there and it was important to have a good workout with questions about his arm strength. Luckily, for Nix, that’s a performance he was able to put together.

“Let’s look at Bo Nix here. I thought that Bo Nix was solid. He’s a player that doesn’t have great arm strength, doesn’t have the huge mobility in his game, but moves well in the pocket,” Miller said. “Throwing against air, but did show that good deep ball. He can layer it with smooth touch. That’s the thing with Bo Nix. He’s experienced. He’s ready. That touch is very impressive.”

Michael Penix Jr, Washington: Surgical

Matt Miller praised Michael Penix Jr’s performance beyond anyone else he saw throw at the NFL Combine. That should help him moving forward as the experienced quarterback still has questions to answer in the draft process. In particular, with concerns about his medical history, it was good to put up a great passing day.

“This is one of the better quarterback workouts we’ve seen here in quite some time, maybe not on the CJ Stroud level, but he showed arm strength. He’s driving the ball on some of these deep out routes that other quarterbacks simply couldn’t hit,” Miller said. “The medicals are huge for Michael Penix Jr, but he throws like a first round pick.”

Spencer Rattler, South Carolina: Crisp

One of the more interesting quarterbacks in the NFL Draft is Spencer Rattler. The South Carolina quarterback has all the tools but never exploded on the college scene like many expected him to be able to do. Still, as Matt Miller explained, he had a solid day at the NFL Combine.

“Spencer Rattler, everyone’s favorite mid-round quarterback. I thought he was crisp,” Miller said. “This was a really good day for him. He didn’t run as well in the 40-yard dash as I expected, but throwing, you can see why he’s been able to be a starter in college football for four years. You can see why, at one point, he was a Heisman Trophy candidate and two years ago was being talked about as a potential first round pick.”