Manti Te’o Believes the 2024 QB Draft Class Is Better Than the Elite 2018 QB Draft Class

The NFL offseason is a time for theories, what-ifs, and comparisons. In the couple of months leading up to the Draft in late April, a popular one has always been comparing draft classes. Good Morning Football‘s Manti Te’o got in on the fun this week.

With Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson regularly competing for MVP awards since entering the league, the 2018 class of QB draftees that they were a part of has often been cited as one of the best in recent years. But with the recent re-emergence of the No. 1 and No. 3 overall picks in that draft (Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold), the class has been catapulted to all-time status.

That’s why it was surprising to see Te’o compare the recent 2024 QB class favorably to that decorated 2018 edition. Especially considering Sam Darnold just brought that group its first Super Bowl title.

“My eye goes to the 2024 class,” Te’o said. “When you look at all four of those individuals immediately came into a situation and was big for their teams.”

Te’o’s argument for taking the 2024 class over the 2018 class here seems to be based on the speed with which a QB impacts his team’s fortunes. We’re not sure that should be a deciding factor, but by that measure, the 2024 class would seem to have an edge.

“Obviously, you know Sam Darnold. The best thing about Sam Darnold that I like is his journey,” Te’o argued, noting, “It wasn’t always beautiful, it started off slow, he had to go through a little bit of trial and tribulation there. Baker Mayfield has the same kind of flavor with his career. [Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen] have been the two big dogs in that class.”

Winning a Super Bowl doesn’t push Darnold past his classmates Allen and Jackson. But it’s nothing to scoff at either. Similarly, Mayfield’s success with the Bucs shouldn’t be ignored. He won a playoff game in 2023 and was very close to reaching an NFC Championship that year.

The early success of that 2024 class cannot be ignored, however.

“I look at Caleb Williams, and I look at Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, Bo Nix, all of these guys from Day 1 came to their teams and were required to start and to play,” Te’o said. “So when you have that type of graphic and they’re tied, that says a lot to me about that younger class.”

All four of those QBs have already won a playoff game, and all except Williams have been to a Conference Championship in their first two seasons.

The 2024 class has had a great start. But they have a long way to go to match not only the accolades of that 2018 class (three MVPs, one Super Bowl win) but the engrossing narratives that some of those guys have created throughout their NFL journeys.