Both Georgia’s Carson Beck and Texas’ Quinn Ewers will head into the 2024 season with plenty of NFL eyeballs watching them, as each has the chance to solidify themselves as a future franchise quarterback.
And that brings with it a level of pressure, though neither seem too preoccupied by it.
Beck was asked by The Athletic’s Larry Holder how he goes about sharpening his skill set, knowing he’s getting real buzz as a potential first-round pick:
“Honestly, I mean, none of that really crosses my mind. Obviously, it is a thing and it’s real. I’m not going to just play stupid and act like that’s not there. But that’s not my mentality, and that’s not where my focus is. It’s very much just day by day and be where your feet are. Stay grounded and don’t go too far into the future. Don’t go back into the past, which is very hard to do.”
Ewers, meanwhile, was asked how he’ll approach the NFL draft:
“Yeah, I mean, I’m excited. First, I’ve got to play well this year, so, yeah, I’m excited for all the opportunities in front of me—super blessed to be in the position that I’m in. I know a lot of people would want to be in this position, and I just try to think about that stuff every day. You know, there’s probably a million people who wish they were a quarterback for Texas and (had) the opportunity to go play in the NFL next year. So that just kind of puts a different perspective on things.”
Beck noted that this offseason he’s placed a premium on becoming a better leader off the field and more consistent on it, while Ewers said he was “working on just taking full command of the team,” which has been difficult at times in the past because he tends to be introverted.
The 21-year-old Beck was fantastic in 2023, throwing for 3,941 yards, 24 touchdowns and just six interceptions while completing 72.4 percent of his passes. If he builds on that performance in 2024, he seems primed to be a top-10 pick at next April’s draft.
Ewers, meanwhile, has a bit more to prove. The 21-year-old threw for 3,479 yards, 22 touchdowns and six picks, completing 69 percent of his passes, after a rough 2022 season for Texas. Scouts will be curious to see whether his true ability is closer to 2022 or 2023.
Beck also has more prototypical size (6’4″ and 220 pounds) than Ewers, who is a bit smaller at 6’2″ and 195 pounds. But both could easily be first-round selections with strong efforts in 2024.